We have all heard eating a vegetarian diet can be good for our health. It helps…
- lower your cholesterol levels,
- keeps your calorie intake down, and
- increases your intake of nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables.
But, are there instances where this particular diet may hinder your progress? As it turns out, there are. Let us look at three reasons why the vegetarian diet you thought was so healthy may be causing you more harm than good…
1. A Vegetarian Diet Lacks The Amount of Protein Necessary For Recovery Following Your Exercise Routine. The first issue with many diet plans of this type is they just do not provide enough protein to help maximize recovery after exercising. After an intense workout, your muscle tissues have been broken down and need to be repaired. The way in which they repair themselves is by you eating more protein. If you fail to eat sufficient protein, your muscles may stay in a broken down state a lot longer than is healthy. Hence, you fail to see the progress you desire. If you are planning to eat a vegetarian diet, make extra sure you are getting additional protein. Try supplementing with soy or hemp protein powder to make sure this happens.
2. The Diet is Low In Iron. The second issue with vegetarian diets is they tend to be low in iron. Iron is best taken in from red meat, but that is not an option when eating vegetarian food. While you can get some iron from vegetarian sources, the iron is not absorbed as well in the body as it is when it comes from meat. Your solution? Supplement. Taking a quality iron supplement is a must do on any vegetarian diet approach.
3. Vegetarian Diets Promote The Overconsumption Of Carbs. The last issue with the vegetarian diet plan is it encourages the overconsumption of carbohydrates. Most vegetarian foods are very high in carbohydrates so unless you are taking care to balance them out with fats and then especially protein as noted above; chances are, you are getting too many. Think about how you can decrease your carbohydrate intake. Avoid processed foods and focus on adding nuts, seeds, and avocados to your diet plan. These will all help lower your carb intake while adding more healthy fats and give you the energy you need. Keep these three issues in mind. Going vegetarian can be healthy, but you do need to approach it in the right manner.
Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.
