Obesity is a global health menace and there is hardly any group that remains unaffected by it nowadays. From children to elderly lot – obesity can affect anyone. This is true about ethnicity also. There are numerous diet plans and workout options to combat obesity, but selecting the right one can be tricky. This is because obesity is triggered by various factors, including genetics, lifestyle, ailments etc.
Why You Should Opt For Plant Based Diet For Battling Obesity
There are several advantages that you get by trying a plant based diet over a non vegetarian diet for weight loss, these are:
- When you follow a diet comprising mostly of vegetables, grains, legumes and herbs, the results are better than what you get from most meat based diets. You skip out excess sugar and additives when taking plant based foods.
- It becomes easier to shed off excess flab when you choose a plant based diet over a meat based one. This is because most meat types have some amount of fat, which is not the case with plant based foods.
- For humans, digesting plant based food is somewhat easier than digesting animal meat.
- Comparatively, plant based foods tend to have more fiber than meat based foods. Fiber consumption is vital for fighting obesity.
Ways To Ensure Plant Based Diet Works For Your Obesity Fighting Mission
You can utilize the below listed tips to ensure a plant based diet works the best to combat obesity:
Eating thrice a day-You should try taking three large veg meals per day. The meals should comprise of whole grains, beans, vegetables and legumes. There should be no processed foods.
Focusing on consuming whole grains
Eating whole grains does help when you want to shed excess flab easily. The good examples of whole grains are millet, quinoa and brown rice. You should also limit the intake of tortilla and bread. Stop eating white flour breads for better results.
Eating plenty of legumes and beans
Eating lots of beans is the idea when you are on a weight loss mission. Ensure that you cook the beans without lots of oil. They are rich in fiber and also low in calories. If fresh beans are not available, which can be the case sometimes, use canned beans too.
Eating a variety of vegetables
Just because you want to lose weight, it does not mean you have to cope with bland and dull tasting dishes. The best option is to eat a lot of vegetables and eat in variety. Blend colorful and varying types of vegetables in your diet. Include those that grow under the soil and sea vegetables as well. The variety in taste, texture and flavor will help you stick to the diet as well.
Using little oil and no fat
It also matters how you prepare veg meals for weight loss. It is best if you do not deep fry or use lots of oil to make meals with vegetables when weight loss is on your mind. You should use boiling and sautéing for cooking. Sometimes, having raw vegetables in salad is also fine, but you should wash them well before consumption to avoid any chance of contamination. Use healthy oils like rice bran or safflower oil for cooking. In taking dairy products is fine, but you should stick to eating low fat variants.
Staying active
Like the doctors always keep saying just changing the diet is not going to bring any miracle when you want to shed off excess flab! Discarding sedentary lifestyle and staying active is a must. You need not hit the gym everyday, but resorting to walking, cycling and swimming can also help you augment the benefits brought in by change of diet.
Enhancing taste but safely
To add to the taste of veg dishes, you may add some condiments and spices. However, you need to be careful. Adding OTC condiments is never a good idea as you will end up adding more fat and the calorie value will shoot up. Use natural herbs and spices for the purpose. For example, you may very well add lemon juice, ginger, black pepper and olive oil.
Choosing beverages selectively
Even when you are adhering to a weight loss diet, you will get the urge to drink once in awhile. Having green tea and coffee in moderation is fine as long as you do not use excess sugar. However, refrain from having OTC soft drinks and typical energy drinks.
Choosing fat containing plant foods cautiously
Most of the plant based foods contain little or no fat but then there are exceptions. Some plant based foods, mostly fruits, contain a good amount of natural fats. They are laden with nutrients too, so don’t exclude them altogether from meals. You may limit their intake when you want to lose weight. Some, such examples are avocados, nuts, tofu and peanut butter.
Evading sugar
When you are on a plant based diet, it is best to evade using sugar while cooking and making foods. Sometimes, you may use little sugar to add to taste but sometimes you can evade it. For example, when you make fruit juices at home, rely on natural sugar in fruits like oranges, berries and pineapple, etc. There is no need to add sugar in excess and the same logic is applicable when you make smoothies with fruits and vegetables.