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Getting Back To The Gym After A Break

Getting Back To The Gym After A Break

At one time or another, even the most devoted person has had to put their workout program on the back burner. It happens. You have an illness, an injury or personal issues that prevent you from continuing your workout program. When it’s time to get back to the gym, you may be a bit nervous or even feel a little out of place. It’s almost like starting over, even if it has been only a few weeks. Taking it slow initially is the first recommendation. Only movie stars and professional athletes have a time frame to get bulked up fast. You’re better off taking it slowly at first.

Take baby steps at first.

The longer you’ve been away from workouts, the further back in your training you must go. A few weeks won’t require you to take giant steps back, but a few months is quite different. Don’t mentally refer to the point you were at when you last exercised. It has no relevance. Act like you’re a beginner and spend the first week taking it slow.

The amount of strength you lose depends on many things.

Lots of things affect how much strength, stamina and flexibility you lose. The amount of time you’re not working out, the reason you took time from the gym (was it for an injury? Illness? A demanding job?), your age, you diet, your fitness level and genetics. If you suffered from an illness or injury that required bed rest, you’ll have a harder time getting back into shape than someone who still was active, just not in the gym. The older you are, the slower you need to take it.

Keep the intensity low.

No matter what you think you’re capable of doing, do half of that, especially the first few days. If you find you aren’t getting too sore, beef it up a bit. No matter what amount of weight you lifted before you left, remember, your body has lost its conditioning and not only do the muscles need to adapt to training again, so do the connective tissues. If you quit working out after just a few months of training, you should probably restart your program where you did at first. The good news is that your progress will be far faster than it was initially.

  • How you take care of yourself in your time off makes a huge difference. If you partied hardy, drinking and staying up late, while also eating junk and processed foods, you’ll have far more ground to cover than if you maintained a healthy diet.
  • After just a few weeks of no exercise, you may lose as much as 15 percent of the strength and stamina you had before you quit. After three months, you could lose about 80% of the strength gains you made when working out.
  • If you took time off because of an injury, work with a personal trainer to ensure you’re getting the best program to rebuild the muscles and avoid future injuries.
  • Take it easy the first week. Don’t push yourself. It’s easy to get gung ho and want to make up for lost time, but it also could set you on the road to injury or at least, discouragement and some very painful muscles.

Workout Mistakes To Avoid

Workout Mistakes To Avoid

If you’ve been working out diligently and still don’t feel like you’re getting healthier or fitter, you’re probably doing something wrong. Here are a few workout mistakes to avoid that can boost your progress and get you into shape quicker. It might be that you’re working out too frequently and don’t give your muscles time to rest. If you’re doing a full routine daily, you’re probably not seeing the results you want, whether you’re trying to get into shape, feel better or lose weight. You should do something active everyday to get the most benefit, but not a full workout. Your muscles need time to repair.

One big workout mistake occurs when you do the same workout consistently, at the same intensity level.

No matter how much of a killer routine you choose, If you’ve stopped going forward or plateaued on weight loss, you’ve been doing it too long. Your body needs variety to build its best and shed pounds. Doing the same intensity level and workout allows the body to adjust to the workout and do it more efficiently. That efficiency means you’ll be burning fewer calories and ultimately, losing less weight.

You’re making a mistake if you workout every other day at the gym and then become a mushroom around the house on the other days.

If you go to work, come home and the hardest thing you do is hunt for the remote on your days away from the gym, you won’t get the results you want. While you don’t want to do a tough workout every day, you do need to stay active on the days away from the gym. It can be doing something that’s strenuous, but practical, like cleaning out the spare room or painting a room or it can be mellow and enjoyable, like taking the kid for a walk in the park or getting out for a bike ride. Stay active, but at a more mellow pace.

You congratulate yourself for your hard work and eat the quart of Ben and Jerry’s you’ve had stowed away, big mistake.

It’s tough not to feel hungrier after you workout, but that doesn’t mean you should act on that hunger with high calorie snacks or eating more than normal. In fact, that’s counterproductive if you’re trying to lose a few pounds. Make sure you have healthy snacks on hand and remember that even though you’re burning extra calories, you’re not burning that many extra calories to offset the snacks you’ve consumed. It would take about 45 minutes of brisk walking just to burn off the calories of two Oreo cookies.

  • You over-train. You can get too much of a good thing, especially if you’re doing a grueling exercise daily or workout for hours every other day. Some signs of overtraining are exhaustion, depression, trouble sleeping and burnout.
  • You’re making a booboo when exercising if you focus on just one type of fitness, such as endurance. Running is a good exercise, but it’s lopsided. You need all four types of workouts; strength, flexibility, endurance and balance.
  • You’re making a mistake if you treat yourself to a sugary sports drink, high calorie sports bar or smoothie after you workout if you want to lose weight. Water is good to rehydrate and a healthy snack that’s low in calories is far better than some of the sports bars.
  • One huge workout mistake is not paying attention to technique. Doing each exercise correctly is super important. If you’re working out alone, watch a video and then workout in front of a mirror to check your form or have a friend check it. It’s always a good idea to use the services of a personal trainer, at least to ensure you have the right form.

Get Fit After 40

Get Fit After 40

I am always impressed and flattered by people from Oceanside who ask if I can help them get fit after 40. I’m impressed for a lot of reasons. The first is that it’s tough to ask for help, even from a professional, especially when it comes to exercise. After all, hasn’t everyone been exercising in some form from the time they were young. I’m always honored when someone comes to me and wants to change their future by taking better care of themselves. Change is tough, and that’s reason number two that it’s harder for people over 40. They have more years of habit to change than someone in their 20s. Finally, I’m impressed because it is harder the older you get. Your body has been losing muscle mass since about age 30.

It doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about it. Of course, you can.

While I can’t give you specific exercises for people beyond the age of 40, primarily because each person is different with different needs, I can say you’ll work hard, but never beyond the point you’re safely capable of achieving. We use a lot of different types of exercises at our bootcamp, some of which you may not be able to do because of physical limitations. That’s why I always ask you to share any special needs, such as knee problems or back problems that might require me to modify the form of the exercise.

Don’t expect immediate progress and never compare yourself to someone else.

If you check around and notice younger participants are getting stronger faster, don’t give up. As you age, sarcopenia— the loss of skeletal muscle mass that occurs with aging—plays a role, but according to all studies, the best medicine to reverse it is exercise. In fact, exercise and a healthy diet can reverse sarcopenia and get you back on the road to looking and feeling younger. Your progress may be slower at first, but once you’re back on track, you’ll be amazed at how much you can do.

You need all types of training to get back into shape.

While we do a lot of strength and resistance training here, we also do balance and flexibility training. Each has their place in your fitness program. Resistance training is strength training. It may include lifting, body weight exercises, resistance bands or any exercise that puts tension on the muscle fiber so it can start the process of growth. It leads to the process of that stimulates growth-promoting hormones to repair muscle tissue. When combined with endurance/aerobic training, it’s been proven to reverse muscle loss caused by inactivity and sarcopenia. You also need balance and flexibility training to reduce the risk of injury.

  • Sometimes excess weight causes inactivity. Unfortunately, the more you sit, the more weight you gain. Exercise helps shed pounds and boosts your metabolism.
  • Improving your diet is a positive step to building muscle tissue. The average person’s diet may require more protein, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D. Luckily, a walk in the sunshine helps supply vitamin D.
  • HIIT—High-intensity interval training can lead to changes that actually influence health and muscular strength at a cellular level.
  • Exercise can lower your risk of many serious conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes. It’s been proven to even reverse conditions like high blood pressure and insulin resistance, the precursor to diabetes.

The Benefits Of Getting Back To Nature

The Benefits Of Getting Back To Nature

I’m an avid fan of taking time for mental health. That’s one of the benefits of getting back to nature. Your body affects the mind and vice versa. Stress is a leading killer. In fact, it’s been said that almost every disease occurred because of stress of one type or another. Stress causes the body to send out hormones that prepare it for fighting or running. Those changes, if not eliminated as they would be if you ran or fought, set the stage for illness. Just walking in the park can help reduce and eliminate stress. Exercise, of any type also burns off the hormones of stress.

Get your share of free vitamin D.

When you walk outside on a sunny day, unless you’re completely slathered in the highest spf sunscreen, you’re exposing yourself to the vitamin D your body makes from exposure to the sun. Studies show that approximately half the adult population of US is at risk of having a vitamin D deficiency. The older you are the more probable it will be. Vitamin D deficiency can cause aching bones, head sweating, stomach problems and depression. Some scientists hypothesize that adequate vitamin D could aid in preventing heart disease, infection, autoimmune disease and even some forms of cancer.

Earthing is another option that has shown improvements mentally and physically.

Earthing is as simple as taking off your shoes and walking on the grass. It puts you in direct contact with the electrons in the ground to balance off the ROS molecules created by the Ultra violet rays from the sun. There is mounting evidence that shows that connecting to the negative potential of the earth creates and change internally that can promote health in many ways from improving mood and sleep to boosting the immune system. The block of knowledge is growing showing it helps and the simplicity makes it silly not to try it.

Getting back to nature can help you maintain an active lifestyle.

You workout to have the energy to get more enjoyment out of life. Make sure you get that. An active lifestyle includes other things besides a gym. It includes hiking, walking, riding a bike, swimming and even dancing the night away. You’ll get more out of an active style if it offers more than just a workout. Walking and hiking allows you to get in touch with nature. Gardening brings you the miracle of life, and it also can bring the miracle of fresh fruits and vegetables…nothing’s better than food you grew yourself. You’ll get the relaxation and exercise at the same time when you do it in a natural setting where For those just starting a workout program, walking is one of the best forms of exercise for informal training. Walking with the kids through a nature preserve can be a powerful bonding and teaching moment.

  • If you don’t have a park close by, consider walking through a farmer’s market. Not only will you find some great buys on vegetables and flowers, it’s a step closer to nature.
  • You can relax in nature and it’s far better than sitting in front of the TV or computer screen. Your eyes will thank you.
  • Connect with others. Touch is powerful, so is socialization. Getting back to nature doesn’t have to mean solitude, it means getting away from technology and enjoying simple things in life. Pet a cat or dog, hug a friend and most of all—smile!

Get Relief From Joint Pain

Get Relief From Joint Pain

When your joints ache and are stiff or swelling, the pain can range from debilitating to bothersome. You don’t have to live with pain, like an estimated 30 percent of adult Americans do. You can get relief from joint pain using a number of techniques, based on the cause of the pain. Joint pain can come from a variety of causes that range from osteoarthritis to injury. Even poor posture can lead to joint pain. Many people find that as they age, just like other parts of their body, the joints age too, leaving them with stiffness and pain.

The problem may not come from aging, injury or previous injuries, but from inactivity.

Originally, the pain may have come from injury, but when the injury healed, the real problem probably started. Inactivity can be one of the leading causes of pain. Not only does it lead to muscle weakness, it reduces the range of motion. That ultimately leads to even more pain and babying the painful joint. In order to have healthy joints, you need to exercise. It can actually reduce the joint pain.

Weight loss can relieve some joint pain.

If your knees are aching, losing weight will definitely help. It relieves the weight and pressure on the joint. It’s also noted that arthritis strikes obese people twice as much as it does people of average weight. A study on osteoarthritis showed that by just shedding 11 pounds, it reduced the risk by 50 percent in younger obese women. In older males, switching from the classification of obese to overweight cut the risk by a fifth and for women cut it a third.

Epsom salts is an old standby that works.

Not only does Epsom salt help relax strained muscles with magnesium. It also contains sulfur. Sulfur is necessary for the joints and the connective tissue. By soaking in Epsom salts, the sulfur and the magnesium is absorbed through the skin, benefiting both the muscles and the joints. Using turmeric when in pain can prevent stomach upset that can come from traditional pain relievers, plus provide other benefits for your body. It’s a potent anti-inflammatory that has shown promise for aiding many afflictions.

  • Exercise improves posture and poor posture is one cause of joint pain.
  • Choosing the right type of exercise is important. The constant pounding of running is not good for knee joint pain, but the buoyancy of swimming is. Make sure you tell your personal trainer of your condition before you start an exercise program.
  • Hot and cold packs are also good for joint pain. Apply the hot pack first for 20 minutes, then follow it with a cold pack for 20 minutes.
  • Consider some of the new alternatives for joint pain, such as whole body cryotherapy and float therapy.

Quick Ways To Improve Your Mood

Quick Ways To Improve Your Mood

Have you ever woke up, hoping for a great day, only to have everything go wrong. Someone drank all the milk and put the empty carton back in the fridge, so there’s no milk for cereal or oatmeal. You can’t find your left shoe anywhere or when you do, find the dog used it as a chew toy. There’s a stain on your favorite shirt and by now, you’re running a half hour late. You have a choice. You can get mad and be a sourpuss all day or use one of these quick ways to improve your mood.

Take a deep breath and relax.

While you’re sitting there, breathe deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth. Focus on your breath, while relaxing all the muscles in your body. Sometimes just taking a few seconds to slow down and gather your thoughts is all you need. RELAX and start focusing on the moment, know that everything will be alright. If you’re running very late, phone the office or your appointment and let them know. It takes a lot of pressure off your shoulders. It’s amazing how just relaxing for a minute can help eliminate a lot of the stress.

Get out in the sun.

Even if it’s chilly, try to expose as much skin as possible—and legal. When your skin is exposed to the sun, it absorbs the ultraviolet B rays and converts it to vitamin D. The vitamin D from the sun can do wonders to improve your mood, especially if you are deficient. However, the sun also does one more thing, it boosts your serotonin levels too. Serotonin is a happy hormone that makes you feel good. When you’re in the sun, the optic nerve receives the sunlight and it sets off a reaction that decreases the melatonin. It also boosts the production and secretion of serotonin.

Act as though you are happy.

If you’ve ever read books on success, most of them say, “fake it until you can make it.” The same is true for happiness and feeling good. Walk erect with your shoulders held back and put a smile on your face…not just a Grinchy smile, but a big, “I love the world smile.” It even helps to laugh. You may feel silly doing this as first, but you’ll notice that you actually feel happier too. Faking it until you make it works when it comes to feeling happy.

  • If you have extra time, workout. In fact, sometimes just running in place or up and down the stairs a few times helps. It can burn off some of the hormones of stress.
  • Get out in nature and go where it’s green. Green is a calming color that can help you relax. It’s one of the reasons hospitals and mental facilities used to be painted green. However, Mother Nature has added benefits.
  • Take off your shoes and get grounded. There’s a lot of talk about the benefit of walking on the ground barefoot to absorb the negative ions. While they may sound “negative,” they actually help create a positive mood.
  • Eat 1.4-oz of dark chocolate, according to one study or get coconut aroma therapy, according to another. The dark chocolate boosts your mood when consumed over a long time frame. (Note: The study was done by the Nestle research center in Switzerland, which may have affected the findings.) Smelling the coconut scent relaxes immediately.

Healthy Sack Lunches

Healthy Sack Lunches

If you’ve found you put on a few pounds or just want a more nutritious diet, you can create your own healthy sack lunches and boost your nutrition, while lowering your calorie intake. There’s also been a lot of focus on whether school lunches are healthy or not. If question the choices for your child’s school lunches, consider packing them a healthier version. Sack lunches can provide all the nutrients you need and even be delicious.

Make a tasty salad for yourself, but don’t put on the dressing.

One of the things that make salad soggy is adding the dressing ahead of time. Having a small thermal jar available with a tight fitting lid is important. You create your salad in a container that also has a tight fitting lid, leaving a small area at the side for the salad dressing. Pack it in an insulated container. One of my favorites is meatless taco salad. It’s not only healthy both kids and adults like it. Stack romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, black beans that are rinsed and drained and shredded cheese in the jar. You can use your favorite salad dressing for toppers. Add a side of fruit. Packing lunches in thermal containers with a bottle of frozen water can help keep it fresh.

Get creative with pita pockets.

Pita pockets make lunch more fun and you can stuff them with anything. I love brocoslaw in mine, but then, I just plain love brocoslaw. I’ve had a delicious recipe that used barbecue onions drizzled on top, too. You can include sliced beef, lean chicken, even packaged salad, always making sure the dressing is packed in a side container to add later. Occasionally, I use a creamy dressing. Then, I use a small thermal container to transport it.

Create a pasta salad.

You’ll have the perfect filling lunch when you create a pasta salad with loads of veggies. One of my favorites uses grilled vegetables, which include zucchini, red onion and bell peppers but I’ve included other grilled veggies too. I’ve even tried grilled tomatoes. Brush the veggies with olive oil before grilling, then add them to the cooked pasta. You can make a dressing that travels well from a tablespoon of Dijon mustard, a bit of honey—about a teaspoon or less, a handful of basil leaves, 2 tsp of lemon zest, 1/3 cup of lemon juice and and an equal amount of extra virgin olive oil. Put the ingredients into a blender or food processor until creamy.

Create a salad in a jar. Raw broccoli has more staying power than greens and so does grated carrots and chicken. That’s why you can add the dressing to this one before you leave the house. Mix plain yogurt with ranch dressing and add to the jar. Eat it out of the jar or in a pita pocket or tortilla wrap.

  • Need a cold pack for your thermal lunch bag? Try freezing Greek yogurt. The texture changes a bit, but it’s still good for you. Do a test run before you pack it in the lunch bag and see if you and the kids like it.
  • Raw veggies and homemade hummus are a great addition to a sack lunch.
  • Try pinwheels made with a variety of nut butters and dried fruit. Slice the crust off bread. Slather it with cashew, almond or any type of nut butter and sprinkle on dried cranberries or other dry fruit. Roll into a long log, insert toothpicks to hold together and slice for a yummy sandwich.
  • Hints for better sack lunches include using greens that are less likely to wilt—kale, cabbage and radicchio instead of lettuce or spinach. Stick with dressings that have an oil and vinegar or citrus base.

No Matter When You Start, You Can Stay Fit Your Entire Life

No Matter When You Start, You Can Stay Fit Your Entire Life

Fitness doesn’t come from just working out at the gym a few nights each month. It comes from all the little habits you develop throughout the years. Some people seem to be able to eat whatever they want, never go to the gym and still look fabulous. Part of the reason may be that they did win the genetic lottery, but most of the reason is the habits they have developed throughout life. While they might “pig out” on chocolate cake and pasta with creamy sauce, they probably normally eat healthy with loads of fresh fruits and veggies. They may not go to the gym, but it doesn’t mean they’re not active. When you learn the habits that get you healthier, you can stay fit your entire life without any effort.

Move more every day.

Try this experiment for two weeks and see if you end up feeling more energetic when you’re finished. Add exercise to daily tasks. Do exercises while you’re brushing your teeth. It doesn’t take extra time to do a few squats as you brush. Wet your toothbrush, turn off the water, start brushing and do your first few squats. While you may leave the water running normally as you brush, turn it off after you use it and back on again when you need it. It adds some arm movement to the squats, but most of all, it saves water. When you’re working at your computer at home, switch out your chair for a big stability ball for a while.

Make it a habit to use the bike or walk as much as you can.

If you’re going to a friend’s house that’s relatively close, hop on the bike or walk there. Grocery shopping can be an opportunity to hop on the bike or walk a bit. Make sure you get a backpack or have a bicycle basket if you’re getting more than just a few items, especially if you’re not in shape. Of course, if you’re buying heavier items, like kitty litter or 50 pound bags of dog food, don’t be a hero, especially if you haven’t exercised for a while. Drive to the store, but don’t circle the lot to get closer, park immediately so you have a bit of a walk.

Create a menu of healthy eating for a week.

This can actually save you money. If you’re making steamed vegetables one day, use each of the veggies you bought in another dish throughout the week. How many of us have opted for frozen pizza or carryout because we weren’t sure what to make for supper? It’s more common than you think. You can even prepare all the meals on the weekend and freeze them, so all you have to do when you get home is pop them in the oven or microwave to heat.

  • Healthy people have habits that keep them active. If you’re a couch potato and love a specific TV or Netflix show, make that program your reward for taking a 20 or 30 minute walk.
  • Turn up the music and boogie your way through life. Healthy, active people are always moving more than the average person. Dance your way through house cleaning, the laundry or any other household task.
  • Laugh and smile more. Studies show that people who smile more live longer. Laughter also burns extra calories. Smile while you’re working at the computer and laugh, even if there’s nothing funny. (I found that this is best done when you’re alone!)
  • Experiment with healthy recipes. You’ll probably find loads of them that you’ll love and want to repeat, plus a few out there that just “taste healthy,” that you’ll never want to cook again. Try a new one every week and before you know it, you’ll have a whole stockpile of healthy dishes.

Discover The Hidden You

Discover The Hidden You

You’ll be amazed at all the benefits a program of regular exercise can bring. It can even help discover the hidden you. Of course, part of that hidden you is a dazzling body, improved strength and great flexibility, but there’s even more from great bonuses from exercising on a regular basis. The first is the surge in confidence you get, both from feeling stronger and looking fit. Exercising helps improve your posture, so you’ll actually walk with more authority and look more confident in the process.

The hidden you will receive a brain boost from exercising.

That’s right! People who workout improve their memory and ability to learn. In fact, several studies show that exercise can help reduce the risk and even prevent Alzheimer’s disease. It boosts the blood flow to the brain and helps maintain healthy brain cells. It also causes the body to trigger create more brain-derived neurotrophic factor—BDNF, which stimulates the creation of neurons and protects or repairs the cells of the brain.

Exercise helps burn off the stress hormones created throughout the day.

Have you had a bad day at the office or were the kids or traffic driving you crazy? Don’t scream at the driver in front of you, go to the gym and start feeling great again. When you’re under stress, your body creates hormones that prepare you for fighting or running away. They create changes in the body that left unchecked, can create potential harm. Working out tricks your body into thinking it fought or ran, so the hormones burn off and you go back to a calmer you, that feels great.

Rev up your immune system with exercise.

Sure mom always told you that chicken soup and rest is good for what ails you and she’d be right. Chicken soup does have curative powers and rest is always good for colds and flu, but she’d also be wrong if you had a chronic condition. HIIT workouts, based on a person’s fitness level can help a number of chronic conditions. It can aid in controlling conditions that range from heart failure to type 2 diabetes. One study showed that after a stroke, recovery was quicker when exercise was part of their program. It even helped people with COPD.

  • That hidden you may be a lot happier than you think. When you exercise, the body releases hormones that make you feel happier and at peace.
  • Of course, the hidden you is not only confident, the hidden you has the perfect body that has lean muscle mass and greater endurance.
  • The hidden you has more agility and greater balance, so you’re far more graceful than you ever were before you started exercising. It also builds hand eye coordination.
  • Exercise helps your body improve its fat burning ability. It boosts your metabolism as it breaks down fat cells for fuel. Losing weight is far easier after just one year of regular exercise.

Are There Dangers With A Plant Based Diet

Are There Dangers With A Plant Based Diet

There is a lot of talk about how healthy a plant based diet is, but few articles about the dangers with a plant based diet. If you have all the facts, you don’t have to worry about these dangers, but too often people don’t do thorough research and create their own diet without paying attention to the nutrition it contains. One of the biggest pitfalls of going vegan—plant based—is the potential to miss out on valuable nutrients. Lack of adequate protein and mineral and/or vitamin deficiencies can take their toll if there’s not adequate meal planning.

If the diet contains no milk, eggs, fish or other animal protein sources, getting adequate protein takes a toll on the body.

Your body needs protein from somewhere and unless you’re planning your diet right, that somewhere could be from your own stores from the muscle tissue. That can mean less protein to rebuild muscle tissue tears and ultimately lead to loss of muscle strength. It’s not impossible to get a full supply of the protein you need, but you do need to make sure your diet contains plant sources, such as legumes, lentils, beans, seeds, nuts, tofu, pea protein and tempeh. To build muscle, you need about 30 g of protein and 3 g of leucine (an amino acid used to build muscles). You might have to eat more protein rich calories in the plant based world to get as much as you would if you ate animal products and need to be more careful with other food intake to account for the extra calories.

Vitamin B12 deficiencies are also a risk for those on a plant based diet.

Since B12 is only available in animal based foods, which includes eggs, meat, poultry and dairy, you may find you’re facing some scary symptoms, such as fatigue, numbness, tingling, memory problems and anemia. Taking a vitamin B12 supplement may be one way to overcome the problem. Other potential nutritional shortages include vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium and iron. However, these are far easier to include in the diet. If you live in a warm area, just getting a half hour of sun daily can help fill the vitamin D void. Walnuts, chia seed and Brussel sprouts provide omega-3 fatty acids, use bok choy or kale for calcium and dark leafy vegetables as a source of iron.

Seriously, not all plant based foods are healthy.

Sugar comes from plants, it’s not a boost to your body. Dairy free snacks, such as ice cream, won’t make the cut either. Those lucious fries made with potatoes and fried in plant based oil are definitely not on the list. Just because it’s vegan, doesn’t make it healthy. You’ll see all types of hype when you go to the grocery, which lulls unsuspecting people into buying products and then patting themselves on the back for eating them. Gluten free, dairy free, vegetable based and other catch phrases don’t make the product healthy, the nutrients they contain and the chemicals or empty calories they don’t contain are what makes them healthy.

  • Going vegan doesn’t mean you’ll automatically lose weight. Protein is filling and if you’re not getting enough, you’ll fill the empty spot with carbs that can pack on the pounds.
  • Anyone that goes full force into a vegan or plant based diet, needs to be aware of the potential for lots and lots of gas because of higher fiber content. Start slowly and gradually add more fiber.
  • A healthy plant based diet can lower your risk of heart disease by 25 percent. An unhealthy one, which contains sweets, fried vegetables, soda and refined grains, increased the likelihood of heart disease by 32 percent.
  • If you decide to go plant based for health, rather than for other reasons, one alternative to totally plant based diets is lacto-ovo vegetarian diet first and learn the nutritional content of food, then slowly switch to strictly plant-based/vegan.