Hint: healthy weight loss is only one!
Clinical studies show that a plant-based diet combats the leading killers: cancer, cardiovascular disease, and Type 2 diabetes. No wonder vegetarians live longer than meat eaters!
For heart health alone, giving up meat (including fowl) and seafood (including fish) can lower bad LDL cholesterol, blood pressure and hypertension, and body mass index (BMI). Most research finds that people following a plant-based diet eat fewer calories and weigh less than omnivores.
A vegetarian diet is also less expensive—and far more planet friendly—than eating meat. Plant foods are naturally alkaline, helping to normalize the body’s pH level. Even the conservative American Dietetic Association says anyone—at any age or life stage—can go vegetarian.
Dr. Ann Louise’s Take:
Clearly, eating fiber-rich vegetables, fruits, and other plants supports detox and digestion. That’s why Fat Flush for Life includes specific advice on how to go vegetarian. But vegetarians need to be as careful about what they eat as omnivores.
Don’t overdo processed and sugary foods, for example, if you’re having a snack attack. Ovo-lacto vegetarians should choose omega-3-rich eggs and plenty of yogurt and kefir with live, active probiotic strains. But go easy on triple-cream cheeses.
Pay attention to “good” fats—avoiding trans fat and supermarket oils. Cook with extra-virgin olive oil and cold-pressed nut oils. Macadamia nut oil, for instance, has almost twice the smoke point of olive oil, plus a great nutty aroma and taste. Try avocado, sesame, and walnut oil too.
Drizzle flaxseed oil over salads and veggies to up your omega-3s. This anti-inflammatory oil helps balance blood sugar and hormone levels, while inhibiting weight gain. And toss chia seeds, rich in omega-3 and plant-based calcium, into frappes and smoothies or soups and stews.
Enjoy Plenty of Plant Protein
Numerous clinical studies show that plant protein fights fat, curbs appetite, boosts metabolism, and supports the weight loss functions of the liver and thyroid. Eat plenty of legumes (aduki, black, and kidney beans, garbanzos, and lentils), but limit your intake of soy foods (high in copper) to fermented soy (like tofu) no more than twice weekly.
I like Fat Flush Whey Protein, which supports lean muscle mass and boosts energy levels—while naturally suppressing your appetite. Also popular with Fat Flushers and vegetarians, Fat Flush Body Protein, made from pea and rice protein (plus the prebiotic inulin and the sweet herb stevia). This powder has a distinct advantage over other vegan proteins because it balances high-lysine yellow pea with low-lysine rice—and it tastes great.
Balance Copper and Zinc
Without complete protein, the thyroid is unable to ignite the fuel that transforms food into energy. Another concern for vegetarians—especially if they eat too many nuts and soy foods (along with chocolate and tea)—is copper overload.
Excess copper impairs energy production within the cells, and as a conductive metal with strong electrical charges, this mineral also promotes free radicals linked to acne, anemia, arthritis, candidiasis, chronic fatigue, hormonal irregularities, hair loss, gall bladder congestion, loss of libido, PMS, and reduced thyroid function.
High copper levels from eating too many soy-based foods can result in adrenal insufficiency. Zinc, a natural antagonist to copper, is often low in vegetarian diets, so be sure to take a daily multi that contains this important mineral—without any added copper.
Vegetarian women of childbearing age may need additional iron and vitamin B12. And even if you eat dairy, you may be low in vitamin D and want to add more.
Sources:
Fat Flush for Life
The Fat Flush Plan
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19968904
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20071875
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19562864
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19893782
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19766762
