The vegetarian diet is a diet without meat, but there are several
gradations. Some vegetarians do without red meat and poultry, but still
eat fish, while others only eat eggs and dairy as animal products. And
then there are vegetarians who completely do not even eat eggs and limit
themselves to yoghurt and cream. Another type of vegetarian is a vegan,
who completely forgoes on animal foods. If you are a vegetarian and
want to lose weight, you might be surprised that this works in the same
way as if you were a meat eater.
Nevertheless there is one pitfall, you
have to be more careful with the nutrients you need.
Overweight as a vegetarian
It
is a myth that vegetarians do not get fat because they "only" eat plant
food and maybe a bit of milk. As vegetarians there are many calorie
rich ingredients, because in these meals the meat is often replaced by
nutrient-rich dairy products: like cream and cheese sauces which are
real calorie bombs. And those who eat breaded and fried Camembert, as
vegetarian alternative to a pork chop, digests a lot of fats. If
vegetarians want to lose weight, you have to - like everyone else -
identify the fattening ingredients in your meals and replace them with
lower calorie ingredients.
Pay attention to iron
If you are
losing weight you should pay particular attention to iron! The biggest
risk is lack of iron for vegetarians. This essential element is
accumulated in the body and is primarily gotten by eating meat. Although
many plants also contain the mineral, they are far from the required
amount. Iron is needed for healthy blood and can especially occur with
vegetarian women. Permanent iron deficiency leads to anaemia and other
health risks. Even riskier is the nutrition for vegans, besides the risk
of lack of iron in the daily meals is also the risk of B12 deficiency.
The vegetarian diet
A
vegetarian diet is still possible, even with these pitfalls. They are
available in different versions, one which all other diets have in
common: the calorie content of meals is reduced and the intake of fat is
limited. If you want to lose weight as a vegetarian, you can also
customize a "non-vegetarian" diet to your own: replace the meat
ingredients in the recipes with soy products. Although this should not
be industrially processed as vegetarian soy sausage, or other meat
substitutes because sugar and fat are added as a flavour enhancer - and
that increases the calories in the meal. You could go for soy granules,
which are available in different forms in health food stores. You want
to make sure that your soy dish is GM free, buy biodynamic products.
Furthermore
you should continue to take iron-rich vegetables. Make sure that you do
not simultaneously digest dairy products, as these interfere with the
iron absorption. Iron is present, for example, in green spelled, oats,
raspberries, carrots, potatoes or whole grain bread.
Are you a vegetarian struggling with weight loss? Read our effective
vegetarian weight loss diet plan for tips how to lose weight and keep it off.
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