Vegetarian weight loss diets will be important to women who want to lose their excess menopausal weight and who choose a vegetarian life style because of ethical or moral principles. According to a study conducted by Simmons College scientists in Boston over 24 years, following a 1200 calorie vegetarian diet consisting of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat milk and plant-based protein with 30% of the daily calories from fat (30 to 40 grams) not only can reduce weight but it also reduces high blood pressure and decreases your chances of heart attack.

Vegetables in Vegetarian Weight Loss Diets

To lose weight, you need to consume three servings of fresh, whole vegetables each day that are nutrient dense and high in fiber. Avoid starchy vegetables such as potatoes, corn, and peas, which get converted into sugar during digestion. Green leafy vegetables are rich in calcium and reduce the chances of osteoporosis.

Avoid overcooking the vegetables so that their nutrient value is preserved. Ideally, eat them raw as often as possible. Your healthiest option is to choose organically grown vegetables. Avoid consuming genetically modified vegetables; recent research findings from animal studies show a frightening relationship between genetically modified food consumption and infant mortality and sterility in future generations.

Fruits in Vegetarian Weight Loss Diets

Each day, you should consume two servings of fresh, whole fruits. Eat your fruit whole so that the fruit’s natural fiber content moderates the impact of the sugar contained in the fruit. It will control the degree that your blood sugar rises after eating the fruit. Avoid drinking fruit juices. Drinking fruit juice is like drinking pure sugar water and will spike your blood sugar accordingly.

Again, you will get the greatest benefit from the nutrients in the fruit by eating them raw or lightly cooking or warming them. Avoid overcooking them.

Proteins in Vegetarian Weight Loss Diets

Your best sources for the daily five ounces of plant-based proteins are whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, eggs, and meat substitutes. Beans, nuts, and seeds are not only nutrient dense, but they also contain high amounts of dietary fiber. When choosing eggs, be selective and buy free-range eggs from hens that are not fed hormones or antibiotics. Free-range eggs are naturally high in omega-3 fatty acids, which normal factory-raised eggs do not contain.

When choosing meat substitutes, many vegetarians immediately think of tofu. However, the only healthy form of soy is fermented soy, such as miso, tempeh, and natto. Natto is rich in Vitamin K2, and miso and tempeh are excellent sources of natural health-promoting probiotics. The vast amount of soy grown in the U.S. is genetically modified and ends up as soy beverages, tofu, soy oil, soy flour, lecithin, or baked goods, snacks, and other processed products. Unfermented soy, organic or not, interferes with normal thyroid hormone production leading to hypothyroidism; disturbs endocrine function contributing to infertility and promoting breast cancer; inhibits mineral absorption and protein digesting enzymes; and promotes red blood cell clotting, interfering with oxygen absorption and distribution.

Dairy Products in Vegetarian Weight Loss Diets

You should aim to consume two servings of milk or dairy products each day. Although many nutritionists recommend choosing low-fat versions of dairy products, a 2005 study showed that weight gain was associated with low-fat pasteurized milk consumption while weight loss was associated with raw, whole milk consumption. Drinking pasteurized whole milk does not provide the same weight loss benefits because unique nutrients in the buttermilk in raw whole milk that support thyroid function help the body develop muscle rather than fat.

So, women who follow vegetarian weight loss diets of at least 1200 calories a day can melt away their excess pounds fast while achieving multiple health benefits. If you select nutrient dense, fresh, whole fruits and vegetables, the right types of plant-based protein sources, and consume two servings of raw whole milk products each day, you can be one of them!

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