The vegan diet is a plant-based diet that excludes all animal products including meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy. Vegans can also avoid using animal-derived products such as honey and leather. The drive to follow the vegan lifestyle might be due to;
- Ethical concerns for animals
- The environment
- Personal health
The vegan diet has many benefits, including the following;
- Weight loss
- Carbing the chances of getting heart-related complications
- Elevating your moods
- Could prevent type 2 diabetes
- May improve cholesterol
- Veganism is also associated with a lower risk of some types of cancer
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Types of Vegan Diet
The vegan lifestyle has different variations, so there is room to find what works best for anyone who is into this kind of diet. Let’s take a look at some of the types of vegan diets;
Whole Food Vegan
The whole-food plant-based diet is a vegan diet that focuses on whole, unprocessed plant foods. This diet includes plenty of nuts, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts. The benefits of the whole food plant-based diet include improved health, weight loss, and increased energy levels. The diet helps the individual get an ample supply of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Junk Food Vegan
The Junk Food Vegan Diet is, as the name suggests, a vegan diet that includes junk food. Well, this diet is not recommended for anyone looking to improve their health. It can be a good option for those who are looking to transition to a vegan diet but still want to enjoy junk food. Some of the most popular junk food vegan items include
- Vegan cookies
- Vegan cake
- Vegan ice cream
- Vegan fast food.
The Raw Vegan Diet
The raw vegan diet is based on the premise that the foods eaten should be in their natural or unprocessed state. This means that raw vegans eat a diet of mostly fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
The benefits of eating a raw vegan diet include improved digestion, increased energy, and clearer skin. Similar to what a whole-food vegan gets, vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals can be gotten from a raw vegan diet.
The 80/10/10 Diet
The 80/10/10 Diet is a raw, vegan diet that gets its name from the ratio of carbohydrates, protein, and fat that it recommends. On this diet, 80% of the calories should come from carbs, 10% from protein and 10% from fat.
This diet is based on the idea that humans are designed to eat a mostly plant-based diet. When followed correctly, the 80/10/10 diet can lead to improved health, increased energy levels, and even weight loss.
The Low Fat Raw Vegan Diet
The Low Fat Raw Vegan Diet is a raw vegan diet that includes a limited amount of fat. The benefits of the low-fat vegan diet include weight loss, increased energy levels, and improved health.
However, like the other vegan diets, it can be difficult to get enough calories in protein. The vegan diet has been followed by many for many years now. It is
Weight Loss in a Vegan Diet
One common benefit in most of the vegan diets is weight loss. A person who has started the journey into veganism might wonder if the weight loss will occur instantaneously. It’s important to note that weight loss will only come about if certain guidelines are followed.
It could take years before seeing the benefits of a vegan diet. However, the following tips and tricks will help attain your desired weight loss goals while on a vegan diet.
Maintaining Calorie Deficit
Being in a calorie deficit is the first step of any weight loss journey. This holds for any kind of diet out there. With a vegan diet, the calorie deficit can be achieved with ease. This is the reason why a lot of people, after switching over to a vegan or a whole-food plant-based diet, lose weight without even realizing it.
By sticking to foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, there is an assurance of achieving the deficit. These are the foods with the least calories per pound that anyone can get. They make being in a calorie deficit manageable.
Low Fat Consumption
The vegan diet is often more inclined to a low-fat whole food diet. Monitoring the fat intake will help in achieving weight loss. There’s a whole lot of whole plant foods out there that are high calorie and high fat. They include olives, avocados, nuts, and seeds.
All are healthy and are things that should be included on a daily or weekly basis. However, if eaten in excess, it will make it difficult to lose weight on a vegan diet.
Including High Fiber
Ensure foods consumed have fiber and are very water-rich. This is pretty easy to do when sticking to real plant food, fiber is only found in plant foods. When having the vegetables and fruits make sure they’re super watery and juicy, and that you get them in the freshest, most ripe form possible.
This is not only going to boost hydration, but it’s also going to maintain fullness because those foods have a lot of volume in them. When in doubt, always choose fresh over dry.
Keep It Whole Food
There are a lot of ways to have a vegan diet but the general rule of thumb is to opt for the whole food option. If the diet chosen is solely based on processed vegan food and junk food then gaining weight will be the effect. Though vegan is associated with healthy choices, having processed and junk vegan options can affect blood pressure and raise cholesterol levels.
Be Conscious
Pay attention while eating and understand the triggers that affect your eating habits. This can either be eating because of hunger or craving. A craving might push an individual to eat beyond fullness or without observing the times between meals.
Being conscious will not only help track the food you eat but it will also help in finding answers to the following:
- Are you hungry?
- Are you satisfied?
- Are you eating past fullness?
- Is it the right time to eat?
- Is the food right for you?
- Why are you eating?
Conclusion
A vegan diet, when done correctly, has a lot of benefits, body weight loss being one of them. When it comes to weight loss, the best approach is to track the food eaten and the eating habits. While some individuals may not experience significant changes in their bodies or may encounter side effects when strictly adhering to a vegan diet, they can explore alternative options, such as weight loss supplements that are known for their minimal or no side effects and their ability to provide the desired results. By following the above tips and using the supplement, you can embark on a weight loss journey while enjoying a vegan lifestyle.
