These days, many folks are moving toward reducing their consumption of animal products for a variety of reasons. Whether by choice or instructions from your physician, cutting down your intake of animal-based foods is a great option for your health. Whatever your reason is for beginning a plant-based diet, it is important to understand how to balance these foods for optimal health.
Often a person making an attempt to become a vegetarian or vegan gives up because of what they perceive as the lack of options. On the contrary there are so many recipes and information available now, and great guidelines so that you won’t miss out on any key nutrients. With juicing and fortified foods or supplements added into the mix, there is no reason that you can’t start today!
How Do I start?
One thing to keep in mind is to not try to change everything overnight. As with any lifestyle shift, if you make it gradual it is more likely to stick. One suggestion is to change one meal a day for a week, for instance you could switch to a plant-based breakfast and then add lunch the next week and so on. The grocery store isles are full of veggie “fast food” such as Amy’s and Tofurky products. Use these items as much as you want in the beginning while you are transitioning, but remember that it is ideally a whole food and non-processed diet that you are seeking.
Physical activity
One of the most important partners in a plant-based diet is being active! You don’t have to follow a strict plan of activity to be healthy. Even moving around more during the day, and doing things such as walking during your lunch break, can keep you active and motivated. Physical activity is vital for health, especially for building and maintaining your bones. Of course it’s also a big boost toward keeping your weight down. Try to be active for at least an hour a day; you can keep an activity log to help chart your progress.
Nutritional Guidelines
- The only thing you cannot get from a plant-based diet is the B-12 vitamin. B-12 is actually a type of bacteria that forms on animal products; it can form on organic produce, but not enough to get our daily optimal amount. Be sure to take a good supplement—nutritional yeast is a great source of B-12 and is a tasty and healthy topping for your popcorn!
- You may also want to pick up items like almond or rice milk that are calcium fortified. Be sure to get at least 500mg of calcium each day. Greens are also a great source of calcium; use spinach like you would lettuce, on sandwiches and rollups, salads, and added to your cooked dishes for a touch of flavor.
- Get out in the sun! Most Americans are low in vitamin D, even with eating a full standard American diet. Getting at least 20 minutes of sunshine each day will help boost your levels, but you may need a supplement as well.
- Remember your omega-3s. You can get them by taking flaxseed oil caplets or you can add flaxseed oil to your home made salad dressings.
- Eat a great variety of all greens, veggies and fruits. A great way to get enough for your daily nutrition is to juice them. This will help you get the volume needed for optimum health and it’s so easy and filling!
Protein
The biggest question for anyone beginning a plant-based diet is, “How do I get my protein?” It is important to note that the body does need protein. In fact it needs 1 g for every kilogram of body weight, or up to 2 g if you are an athlete; there are 68.2 in 150 pounds of weight. Check your weight in kilograms at this handy calculator site www.manuelsweb.com/kg_lbs.htm.
It is entirely possible to get this amount through plant-based only products. There are great rice and hemp protein shakes that are available. There is at least 1 g of protein in every serving of vegetables (1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw). You can also get quite a bit from beans and whole grains. You may need to log what you eat for awhile, until you get the hang of what your body needs.
In conclusion, plant-based nutrition and fitness is a way of life that helps you to reach your optimum health. More and more doctors and nutritionists are recommending this diet to their more seriously ill patients. Personal trainers are taking up nutritional degrees to augment their ability to help their clients. Many top athletes and celebrities have adopted this lifestyle for increased energy, glowing skin, mental acuity and overall wellness.
About the author: Scott Andersen is a nutritional counselor and content contributor for thebestcolleges.org. Check out this ranking of the Top 50 Colleges in America, and top college rankings in specific fields like nutrition and nursing.
