Why Some Vegans Stay Fat

You think that being a vegan would help you lose weight but this is not necessarily true. In general a plant based diet that does consist of whole foods can help you lose weight over the long term but the key words here are “whole foods.” Many vegans eat a lot of sugar and fat to make up for the lack of dairy and meat in their diets.

Consuming a low whole foods plant based diet will help you to lose weight and the best news is that the more you weight the quicker you will lose it once you switch to a vegan based diet that does not include things like so many refined carbohydrates. Many vegans eat and drink their nutritious zero calorie fruits and vegetables and then sabotage it all by eating a lot of oily, carb heavy sugars and starches.

Avoid Carbs and Sugar!

If you are going to be a vegan, the optimal diet is a whole foods, plant-based diet that does not contain a lot of carbs or sugar!

To lose weight you need to go on that strict vegetarian diet or you could turn into one of these fatter non meat eaters.   Some people become vegetarian and then load up on pasta and pastries made from refined grains. These are what have become to be known as the junk food vegans!   Even though they aren’t consuming meat they are consuming foods that are problematic for them and that might even cause them to gain weight. This is why you see so many heavier vegans around.

You can be as vegan as you wants but if you never take part in any type of physical activity you could be incredibly fat after all. You can still be a vegan and be fat and soft because you have not been exercising. Exercise in combination with the right diet is crucial as well, or you will simply be an overweight vegetarian.

The third reason you may not lose weight is because you have a genetic disposition to be overweight. If you were one of these individuals, who are becoming more and more common in all races across the world, then it would not take much of a lapse in diet to immediately cause an immediate gain in weight.

Keeping Weight Off Is A Lifestyle Choice

The point is that keeping weight off is not a gimmick nor is it ever going to be the result of simply staying off of meat dairy. . It has to be a long-term life style choice that includes exercise... Choosing a vegan diet is choosing health and dispensing with long-term pain like kidney problems, cancer, heart disease, and cancer and joint problems.

Vegans are quite prone to the psychological lows that come with gaining weight. They often blame their own bodies when it seems that “even the vegan diet” is not working. The next thing you know they are back in a vicious cycle of eating junk food in order to self-medicate for feelings of inferiority brought on by the condition of obesity itself!

For more information or to book a consultation about anti-aging, diet and weight loss programs or any health issue you may be experiencing, visit the Pinewood Natural Health Clinic website that has a list of full services and products at www.pinewood.ca or call our Toronto Office at  (416)-656- 8100.  We also have an office in Pickering, Ontario at (905)-427-0057. You can also email us at info@pinewoodhealth.ca and we would be happy to answer any question that you have about our holistic health services.

How Your Feelings Fuel Food Addiction

There are all sorts of emotions that can affect our wellness and this includes worry, fear, anger, grief, sadness and guilt.  Feeling that you are not accepted, a personal failure or that you are being overwhelmed by large financial burdens. 

The bottom line is that who we are is always in a delicate balance between chemistry and energy and when any type of energy, even if it is just emotional, becomes blocked and we become addicted to emotional eating.

What is Emotional Eating?

Emotional eating refers to people who eat because of the way they feel rather than when they are

hungry. Many people who overeat do so because they become obsessed with overeating a certain type of food. They associated gorging on this food with nurturing oneself. Yet others eat of anger or in defiance of someone who wants them to go on a diet. Some overeating behaviours are almost vengeful; the person is “biting back” at a world that they feel is swallowing them whole. 

Stuffing Your Anger

Many people overeat because they are “stuffing your anger.”  When we are infuriated we want to fill our mouths with something warm, salty and chewy.  This relates to the primal drive in us that evolutionary biologists say goes way back to our caveman days where we associated eating raw fresh kill with comfort. It is a very primal hard-wired urge that can help soothe us when we feel deprived. Many studies have shown that people who go on diets that are too strict do not tend to stick to themIn essence, you are an emotional eater if you find yourself using the eating of food (usually too much food or fatty, sweet and salty foods) to cope with the usual stresses of life. Many people eat every time they experience a rush in adrenalin.  They will give themselves the permission to break their diet because they associate the concept of celebrating with food with achievement.  This means that even extremely happy moments can lead a person to stray from their diet.Despite the fact that there are other ways of producing these feel good chemicals in our brains such as exercising, getting out to see friends and indulging in hobbies we like, many of us still become addicted to food.  Eating fatty, salty and sweet foods are there surest ways to change our brain chemical composition so that we feel  good” However the “high” does not last long and like an addict, we eat some more to get another hit of escapism through being a foodie.

By the way, meditation and exercise can go along way towards satiating the dissatisfaction that seems to come with going on a vegan diet at first.  .So if you can, it is best to try and deal with your emotional eating disorders and issues in other ways and consult with a dietician or naturopaathic doctor who can help you with this issue, which if left unchecked can lead to all kinds of health problems.For more information or to book a consultation about anti-aging, diet and weight loss programs or any health issue you may be experiencing, visit the Pinewood Natural Health Clinic website that has a list of full services and products at www.pinewood.ca or call our Toronto Office at  (416)-656- 8100.  We also have an office in Pickering, Ontario at (905)-427-0057. You can also email us at info@pinewoodhealth.ca and we would be happy to answer any question that you have about our holistic health services.

Vegans! Make Sure You Are Getting Enough Protein!

One of the biggest concerns of vegetarians is getting enough protein. Thankfully most foods that exist have a great deal of protein in them. Foods that do not provide protein are alcohol, sugar and fats.

Excellent sources of protein for vegans include lentils, chickpeas, peanut butter, almonds, spinach, rice, potatoes, broccoli, kale and quinoa.

The following food vegan food suggestions meet the daily recommended daily amounts for protein for a grown adult male if eaten on their own:

·      1 cup oatmeal with almond milk

·      2 tablespoons peanut butter

·      1 cup beans

·      1 cup broccoli and 1 cup brown rice

Although strict protein planning and food combining to make proteins is not necessary on a vegan diet you may want to combine foods that they have a complete amino acid profile into one meal. Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein.

The amino acids necessary to stay healthy are –

·       Histidine

·       Isoleucine

·       Leucine

·       Lysine

·       Methionine

·       Phenylalanine

·       Threonine

·       Tryptophan

·       Valine

Animal proteins contain every single one of these essential amino acids, which is why meats and eggs are considered to be whole proteins.

Plant proteins are a bit different because they can be high in some amino acids and low in others. For instance, grains and cereals are low in lysine but if you throw a few lysine rich nuts or legumes into the mix then you end up with a complete amino acid profile.

As a general rule all grains and legumes are called complementary proteins because once combined you get a full protein.  Nuts and seeds are also complementary to legumes.

You do not have to eat these nuts and grains or nuts and legumes together at every meal. You just have to consume at least all of this once a day.

However if you do choose to food combine then here are the vegan solutions –

Combining grains and legumes to get a full protein -

·      Black beans and rice

·      Pasta and peas

·      Bread and peanut butter

·      Beans soup and bread or crackers

Combining nuts and seeds to get a full protein –

·      Seeds, nuts and peanuts

·      Hummus (chickpeas and sesame seed paste a.k.a. tahini)

·      Lentils and almonds

Both soy and quinoa contain all of the amino acids and qualify as complete plant proteins.  Soy is also sold as tempeh, tofu or soymilk. However of the two sources quinoa is a bit healthier as it less likely to be contaminated with GMOs. 

For more information or to book a consultation about anti-aging, diet and weight loss programs or any health issue you may be experiencing, visit the Pinewood Natural Health Clinic website that has a list of full services and products at www.pinewood.ca or call our Toronto Office at  (416)-656- 8100.  We also have an office in Pickering, Ontario at (905)-427-0057. You can also email us at info@pinewoodhealth.ca and we would be happy to answer any question that you have about our holistic health services.

 

The Banish the Winter Blues Smoothie

Are you feeling a little bit down because we are now experiencing the long hard cold days winter? The lack of sunshine, cool weather and bad moods of others can be a factor in seasonal depression.  You might also have a case of SAD, also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, which just simply has you dealing with a case of the blues because you are not getting enough light or synthesizing enough amounts of Vitamin D.

If you are depressed you might feel foggy, fatigued and emotionally down.  One of the best ways to treat seasonal depression is through diet.  For the purposes of making you feel better we have concocted this special Blueberry Smoothie or Banish the Blues Smoothies.

Banish the Blues Smoothie

Makes one serving

6 ounces Vanilla Coconut Milk (or Coconut Water if want an ultra low fat drink)

½ cup frozen blueberries (use berries from a good organic brand or freeze and pick your own)

¼ cup frozen blackberries  (get a quality organic brand)

1 tsp vanilla blackberries

½ frozen banana

½ avocado

1 full scoop protein powered

1-tablespoon cashew butter or raw cashews (unsalted)

1 teaspoon turmeric

Crush all of these ingredients together in a blender until smooth and pour into a glass.

Why This Smoothie Banishes the Blues

The secret to banishing the blues starts with the frozen dark colored berries. Dar colored berries are shown to boost brain clarity and focus so they are at thievery foundation of this recipe.  The raw cashews or cashew butter is rich in healthy fats and the turmeric powder is a known natural anti-depressant.   The avocado supplies healthy fats that help support mood and brain health in general.

For more information or to book a consultation about treating depression with biofeedback, light therapy and diet or about our  anti-aging and weight loss programs or any health issue you may be experiencing, visit the Pinewood Natural Health Clinic website that has a list of full services and products at www.pinewood.ca or call our Toronto Office at  (416)-656- 8100.  We also have an office in Pickering, Ontario at (905)-427-0057. You can also email us at info@pinewoodhealth.ca and we would be happy to answer any question that you have about our holistic health services.