Could Vegetables Be the Ideal Food for Weight Loss?
America, we're shell-shocked! The fad diet hype machines have left us bleary eyed, and, somehow we've forgotten the simplest way to lose weight and stay healthy. It might bring back painful childhood memories, but kids, "Eat your vegetables!"
It's true, if blogging on DiseaseProof has taught me anything, it's that eating plenty of fruits and vegetables gives your body the best chance to look great and prevent disease. Hey, it worked for me! I went from being an overweight Soprano's look-alike... to a fit and trim gym rat...
Before and After
I dropped over 60 pounds, and, kicked my gastritis. How'd I do it? Easy, lots and lots of delicious plant foods. No calorie counting, no portion control, no miracle pills, and certainly no worrying about "carbs." Just good old-fashioned natural food!
Okay, as far as weight-loss goes, vegetables and their hefty fiber content are key. This graphic, courtesy of my boss and diet guru Dr. Joel Fuhrman, pretty much sums up why plant foods are the most effective choice for losing weight. Check it out:
With all that bulk and fiber, how could you possibly overeat? I'm stuffed just thinking about it! Now, not only are plant foods dynamite for weight-loss, they're also PACKED with the nutrients and antioxidants our bodies need to prevent disease.
The Health Factor
Research into cardiovascular disease shows that a healthy aggregate diet includes (among other things) "increased dietary fiber, fruit, and vegetables [...] increased plant protein in lieu of animal protein".As for fruits and veggies versus Type-2 diabetes, check this out over at Diabetes Care:
Both a low-fat vegan diet and a diet based on ADA guidelines improved glycemic and lipid control in type 2 diabetic patients. These improvements were greater with a low-fat vegan diet.
But remember, "Your diet does not have to be 100 percent vegan. It's the micronutrient quality of plant foods and NOT just the absence of meat, cheese, and other animal products that benefits the body," explains Dr. Fuhrman.
So, in the end, healthy living is not that complicated. Keep the meat to a minimum and make your mother proud, eat your vegetables!
Editor's note: This is a guest post from Gerry Pugliese of DiseaseProof.
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86 Comments
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Created / Updated: November 1, 2011
Great post. Congrats on the transformation. Vegetables may just be the perfect weight loss food. They are high in water and fiber. They are low in calories and they have a low glycemic index.
To keep off the 135 pounds I have lost, many of my meals consist of 3/4 of a plate filled with veggies and the other 1/4 filled with lean protein.
ReplyI must agree with this absolutely. For decades now we have had our sense assaulted with diet fads and "miracle" solutions that restrict "this" or add "that", always hopping from old to new until now we are finally starting to have gone full circle. What will help us lose weight and keep it off is (as Dr. John Douillard says in his book The 3-Season Diet) "eating how nature intended". Just focusing on eating healthy and being healthy will always ensure us long life and good health. This is something most of the low-cal, low-fat, low-carb diets miss: the quality of the food is paramount.
other suggested reading:
ReplyIntegrative Nutrition, by Joshua Rosenthal
This post is too reasonable! The advice is sensible! Where's the hype? The pizzazz? :)
Lots of vegetables are definitely the best way to go. Yet, seems like what people are MOST hesitant to do. It's like, hmm, eat veggies and exercise? Okay, okay, that's good... but how bout instead I lop off part of my stomach so that small amount of other food fills me? Doesn't that sound better? ;)
ReplyI've always eaten this way! I'm so glad to know that my eating habbits have truly contributed to the way i've improved my body. I went from burgers and fries to leafy greans and crunchy veggies- totally makes a difference. You are not hungry 30 minutes after dinner and you dont crave sweets nearly as much as you would have eating less nutritious stuff. and it really is so easy. who would have thought that such a little change could have such an impact. all this timei thought it was the endless hours i spent on the eliptical!!
ReplyI second that Stacy.
I can't start to convey the numerous benefits I have reaped as a result of eating more fruit + vegetables (especially cruciferous vegetables, i.e. broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower etc.). With each meal, I usually eat at least 1/2 a carrot, 2 florets of broccoli and 2 florets of cauliflower (not small florets), a whole tomato and approx. 1" of a cucumber. I eat all these raw and make them palatable by mixing them with my food (i.e. in my mouth - lol!).
One reaches satiety with less food - explained above of course.
ReplyThere is nothing wrong with eating lean chicken, turkey and fish all day everyday.
ReplyMaybe not, but the point of the post is that it's not going to be the best way to lose weight without feeling hungry.
ReplyYes filling your stomach with 400 calories worth of vegetables will put you way over your iron limits for the day.
ReplyActually, iron from veggies isn't very bioavailable, unlike iron from animal products. I would think eating nothing but lean chicken, turkey, and fish sould leave a person malnourished and constipated. Yuck!
ReplyAnd you are right about that. Dr. Atkins even addressed the need for laxative supplements while on the first 2 stages of his diet, cause most people would not be eating enough vegetables to say regular.
Keep in mind his diet is *fatty protein*, and fat makes you go. So if even with all that fat and the water he makes mandatory people were backed up, imagine what lean protein would do.
ReplyThis is one reason I'd never do the Atkins diet. The thought of all that protein and practically no fiber makes me feel ill. I'm not a big fan of using a laxative to get things moving...veggies are definitely good as a natural way to get things moving!
ReplyThe supplement he recommends is a natural fiber one though, so at least that. And in theory, after 2 weeks, you'd get enough carb to eat a ton of vegetables - except people tend to "save up" their carb grams for cheese and nuts, and not to eat salad. You could eat a lot of cruciferous vegetables for the minimum 20 grams carb, and a lot of people at 35-40g a day.
So it is kind of like how people do Weight Watchers by eating tiny amounts of processed junk to meet their points, instead of eating better. What are you gonna do?
ReplyEveryone should supplement Fishoil.
ReplyHey SCal-
White meat is no savior--at all! Check this out from Dr. Fuhrman:
"Chicken has about the same amount of cholesterol as beef, and the production of those potent cancer-causing compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) are even more concentrated in grilled chicken than in beef.1 Another recent study from New Zealand that investigated heterocyclic amines in meat, fish, and chicken found the greatest contributor of HCAs to cancer risk was chicken.2 Likewise, studies indicated that chicken is almost as dangerous as red meat for the heart. Regarding cholesterol, there is no advantage to eating lean white instead of lean red meat.3"
References:
1. Sinha, R., N. Rothman, E.D. Brown, et al. 1995. High concentration of the carcinogens 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo-[4,5] pyridine (PhIP) occur in chicken but are dependent on the cooking method. Cancer Res. 55 (20):4516-19.
2. Thomson, B. 1999. Heterocyclic amine levels in cooked meat and the implication for New Zealanders. Eur. J. Cancer Prev. 8 (3):201-06.
3. Davidson, M.H., D. Hunninghake, K.C. Maki, et al. 1999. Comparison of the effects of lean red meat vs. lean white meat on serum lipid levels among free-living person with hypercholesterolemia: a long-term, randomized clinical trial. Arch. Intern. Med. 159 (12): 1331-38.
ReplyCholesterol in meat has not been proven to produce cholesterol in humans, though.
I'm sorry, but I think the studies you cited have a beef-industry bias, and you cited them with a vegetarian bias.
ReplyHey Jan74-
Not sure your statement makes any sense, got any proof?
P.S. I'm not a vegetarian.
Peace.
Reply-Gerry
Hi Gerry!
Great post! I think it's a very important message - not sexy, not sensantionalist - very sensible.
I think the chicken vs. beef argument is something of an apples to oranges comparison. Both have wonderful attributes to them and can be eaten frequently (especially chicken) without any issues.
In terms of HCA's - I'll refer you to the first study you cited. It is dependant on the cooking method. Microwaving chicken for 2 minutes prior to grilling will reduce HCA's by about 90%. To me this is a non-issue.
For what it's worth, I think red meat generally has a greater impact on cholesterol. I do agree with Jan though in that dietarary cholesterol consumption doesn't have the carry-over to blood levels of cholesterol - unless there is a strong family history.
That said, research is showing that this may not matter as much as we once thought. There are other more prominent markers and predictors of disease that consumption of chicken does not impact. Excess beef consumption (over 5 servings/week) on the other hand has been shown to increase risk of colon cancer - and this risk was attenuated by the consumption of fish and chicken.
ReplyLast August, my doctor prescribed me meds to lower my cholesterol. I don't do drugs unless absolutely necessary, so I asked if I may try a diet change before I would resort to a pill. I gave up all meats, fish, eggs, and dairy (basically vegan). In six months, my cholesterol level dropped from 286 to 198.
ReplySaturated fat has more impact on blood cholesterol levels than dietary cholesterol does. Remember, your body can make cholesterol in your liver pretty easily. Saturated fats are easily converted into cholesterol in your body, but there isn't a really strong link between eating cholesterol and having lots of blood cholesterol. Some people (like my dad) eat barely any saturated fats or cholesterol and STILL have elevated blood cholesterol due to a genetic lack of cholesterol receptors that would ordinarily rid your blood of extra cholesterol.
ReplyIt has been known for years that eating animal cholesterol is not the same as having human cholesterol in your blood. So I assume that the research you cited, which proves that white meat (chicken) has as much cholesterol as red meat has a strong "eat beef" bias, since cholesterol in the human blood is formed, among other things (I'm not even gonna go into how carbs affect it, cause there is no way I'd do as good a job of explaining it as our Regina Wilshire would), by fat in the food you eat, not cholesterol in the food you eat.
So unless the research is 10 years old or more, I suspect a bias.
I eat both beef and chicken, but the basic scientific proof in cholesterol is that you make it from eating trans fats and saturated fats in your food, which beef would have more of (saturated fat) then chicken. There are genetic factors and the role of carbohydrates, but fat in food matters more than cholesterol in foods, like Spectra and Mike said.
ReplyThe good thing is they are finding those cancer-causing things that come from grilling, frying, broiling, and other high-heat cooking methods are cut down or prevented by marinating your meat.
I do agree the "white meat" thing is a bit of a distracter though. Not because of the cholesterol - dietary cholesterol is not body cholesterol - but because it's become a red hearing. I don't know how many people I see buying chicken or ground turkey and thinking that it's better than the 93-96% lean ground beef.... when that's just not so. I eat lean cuts of meat from a variety-- there's no evidence that shows that eating lean cuts of red meat as part of a well-rounded diet is at all detrimental-- and in fact, can be positive. (more iron and B vitamins, etc. in much of red meat; and just a different vitamin set. I wouldn't cut it or white meat out of my diet.)
ReplySo.. I've known that eating my fruits and veggies would keep me healthy and thin my entire life. Knowledge of that fact isn't the issue. Making them taste good is! I'm finally finding I am able to eat some salads and I can make a sandwhich now with spinach and artichokes that I like, but otherwise, how do you train your taste buds away from the doritoes and toward the lima beans!? Help! :D
P.S. I've also finally gotten up to 2 miles a day on the elliptical - a major accomplishment for my lazy bum ;D
ReplyLima beans taste great on a salad dressed with balsamic vinegar or lemon juice, olive oil, and a bit of mashed garlic (a tiny bit goes a long way when dealing with raw garlic). I like to add some chopped red onion (soak it in a bit of water for about 10m, if you can't handle raw onions - I can't), chopped roma or cherry tomatoes, and serve on a bed of mixed greens (I usually eat romaine, arugula, and mesclun or red lettuce).
Lima beans can also be added to stews and curries, but I gotta confess I prefer chickpeas in those dishes, cause they soak up the flavor better.
ReplyWhy not skip the lima beans and eat fresh green beans, asparagus, broccoli, fiddleheads, raw spinach, alfalfa sprouts, zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes, bell peppers, radishes, carrots, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, sweet corn on the cob, eggplant, swiss chard, bok choy...
point being, if you don't like one kind of plant food, try others! You may like them better. Also, if you don't like a plant food, eating a burger and fries as a substitute will not develop a palate for veggies. If you make the switch to healthy foods, your taste buds will eventually come around.
ReplySalt and sugar are both relative things. If you have something salty followed by something super-salty and go back to something salty the salty thing isn't going to taste as salty. I have found that eating less junk makes the otherwise tasteless veggies a lot better. Granted, it's something that is easier said then done hahahaha. Maybe just keeping that in mind will help? The sneaking approach helps too. Just putting them into things that u typically eat for some added nutrients. Frozen veggies are so good for that. Also when I eat them I think about how many great nutrients I'm getting, that seems a bit more realistic then thinking about how good they taste.
ReplyTaste is a matter of Habit. You like what you are used to eating. So if you eat lots of vegetables and fruits for a while you will come to prefer them. It also helps if they are well prepared. Good recipes and good quality produce.
ReplyGerry, great post, and the pictures really drive it home. Do you have any specific vegetable recipe books that you recommend? A lot of my vegetable intake is from frozen vegetables. I'd like to learn more ways to use fresh vegetables.
ReplyTrent, I really like the Moosewood Restaurant cookbooks, especially the New Classics cookbook. They are mostly vegetarian, with some fish and seafood recipes thrown in as well. I have taken to opening to a random page and cooking whatever I find, and I have yet to be disappointed. They include nutritional information for their recipes and give a lot of helpful background information as well.
ReplyFrozen is actually really good for sauteeing or stir-frying.
Fresh is worth it more in salad form, cause thing about it: if you are gonna buy a carrot, peel it, chop it, and put it in a stir-fry, you might as well buy a frozen pack of carrots.
ReplyHey Trent-
Well, this is a shameless plug, but you can find lots of recipes here:
http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/cat-recipes.html
Peace.
Reply-Gerry
It always makes me cringe when I see an article that insists on learning portion control and resisting the urge to binge in response to emotions. I never learned that. My trick to losing sixty pounds? Nowadays, I binge on carrots.
ReplyI wanted to highlight in that quote what I thought was most important. That you don't have to give up meat to lose weight. There are plenty of unhealthy, overweight vegans and vegetarians in this world. Personally, I think it's about balance.
ReplyAs a former vegetarian, I find eating a healthy diet much easier while eating meat. Less planning for adequate nutrient and macronutrient intakes.
And there's way too much processed "vegetarian" stuff out there.
ReplyIn my experience, most overweight vegetarians that I've met really don't eat that many vegetables. You have to remember that grains are allowed on a vegetarian diet and too many refined grains isn't a good diet for anyone. Just because mac and cheese or french fries are vegetarian doesn't mean they're healthy.
ReplyYah, it was amazing when I was in college, how vegetarian meant, bread, cheese, muffins, fries. Some random other stuff, too, but nothing what I would consider healthy.
ReplyVegetarians have a difficult time meeting the RDA for iron, and yet vegetarians as a population don't suffer from anemia any more often than non-vegetarians. (By way of personal anecdote, despite having been a vegetarian for the past decade, the only time I've ever had problems with anemia was while I was still eating meat.)
Spinach is in fact very high in iron, and it seems that although vegetarians consume less iron overall, their absorption rates are higher than non-vegetarians, and the RDA is not necessarily a good benchmark for them.
ReplyAh, that was meant to be in reply to SCal's sarcasm — forgot to enter my name/email and when I was sent back to do so, I guess the "in reply" checkbox didn't go with me.
ReplyWith many nutrients, such as iron and calcium, absorbtion and preventing loss is really more important than how much you actually eat to maintain a good level in the body. For what it's worth, 400 calories of spinach has more than enough iron to meet the recommended daily requirement for most people, blood loss in the "octagon" may be an exception, however, for MMA warriors.
Reply:-)
Yeah, but how much spinach would you have to eat to get 400 calories' worth? Something like 10 or 11 cups, right? That's a looooooot of spinach! I'm pretty much a vegetarian, but I never have problems getting my iron. I get iron from dark leafy greens and I take a supplement as well. So yeah, red meat isn't the only way to get it.
ReplyIf you cook 400 calories worth of spinach(20 servings), it shrinks down to a teaspoon, no? :-)
ReplyIt was 400 cals of spinach and beans and eggplant. That's probably 1 cup of beans and a plentiful amount of spinach and eggplant, but not necessarily 10 cups worth.
ReplyGerry, the post is great, but the picture ... Eek! We've got to get you a better after picture. The deer in headlights thing just isn't working.
The point still stands, of course. Just finished lunch (big salad, bean and kale soup, half an Ezekiel english muffin). Shoshi just ate tomatoes, broth from the soup and the other half an english muffin ... working on her. Speaking for myself, I'm stuffed!
ReplyIt's a trick! He only looks so slim due to the vertical stripes!
ReplyAnd where did his other chin go?
ReplyHey Red-
I laughed my butt off!
Actually, both shirts have vertical stripes. The before shirt is just not as clear.
Peace.
Reply-Gerry
I think you hit the nail on the head Gerry. I found out VERY quickly that by eating lots of vegetables and fruits, I was able to lose weight and I was barely ever hungry. For me, eating vegetables was really not a problem...there aren't many veggies I don't like, actually. I'm constantly surprised at how many of my colleagues, friends and family DON'T like their veggies. It can be a challenge to make some veggies taste good without using a ton of fat/cream/cheese, but it can be done. Herbs and lemon juice can make a huge difference. And if you find veggies "bitter", try blanching them in boiling water for a few seconds then rinse them off and finish cooking them as desired.
I've found that since incorporating a LOT of veggies in my diet, I have had NO problems with regularity and my skin is a lot healthier too. Before, when I was stressed, I would eat half a bag of chips to calm the stress but now I'll chew on carrots or celery. I get full and even if I eat a lot of them, it's really hard to overdo the calories.
ReplyYou know, the only vegetable that I find needs a ton of fat to taste good is the... potato. All the other stuff doesn't really need dressing most of the time.
ReplyI think you're right, Jan...I don't eat potatoes much anyway, but I think that's part of why everyone thinks they're so fattening. One average sized potato has only about 110 calories and they're a good source of potassium, but most people don't eat them plain...they drown them in butter, sour cream, mayonnaise, cheese, bacon bits, etc. Or deep fry them and dunk them in fatty dips and ketchup. I find that a baked potato with a little salsa on top is a pretty yummy way to enjoy them.
ReplyI love plain baked new potatoes, if I'm having it with a protein that is "juicy" - roast chicken breast, steak, salmon... If I'm having a drier protein, then I make a bit of mash with potato, cauliflower, and milk.
ReplyNew potatoes are really great plain...the bigger Russet potatoes tend to be a bit drier, so I like them with some salsa. I love new potatoes roasted with just about a teaspoon of olive oil and rosemary...they're absolutely delicious!
ReplyRoasted is the best, but since I cook for one, I settle for microwaved. Although I eat sweet potatoes more often.
I used to eat a lot of cassava root for carb, but now the place around the corner where they sold it already peeled closed, and I always cut myself when I try to peel them. They are really hard and fibrous.
ReplyWhy do people make it out to be that veggies are the only way to go? Geez...what's wrong with fruits, lean protein (beans, fish, poultry, etc.), whole gains, low-fat dairy, and the occassional treat? You guys are such food snobs. Don't get me wrong, veggies are really great for you and you should eat alot in abundance, but you need to have a balanced diet of other things too ya know. These days it seems like if you're not consuming anything plant-like then you're a fat, unhealthy slob. Get a grip people! Maybe it's just me, but I was taught to eat very healthy but to live once in a while and eat my favorite snacks in moderation. Not to deprive myself. I'm not saying to ditch veggies altogether, in fact some of my favorites include broccoli, spinach, peas, cauliflower, olives, mushrooms, beans, zucchini, asparagus, spinach, etc. and I'd prefer them over fast food or fried food any day. But I've just noticed that a lot of food snobs have adopted a "healthier than thou" attitude just because they eat nothing but vegetables.
However Gerry, I applaud you on your weight loss success. Keep up the good work!
ReplyI don't think anyone suggested nothing but veggies, but almost everyone can benefit from increasing their vegetable intake.
ReplyFrom what I can tell in the post, and in the comments, people ate balanced diets including a lot of vegetables.
3 servings of vegetables minimum every day is recommended. I don't see many meeting even that goal.
...
ReplyAnti-snob snob?
Hey Eunice-
All plant food are wonderful for weight-loss and disease prevention--NOT just veggies!
I eat hefty amounts of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and legumes.
Just wanted to clear that up. :)
Peace.
Reply-Gerry
Hey...sorry about the misconception you guys. I guess I was just tired and crabby this whole week, but that gives me no right to take it out on a blog. I'm like you too; I lost over 40 pounds from eating more vegetable medleys, fruits, chicken, etc. I also reacted because I saw these youtube videos about people who eat a 100% raw veggie diet, no milk, no grains, no fruits/sugar, no lean protein and they thought that consuming any of those was "sinful" or "unhealthy" or "bad" so I thought you guys were promoting the same thing. Oops! Sorry for jumping to conclusions!
I hope everyone has a great weekend!
ReplyI don't think anyone's saying eating veggies is the ONLY way to lose weight, but when you consume a food with a lot of nutrients for very few calories, you really almost can't go wrong. Especially for people who like to feel full and just like the process of eating in general...it's better to nosh on carrots and celery than to snack on chips and cookies all day.
Replydo you eat things other than plant-based stuff? Just curious.
ReplyShe does. She eats protein, whole grains, fats, and dairy - all things she has mentioned here.
And really, we only have a couple of "if you eat a cookie once a year you are a failure and a fat slob" type people here (yeah, you know who you are). The rest of us eat healthier than the average fast-food eating person, but we are not that fanatical.
ReplyYep, I eat a lot of things...I tend to follow a fairly clean diet most of the time (lots of veggies, fruits, whole grains, eggs, nuts, yogurt, lean protein like chicken or lean beef or tuna, skim milk, etc), but I do enjoy the occasional treat. I like chocolate as much as the next person, but I don't eat it all the time. I'm not one of those I-only-eat-vegan/organic-veggies people; just an average person with a healthy diet and lifestyle.
ReplyYes! Veggies are an excellent way to go for weight loss! (52 lbs and counting) I too have a tough time getting in my full quota (I don't think I'll EVER prefer a salad over a big plate of fries) but what I've found works is cutting up a huge bowl of vegetables on Sunday night (peppers, carrots, celery, broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, spinach, etc) and then scooping a generous portion of them (2-3 cups) for lunch everyday. Then at work I sometimes steam them in the microwave, or dip them in a serving of low-fat ranch, or shake them up with a tbsp of balsamic dressing, or roast them in the over etc. Every week I try a new combination and everyday I eat them differently. I get an easy lunch, variety, and lots of veg to get me through the afternoon!
[ In addition, I usually have some sort of bean or chickpea curry (I'm one of those fat vegetarians who gave up meat for ethical reasons, mmmm, Kraft Dinner), two portions of fruit, a few low-sodium crackers, one ounce of low-fat cheese, and a small handful of M&Ms. The only reason I've stuck to my diet so far is because I never deny myself cheese and chocolate! I used to be able to put away blocks of cheese and bags of chocolate candy, but now I'm pretty happy with my daily dosage. Maybe it's all mental? :) ]
ReplyEver tried a potato chip salad? Maybe that would meet you halfway. A childhood friend's mom used to make this when I was a kid.
Cut up a potato in chips. Microwave them in a microwave-chip rack (makes fat-free chips). Or bake them, if you prefer. Thinly slice a bunch of Chinese cabbage, or red or regular cabbage. Cut a large carrot in matchstick shapes (small julienne, if you are using the food processor). Cut up a bit of red onion very small. Make a dressing with 2-3 tbsp yogurt + 1 tbsp cream (it is very important it is cream, and not mayo - I have no idea why, but it doesn't taste right with mayo).
Now crunch up your potato chips and spread on top of the salad. It is like croutons, but more fun.
Reply