Vegetarian Weight Loss Diet
Iʼm curious as to why, even though some of my friends are vegetarian, they seem not be the picture of health. Some are, if not overweight, then a little soft. They donʼt have the trim and slim bodies one would think that comes from only eating vegetables.
Then I realized, many do not eat strictly vegetables, or even mostly vegetables for that matter. Vegetarians tend to consume more fats, from nuts and soy, than necessary. The problem with consuming so much fat, like from nuts, is that it slows your metabolizing rate and this makes it hard to burn off during exercise. Some nuts are necessary for a healthy diet. Fats found in nuts are heart healthy fats, but still, they are fats.
Soy has a different issue. Rather than being an issue of fat, soy tends to slow down your overall metabolism. Soy is a great versatile food. It can be made into just about any dish and takes on the flavor of whatever you are cooking. It is a staple of vegetarian diets. However, when it comes to weight loss, you want foods that supercharge your metabolism. And soy tends to bog it down. The proteins in soy are different from those from meat, like chicken or fish, which are not part of the vegetarian diet.
The thousand dollar question is—Then how do vegetarians lose weight?
One part of weight loss we should never forget is EXERCISE. Next, we have to find alternative sources of protein. There are certain grains, like the “super-grain” quinoa, or brown rice, which contain protein. Even further, these grains could be genetically modified to produce an even higher protein content and could replace nuts and soy in the diet. Another route, the traditional way, is to consume rice and beans.
Why fix whatʼs not broken. Beans, such as red kidney, and brown rice (or quinoa if available) can combine to form a “complete protein”, which nutritionists consider to contain all the essential parts of protein that your body needs. These proteins will increase your metabolism and encourage muscle growth. This staple is a necessary part of any vegetarian weight loss plan. Much better than just slashing calories, which will leave your body depleted.