4 reasons plant-based eating helps with weight loss
Can 2019 be the year we all agree to leave fad diets behind? Chances are, that maple syrup, lemon, cayenne pepper concoction works about as well as it tastes—which is not good. Don’t even get us started on the cabbage soup diet! Is it possible to reach your health and wellness goals not by counting carbs or skipping meals, but by eating a plant-based diet? Yes, yes it is.
Diets that are heavy in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, seeds, and nuts, are healthy, satisfying and flavorful. As an added bonus, they can help you reach your weight loss goals. Here's how they do it.
1. You’ll Feel Fuller Longer
A recent study by the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports found that protein-rich meals based on beans and peas increased satiety more than protein-rich veal and pork-based meals. For starters, plant-based foods like beans and peas have much lower fat and calorie content than meat. The study also demonstrated that when participants ate a protein-rich meal based on beans and peas, they consumed 12% fewer calories in their next meal than if they had eaten a meat-based meal. When you feel fuller longer, you'll be less likely to reach for that bedtime snack.
2. You Don’t Have To Calorie Count
The worst part of dieting? Counting calories. But with a plant-based diet, the need to count calories is less necessary than other diets. A study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that participants who did not stick fully to a plant-based diet lost an average of 7.4 pounds. Participants who adopted a plant-based diet, lost an average of 10 pounds in one month. Why was this diet so effective even without calorie counting? Again, it’s that rockstar combo of high fiber and low fat.
3. Your Workout Will Be More Effective
Put down the protein powder. A plant-based diet is all you need to have a really effective workout. Vegetables help your body produce enough oxygen to stimulate cells to work properly, including muscle cell growth. Their high water and fiber content also keeps your digestive system working smoothly, so you don’t feel sluggish, tired, and weak. As a bonus, plant-based foods are filled with amino acids that your body uses to form complete proteins. See? No need to worry about loading up on protein before your next workout!
4. You’ll Feel Great
The primary goal of weight loss should always be to feel better. A plant-based diet has been shown to help prevent, treat, or reverse some leading causes of death. These includes heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. Plant-based diet intervention groups reported improved digestion, increased energy, better sleep, significant improvement in their physical functioning, vitality, mental health, and overall health.
Are you on board with a plant-based weight loss plan for 2019? Try our weight-loss plans full of healthy, plant-based meals and heart-happy motivation.
Read more about mindful eating.
Sources:University of Copenhagen’s Department of Nutrition, Exercise and SportsJournal of the Academy of Nutrition and DieteticsOne Green PlanetNutrition Committee of the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism of the American Heart AssociationNutritionfacts.org
