Plant based diet – what’s it all about?

Not all men are looking to bulk up, some want to lose the weight first before they want to shred the beer belly first.

But it’s not always easy to maintain long term weight loss so switching to a plant based diet may just be one option that will help you succeed. You don’t have to give up the meat forever, you could try by having a meat-free day once a week to begin with.

There are multiple health benefits beyond sustained weight loss that comes with making the switch to a plant-based or vegan/vegetarian diet.

Plant based diets and long term weight loss

Eating meat doesn’t make men manly! The biggest thing we have to overcome is the stigma of men needing to feel less butch because they are snubbing steaks.

A well planned plant based diet consists of fermented foods, sprouted grains, germinated seeds, nuts, legumes, plant based proteins and a wide variety of vegetables, fruits and berries.

This means that you will have a well rounded diet that gives you all the vitamins and nutrients that you would get from a standard omnivore diet, maybe even more.

Why can a plant based diet help with long term weight loss?

The macro nutrient profile differences between the diet of a vegetarian or vegan compared with a meat eater, is one of the reasons why long term weight loss and lower body weight is linked with plant based diets. They tend to be lower in fat than a omnivore diet, particularly saturated fats.

Plant based diets are very high in fibre due to the higher intake of vegetables that include greater amounts of fibre. High fibre diets are strongly associated with a lowered body weight.

When you follow a vegan diet you will find it is very low sodium, and has very little cholesterol. A low fat vegetarian diet has been shown to significantly reduce LDL (low-density lipoproteins) and HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol.

Not only does this lower your body weight or allow for longer term weight loss success it also reduces your risk of  having a heart attack and stroke.

Diets that are high in saturated fats, such as those contained in things like red meat, butter and cheese, may cause weight gain as they are very calorie dense diets. For every gram of fat it contains 9 calories, compared to a gram of carbohydrate or protein, which has 4 calories.

Plant-based diet can improve your metabolism

A plant-based diet can improve your resting metabolic weight through the thermogenic (heat producing) properties of the foods consumed. It also improves blood sugar issues and any possible risk for diabetes as it improves insulin sensitivity.

As a weight loss diet, a vegan diet shows significant weight loss improvements compared to other diets.

Multiple studies have shown that people who consume vegan diets have lower Body Mass Index’s (BMI) than those consuming meat.

If going vegan seems like a struggle you could cut out most meat and just eat fish and still see similar benefits including a lower BMI than meat eaters.

So if you are considering a vegan diet, what better incentive than long lasting health and sustained weight loss!

The benefits of a meat-free diet

Studies suggest there are many scientific benefits to eating a well-balanced diet that doesn’t contain any meat in it. In fact, this type of diet can help you combat these health issues:

• Obesity
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Type 2 diabetes
• Heart disease
• Potentially cancer
• Live longer
• Reduce the risk of stroke
• Less likely to have erectile dysfunction

***However, it’s important that you maintain a healthy, well-balanced diet to see any benefits. As a diet high in cheese could increase your chances of many of the above health issues!

Different types of vegetarian diets

Although being a vegetarian usually refers to eating a plant-based diet, there are different types of meat-less diets such as:

Lacto Ovo vegetarian

people who don’t eat any meat, seafood but eat dairy, eggs and plant foods.

Ovo vegetarian

People who do not eat meat, seafood or dairy but do eat eggs and plant foods.

Lacto vegetarian

People who do not eat meat, seafood and eggs but do eat dairy foods and plant foods

Vegan

People who don’t eat meat, seafood, eggs or milk and only eat plant foods.

These others aren’t necessarily vegetarian but they do include restrictions on the amount of animal food that is eaten.

Pescatarian

People who do not eat any meat, but do eat seafood, dairy foods, eggs and plant foods.

Flexitarian

People who mainly have a plant-based diet but occasionally meat and seafood.

How to start a vegetarian diet

If you don’t want to go cold turkey you could try easing yourself in by having meatless meals once or twice a week instead.

6 reasons people turn vegan

More and more of us are turning to the vegan diet. According to a recent survey by the Vegan Society, the number of people living off a plant-based diet has increased by more than 360% in the last decade. So, what’s behind this huge turnaround?

1. Ethical reasons

For some, going meat-free seems like the only answer as they dislike the thought of eating another animal, as well as from animals kept for eggs or milk.

They may then decide to abstain from eating all animal products.

2. To help the environment

Some people turn to a plant-based diet for environmental reasons. Livestock such as cows and pigs require vast amounts of land, this can cause deforestation.

There’s also an argument that the more livestock there is the more carbon monoxide is pumped into the atmosphere, creating more greenhouse gases.

3. Health benefits

Others opt for a vegan diet for health reasons, they may want to detox, cut out certain food groups or lose weight.

There are also links to a vegan diet and a decrease in the rates of diabetes, cancer and heart disease.

4. Longevity

Many people who have a plant-based diet believe that it will help prolong their lifespan. There are many studies to support this view too. For men, there’s an increased chance of 7-8 years more of life.

5. They find eating meat and dairy unnatural

For some, eating animals goes against what they consider to be human nature. They believe our bodies don’t naturally digest meat or they don’t like the idea of drinking milk from another animal.

6. To lose weight

Another benefit, many finds, is that when they stick to a plant-based diet they shed the kilos pretty quickly. This is because dairy food and meat produce is often very fatty.

Check out these healthy meat-free recipes

Healthy Spinach Balls Recipe

This tasty Spinach Balls recipe makes 4 serves (around 20 balls). They make the perfect savoury healthy snack to grab on the go. Just store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer to grab when you need a healthy snack. High in fibre to help with digestion to promote a leaner tummy.

Have you tried the Healthy Man Meal Replacement?

It’s the perfect low-calorie meal replacement for busy blokes wanting to boost weight loss and improve overall health. It’s full of whey and soy protein which means it’ll leave you feeling full and satisfied and keep you going till your next meal.

If you want to shift some kilo’s, look no further than The Healthy Man’s Meal Replacement!

The Healthy Man Meal Replacement Shake is available in Chocolate and Vanilla and will:-

• Enhance fat-burning ability
• Improve gut health
• Reduce beer belly
• Increase stamina
• Increase muscle strength
• Increase energy, vitality and overall health

Get your tub of the Healthy Man Meal Replacement here