June Marks the Official Beginning of Summer
June marks the official beginning of summer, end of school year, and a time when many folks plan a vacation, or just look forward to “vegging out”. This summer, we invite you to experiment with a different kind of “veg-out” ~ adding more vegetarian meals to your diet. Please, don’t scream, “no tofu”! Instead, read about some of the valid scientific reasons, and delicious nutritional reasons to add more vegetarian meals to your food plan.
According to a review which appears in the April issue of Nutrition Review, 87 studies on vegetarian diets and body weight concluded that excluding meat or other animal products from one’s diet resulted in healthy weight loss without calorie counting. This is because the higher fiber, more filling foods found in vegetarian diets are typically lower in calories while providing a greater sense of satiety than lower fiber foods like meat.
Cardiologist, Dr. Dean Ornish, compared adults with a combined vegetarian diet-walking program to another group with the same disease receiving care from their physicians. A year later, the veg/walk group had lost an average of 23.7 lbs., compared to a 3.2 lb. gain in the physician’s care group!
Another reason vegetarian diets help is that they increase insulin sensitivity and increase the caloric burn after meals while lowering rates of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and some forms of cancer!
One of the most frequently asked questions about preparing vegetarian meals is, “But how will I get my protein?” In fact, eating a varied plant -based diet that includes legumes (kidney beans, black beans, lentils, etc.), nuts, seeds, and a variety of grains (quinoa, oats, brown rice, etc.) provides ample protein. (And Morningstar Farms and Boca brands make delicious and easy-to-prepare “veggie meats” like “chicken” and “steak” meal-starters, breakfast sausage links, and veggie burgers.) In addition, plant protein does not have the same “pro-inflammatory” effects as animal protein —meaning less likelihood of encouraging inflammatory disorders like type 2 diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.
Combine this kind of “vegging-out” while replacing the “couch potato” lifestyle with an active one, and you’ll be well on the way to a lighter, healthier you. And if you want to grow your own greens, experience the fitness benefits of gardening. Welcome to summer!