A Vegan Diet Is The Best Way To Lose Weight
Forget the fad diets; a vegan diet provides the best results says a new study.
For anyone looking to manage their weight, a vegan diet has been shown to be the most effective way to do so.
A recent study conducted in Taiwan assigned specific eating regimes to 1,151 participants and collected weight loss data for 74 weeks.
Participants were required to follow several different diets, including vegan, vegetarian, and those containing animal products, particularly the Atkins diet.
Researchers found that as a group, vegetarians and vegans lost 4.6 pounds more than meat-eaters.
What’s more, vegans lost about 2.3 pounds more than vegetarians. Study leader Dr. Ru-Yi Huang attributes this increased weight loss to “the abundant intake of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables,” placing a special emphasis on fiber (a macronutrient lacking in animal products) as the reasoning behind his findings.
The term vegan was coined in 1944 by Donald Watson when he co-founded the Vegan Society in England, at first to mean “non-dairy vegetarian” and later “the doctrine that man should live without exploiting animals.”
Interest in veganism increased in the 2010s; vegan stores opened, and vegan options became available in more supermarkets and restaurants in many countries.
There’s plenty of science to justify a plant-based diet, but the stories of personal transformation—curing diabetes, losing 100 pounds, living an active lifestyle—make the biggest impression.
Beyond anecdotes, there’s considerable scientific evidence showing that veganism is a smart way to eat. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says that a well-planned vegan (and vegetarian) diet is “healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.”
This is a much more cautious assessment, however, than many studies suggest.
According to one study, “vegetarian and vegan diets are effective in treating and preventing several chronic diseases.”
The adaptation of a low-fat vegan diet can substantially mitigate the impacts of type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and Parkinson’s disease. Veganism reduces the risk of colon cancer.
Vegans have a better “antioxidant status” than non-vegans. Veganism is more effective at combating obesity than other prescribed diets, such as that promoted by the National Cholesterol Education Program.
Veganism has been shown to lower risk factors associated with cardiac disease.
As Dr. Michael Greger, director of public health for the Humane Society of the United States, explains, “A plant-based diet is like a one-stop shop against chronic diseases.”
Vegan/ Vegetarian Crock Pot Recipe
One of the best inventions by modern man is the crock pot, and when you are a vegan or a vegetarian, you should agree since there are so many different recipes that you can make in a crock pot that are delicious and stress free!
Many people don’t think of their crock pot as a way to make a great vegan meal, but believe me, there are all sorts of delicious vegetarian meals that you can make in the crock pot.
Layered Vegan/Vegetarian Crock Pot Dinner
Vegetables Needed:
6 sliced potatoes
1 large sliced onion
2 sliced carrots
1 sliced green pepper
1 sliced zucchini
1 cup fresh or frozen corn nuggets
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 head broccoli broken into florets
1 cup cut green beans
Sauce
2 ½ cups tomato sauce
¼ cup tamari
1 tsp ground thyme
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp basil
2 tsp chili powder
½ tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp sage
2 tbsp parsley flakes
Layer vegetables in crock pot in order given. Mix together ingredients for sauce and pour over vegetables.
Cook six hours at high or 12 at low.
If your diet allows, you may want to add some cheese as well for an extra treat!