Hello my friends,
recently I have been asked quite a few times how much weight I’ve lost and how did I do it. As a matter of fact I am one of these women , that has no scales in her house (I believe, that they lie and its more important how you feel).I have never counted calories in my life and if you ask me do I know how many calories are in a slice of bread I would have to “google it ” and then give you the answer.
I am nearly my perfect weight because of going vegan. But I never went vegan to lose weight. Weight loss is just the result of eating foods, that my body is meant to eat -fruits, vegetables, nuts , seeds, grains legumes. The simplicity of the vegan diet is the fact that your body gets vitamins , minerals and vital nutrients , that are easy to digest, absorb and benefit from.
In a nutshell you can lose wight by going vegan, keeping in mind to focus of fruits , vegetables , whole grains and legumes.Here is a vegan food pyramid.
Although I wouldn’t promote veganism as a weight loss solution in this post I would like to share with you how a vegan diet can help you lose weight.
Veganism is more than a diet -its a philosophy , that eliminates all forms of using animals or anything that comes from them as a product. Veganism is a loud statement that we are part of Mother Nature family and have to live in cooperation with all living creatures.
Veganism has educated me that the culture , that exploits the reproductive system of the female animals is responsible for the culture of selling and abusing women in many levels all over the world. From the extreme of selling a young girl the moment she is born to the picture of women’s lips selling a lipstick. Its all an expression of the same form of using a living creature as a product.
I went vegan because I watched a video of a grieving dairy cow and the helplessness of her calf. As a mother this kind of pain brought indescribable feeling of sorrow and compassion. I want this to stop. I know I can not change the world, but I can change myself and share the vegan message.
Apart from losing weight I have also rediscovered my love for food. But now everything that I make fills me with such an amazing feeling, that no body was harmed and that everything I eat brings the powers of the plants to my body.
An enormous research is being done on how a plant based diet can benefit your health and I would like to mention just one of the pioneers in this field Dr.Neal Barnard president of The Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine . Barnard is an adjunct associate professor of medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and the author of numerous scientific articles in leading peer-reviewed journals, as well as a frequent lecturer at the American Diabetes Association’s scientific sessions. His diabetes research was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. government’s research branch.Dr.Neal Barnard took a major part of removing the marketing message about dairy milk . His studies and research are outstanding. I highly recommend you to visit his website.
Based on my experience so far , I would like to share with you my top 5 Vegan weight loss tips:
1.Get rid of dairy milk in any form -milk, butter, cheese, ice cream and so on. All this products are very high in saturated fat and indigestible protein-casein.
This sticky ingredient makes your body acidic and prone to weight gain in most cases. All this “foods” are products and contain a list of additives because they have been made in a factory.Dairy milk by far is one of the worst “foods”, that are being sold.There a plenty of plant based milk alternatives and they are widely available.
2.Eat lots of green vegetables-green vegetables are nearly the perfect food. They are full with protein , minerals, and vitamins. For best nutritional value eat them raw, but there are some that are also good consumed lightly cooked .Those are the vegetables from the cruciferous family, which includes broccoli,Brussels sprouts,cabbage,cauliflower,Chinese cabbage,collard greens,kale,mustard greens,radish,turnip,watercress. Eating them will nourish your cells . The greatest benefit for me has been the fact , that eating them is very filling and satisfying. when cooked and seasoned in a different way they provide a variety of flavours and textures. Also most of them eaten raw have a detoxifying effect , and that increases weight loss.
3.Eat lots of sweet fruits-by far this is the best tip to eliminate sugar cravings for me. I have recently rediscovered , that fruit is everything , that has seeds, so in that way all the tomatoes and cucumbers, that used to think are vegetables became fruits. Since then I always have fruits for breakfast. Fruit is the perfect breakfast for me and if you add some dried fruit for extra energy and protein you will feel fuller and energetic for longer.
4.Drink lots of water- All the amazing fiber rich foods need water to help them do their job inside your body.Drinking water will keep your fluids moving and drinking lots will give you energy as well.Its worth investing in a water filter . Another way of taking fluids if making your own juices and enjoying the benefits of the vegetables or the fruits in an easy to digest form. Making your own juice will also help your body to detoxify and this is another easy way to lose weight.
5.Don’t be afraid of FATS –avocado, nuts , plant oils -all of these provide nutrients to your body.For example nuts are high in vegan protein. Raw nuts provide important enzymes your body needs.Toasted nuts tend to taste a little more interesting and make the protein more available for your body. So I recommend eating some raw nuts and some toasted nuts to get the best of both worlds. My only tip is don’t go crazy on them -a handful a day is all you need.Also avocado is now one of my best friends as I am truly in love with this amazing fruit.Avocado is one of the healthiest foods on the planet.
Bonus TIP –Whatever you do have fun and enjoy the journey. Always focus on what you can do and what you can eat instead of thinking all the things you can’t have. Start by adding more of the fruits and the vegetables , that you normally like and nearly all recipes can be vegan-ized.
Thank you very much for being here and all your love and support.
Stay healthy and enjoy life.
lots of love
Ivelina