Vegetarian Diet

A vegetarian diet has been increasingly in demand lately. For some reason, it is believed that the transition to vegetarianism can save you from excess weight and many health problems. Perhaps this is how stereotypes developed: do not eat fatty foods – you lose weight, exclude meat from the diet – you live longer. Undoubtedly, meat is rich in cholesterol and saturated fats, excessive consumption of which can harm the body. But the fact is that vegetarianism is not a diet, it is a way of life that entails the rejection of food of animal origin. And in order to lose weight, one refusal of meat will not be enough, because people who do not eat it can easily afford sweets, chips, various sauces, and other high-calorie foods. That is why a special diet has been developed that will help get rid of extra pounds, while observing the principles of vegetarianism. Reviews about this diet are very controversial, because it has both supporters and opponents who argue that a complete rejection of protein foods will bring irreparable harm to the body. But those who practice vegetarianism as a way of life completely disagree with them.

Types and benefits of vegetarianism

Many people think that a vegetarian diet was invented specifically for vegetarians, but this is not entirely true. The fact is that there are several varieties of vegetarianism that prohibit the use of a particular food, depending on beliefs. So, for example, vegetarians do not eat exclusively meat, and many because of humane and ideological considerations. But in their diet, milk, cottage cheese, eggs and other so-called slaughter-free products also remain. Now they are also called lacto-vegetarians or lacto-ovo-vegetarians. More severe veganism excludes absolutely all products of animal origin, including slaughter-free ones. There is also a raw food diet that allows you to eat raw foods that have not undergone heat treatment, since it is believed that a temperature above 46 degrees is fatal for enzymes – enzymes that help speed up metabolism. There is also fruitorianism, whose followers eat exclusively fruits.

In any case, the main food of vegetarians is and remains vegetable food. Of course, such food is less calorie and contains less fat than protein foods. The use of fruits and vegetables has a positive effect on the body, as they are rich in valuable fiber, useful minerals and vitamins. Plant foods are good for boosting the body’s immune system. In addition, by abandoning animal food, it is possible to improve the functioning of the heart, cleanse blood vessels, and establish blood supply to the brain.

Such a diet will be useful for people suffering from diabetes, as it can be used to normalize blood glucose levels. Among vegetarians, fewer people are prone to hypertension and cancer. The risk of developing a stroke or heart attack is also underestimated.

In addition, vegetarianism can bring other benefits to the body:

• contributes to the normalization of the digestive system;
• cleanses the body of dangerous toxins and harmful toxins;
• restores the intestinal microflora;
• improves mood and energizes;
• reduces phosphorus, thus preventing the development of kidney disease.

Basic principles and types of vegetarian diets

The vegetarian diet in its principles in many ways resembles Christian posts. Most likely, many have come across them and know what they mean by themselves. The essence of such a diet is to avoid eating meat of animals and birds, fish and seafood. Its rules are based on a more gentle lacto-ovo-vegetarianism, which is allowed to eat dairy products and eggs. Thus, this principle of weight loss is suitable even for those who first decided to abandon meat dishes. In addition, if it is still very difficult to part with the meat, then at first you can create your own menu on the 2 week, which will include a small amount of it. Then gradually reduce its entry into the diet until complete exclusion.

The basic rules of a vegetarian diet:

• exclude from the diet of meat, fish and seafood;
• Do not give up dairy products and poultry eggs to make up for the lack of vitamin B12;
• eat foods of plant origin: berries, vegetables, fruits, greens, cereals, nuts, beans, whole grain or bran bread;
• dairy products should contain a small amount of fat;
• use lemon juice or vegetable oil to fill salads;
• during the diet you need to drink at least two liters of pure mineral water without gas;
• minimizing the use of sweet, salty, roasted, various types of preservation and pickles.

The duration of such a diet can be 1 week, 2 week and even a month. Longer adhere to the principles of such nutrition is not recommended. If after the first week the results are completely satisfactory, then we can limit this period. If there is a desire to extend the diet – use a two-week meal plan.

You need to eat such a diet three times a day, and for breakfast it is better to take time from 7 to 9 in the morning, lunch should be held in the interval from 11 to 13 hours of the day, and for dinner, leave time from 16 to 18 hours. After six in the evening, eating, like on any other diet, is prohibited. Only a small snack before bedtime is allowed in the form of any unsweetened fruit or a glass of low-fat sour-milk product. If you really want to eat in between meals, you can have a bite with an apple, a small amount of nuts or seeds.

Exit from the diet should not be sharp, but gradual. Especially in cases where it lasted more than 2 weeks. To do this, you can first introduce more fatty dairy products, then you can add fish to the diet. On about the third or fourth day, you can try to boil a small piece of lean meat, preferably chicken, turkey or beef.

Repeated conduct such a diet is recommended no more than once every two months.

A vegetarian diet is of several kinds. And depending on what kind of results you want to get, you need to choose one or another kind of power system:

• Lacto-vegetarian diet – allows you to eat dairy and dairy products;
• lacto-vegetarian diet – characterized by the addition of only milk to the diet as a source of calcium;
• lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet – the principle of weight loss, which allows the use of dairy products and poultry eggs for food;
• vegetarian diet for athletes – based on a balanced and strict distribution of proteins, carbohydrates and fats;
• vegetarian protein diet – involves the use of a large amount of protein, which is mainly found in dairy products, legumes, seeds, nuts, eggs and so on.

Sample menu for a week vegetarian diet

This menu is exemplary, that is, based on it you can make your own plan for losing weight. Supporters of veganism can remove from the diet of eggs and dairy products, adding more plant foods. However, when you make your own menu for the week, you should not increase portions, as the weight loss system is aimed at reducing the daily calorie intake. Reviews have grown thin say that with the help of such a vegetarian diet, you can easily and without much effort to lose up to 4 kg per week.

Monday:

• 08.00 – 150 grams of buckwheat or oatmeal with milk, 200 grams of any low-fat fermented milk product;
• 12.00 – 200 grams of vegetable soup, 200 grams of fresh vegetables seasoned with lemon juice or olive oil, a slice of rye or whole grain bread;
• 17.00 – 200 grams cooked in a double boiler of vegetables, 150 grams of boiled brown rice.

Tuesday:

• 08.00 – two hard-boiled eggs, a slice of rye or bran bread, tomato and low-fat cheese;
• 12.00 – 200 gram of celery salad with cheese and apples, seasoned with lemon juice or olive oil;
• 17.00 – 150 grams of zucchini caviar, two medium baked potatoes, two slices of whole grain bread.

Saturday:

• 08.00 – 150 grams of rice milk soup, two pears, 150 grams of low-fat yogurt without additives;
• 12.00 – 200 gram of soy soup with tofu, 150 gram of stewed or steamed vegetables, a sesame bun, a small orange;
• 17.00 – 200 grams of stewed mushrooms with onions and vegetables.

Thursday:

• 08.00 – one hard-boiled egg, half a cucumber, parsley, a slice of bran bread, a glass of low-fat sour-milk product;
• 12.00 – two small apples, 200 grams of pepper stuffed with rice and vegetables;
• 17.00 – two small potatoes, boiled in a “uniform”, 150 grams of boiled green beans, two small tomatoes.

Friday:

• 08.00 – 100 grams of oatmeal with milk, 200 grams of any low-fat sour-milk product;
• 12.00 – 200 grams of lentil and bean soup, coleslaw with carrots, seasoned with lemon juice or vegetable oil;
• 17.00 – 250 gram vegetable stew.

Saturday:

• 08.00 – 100 grams of low-fat cottage cheese, 150 grams of low-fat fermented milk product, 100 grams of fresh berries;
• 12.00 – 200 grams of lean borscht, 150 grams of vegetable vinaigrette, one small apple;
• 17.00 – 150 grams of braised cabbage with mushrooms, two slices of rye or whole grain bread, 200 grams of low-fat fermented milk product.

Sunday:

• 08.00 – 150 grams of low-fat, low-fat drinking yogurt, one small orange, 150 grams of cottage cheese casserole;
• 12.00 – 200 grams of pearl barley porridge with milk, 150 grams of cauliflower and olive oil salad, 200 grams of tomato juice;
• 17.00 – 200 gram vegetable casserole with potatoes, 150 gram cooked in a double boiler asparagus.

Sample menu for a month vegetarian diet

Those who are confident in their abilities and want to continue the vegetarian lifestyle further, should pay attention to a special method for losing weight, oriented for a period of one month. You can continue to stick to the previous menu, starting again every week and looping it that way. Or try to make your own plan for losing weight, based on the options below.

Breakfast:

• natural freshly brewed coffee, 2 slices of rye bread, 150 grams of fresh berries;
• freshly squeezed fruit juice, 2 slices of whole grain bread, grapefruit or orange;
• 250 gram of low-fat milk and bran bun;
• pineapple juice, fruit salad, cereal bread;
• cottage cheese casserole or 150 grams of low-fat cottage cheese, drinking yoghurt without additives, orange;
• natural freshly brewed coffee or tea, carrot casserole, apple, slice of bran bread;
• green tea, oatmeal on kefir or milk.

Lunch:

• 150 grams of stewed beans, a little asparagus, herbal tea;
• rice casserole with broccoli or cauliflower, orange, mixed vegetables with olives, seasoned with lemon juice or vegetable oil;
• 100 grams of rice with stewed vegetables, pear;
• potato casserole with vegetables, salad from fresh vegetables and greens, fresh juice, apple;
• two slices of rye bread, vegetable salad, seasoned with lemon juice or olive oil;
• vegetable carrot cutlet, 150 grams of rice, grapefruit or orange;
• baked beans, 200 grams of cabbage salad with carrots, savory fruit;
• buckwheat with vegetables, fruit platter.

Dinner:

• rye bread with vegetables, stewed fruit, any fruit;
• 150 grams of low-fat cottage cheese, vegetable juice;
• one boiled egg, 250 grams of low-fat fermented milk product;
• sweet pilaf with prunes and dried apricots, green tea with honey;
• 150 gram of oatmeal, scrambled eggs with seaweed, black tea;
• buckwheat porridge with mushrooms;
• potato casserole with asparagus, mushrooms, zucchini and tomatoes.

Sports vegetarian diet

Such a diet should be followed by athletes constantly, in other words, to become a way of their life. It involves eating foods with a high concentration of proteins. These include:

• all legumes: soy, beans, beans and peas;
• various seeds and nuts;
• spinach.

For athletes, the lacto-vegetarian or lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet is best suited, since in addition to other products they are allowed to use milk, dairy products and eggs.

People who play sports need protein, as a building material for muscles. Carbohydrates are needed to restore energy that is spent on physical activity. Thus, a sports vegetarian diet should be fairly balanced, and the weekly menu should contain approximately 1000 grams of the protein component.

Such a diet will be useful for athletes, as it:

• helps relieve stress and stabilizes the nervous system;
• improves digestion and the gastrointestinal tract;
• charges with energy and cheerfulness, quickly restoring the expended forces.

Harm and contraindications of a vegetarian diet

This method of weight loss is contraindicated during pregnancy and lactation, in childhood and adolescence. It is not necessary to resort to its help for people who have undergone heavy operations or undergo a rehabilitation rehabilitation process after an illness. Also, it is not necessary to use such a food system in case of exacerbation of chronic diseases or deterioration of health. Before you go on a vegetarian diet, you must consult with your doctor or a nutritionist.

Advantages and disadvantages of a vegetarian diet

Reviews losing weight say that in a week such a diet can be reduced to 4 a kilogram of weight, provided that all principles are followed absolutely. As a rule, on 2 kilograms, almost everyone loses weight. In addition to such a remarkable effect during slimming, you can improve your health and cleanse the body, speed up the metabolism, improve overall health. There are a lot of allowed products, so it will not take a lot of time to search and cook them. Also, a vegetarian diet helps sharpen the mind and has a positive effect on longevity.

The disadvantages of a vegetarian diet, many include the lack of nutrients that enter the body with animal food. Opponents of such a lifestyle claim that it is impossible to completely replace them with products of plant origin. It will also be hard to plunge into such a system for those who cannot imagine their life without meat and seafood. But here the psychological aspect and desire is most important. After all, as you know, great desires provide great opportunities.

Conclusions

Vegetarianism is a way of life of quite a large number of people who, for one reason or another, prefer to refuse to eat animal products. However, this does not prevent them from looking good, being slim and fit. Based on the diet of their food, a vegetarian diet was invented, which provides for the disposal of food from meat products for a while. This cleans the body, improves the work of the cardiovascular and circulatory systems, has a beneficial effect on the nervous system. Reviews of many people who have tried such a food system indicate that their sleep has improved significantly, nervousness has decreased, lightness and a significant charge of energy have appeared in the body. In addition, with the help of such a diet, you can easily lose a few pounds of excess weight without experiencing the discomfort with which various diets are usually accompanied.