A lot of people tend to think that if they adopt a vegetarian lifestyle, they will automatically lose weight. Not so fast! You have to do it right in order to be healthy. There are a large percentage of vegetarians that eat way too many starchy carbohydrates in an attempt to cut out other foods. Just because you are eliminating meat, however, does not mean that there are no consequences to eating unlimited amounts of nuts, seeds, avocados, and other healthy oils. All the foods mentioned above are extremely healthy and necessary for vegetarians, but these are not “free foods” just because they come from the plant kingdom.
When newcomer vegans and raw fooders begin to make the transition, they often gravitate to the same kinds of foods they were used to eating – just the “healthier version”. Yet what is often missed is that a raw pizza or a vegan version made with soy cheese is still a pizza. Having a cocoa, fruit and hemp seed shake for breakfast and a nut pate with an avocado salad dripping in oil or tahini will still rack on hefty amounts of fat and calories. It’s not unusual for a loaded salad with avocado and heaps of dressing to rack in over 1000 calories!
Eating vegan foods predominantly high in carbohydrates or excessive raw calories coming from fat does not always make for good health or weight loss if that’s the goal. It’s not uncommon for people following these diets without supervision to be plagued with candida, chronic fatigue and blood sugar imbalances.
It’s not to say that raw or vegan foods should be avoided. In fact your diet should be rich in organic fruits and vegetables. The issue only becomes problematic when we try to replicate the Standard American Diet with a raw or vegan version.
Whether you choose to be a vegetarian or not is a personal preference. In its original form – eating mostly fruits and vegetables, naturally fermented tofu, tempeh and small portions of beans, lentils, seeds, nuts and non glutenous grains are honestly more humane and better for the planet. You just should be cautious about how clean your meal choices are stay away from designer raw and vegan foods for the novelty.