The summer is a great time to lose weight. More time outdoors is a great way to get more active. Fruits and vegetables are plentiful. It is easier to squeeze in those 8 cups of water every day. There are lots of natural ways to lose weight and just boost your overall wellness.
Benefits of Losing Weight
Losing 5 to 20 pounds can help reduce your risk of high blood pressure and balance blood sugar levels through diet.
It can also:
- Improve sleep
- Balance hormones
- Improve sex drive
- Support a better mood
- Relieve stress
- Boost brain power and memory.
The next question is how to lose weight? Diet and exercise certainly play a large role, but there is also an array of supplements and herbs that you can add to your diet to support weight management. While you can get many from your food, sometimes it is difficult to stick to a weight-loss routine and ensure you get all the nutrients you need to support it each day.
Try a Flexitarian Diet
Lose weight without a complicated diet and eat healthier? The flexitarian diet can do just that. Where vegans consume no animal products and vegetarians consume some animal products, those on flexitarian diets reduce but do not eliminate animal products from their diets completely.
What is the flexitarian diet?
It may sound fancy, but all flexitarian means is a “flexible” vegetarian - meaning you consume mostly plant-based whole foods. The main foods eaten on a flexitarian diet are:
- Vegetables (including beans and legumes)
- Fruits
- Grains
- Dairy.
But you don’t have to give up your occasional favorite hamburger or miss out on that anniversary fish dinner. In fact as long as you skip meat at least two days a week, you are a "flexitarian".
A flexitarian diet can be easy, inexpensive, and fun, all while helping you lose a few pounds. But flexitarian diets aren’t just good for your body, by eating less meat, you will also be lessening your environmental impacts since more than a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions are associated with livestock.
How can a flexitarian diet help you lose weight?
A meta-analysis published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine concluded that "vegetarian diets appeared to have significant benefits on weight reduction compared to non-vegetarian diets."(1) Vegetarians eat mainly vegetables, fruits, whole grains and, optionally, dairy. These foods are high in fiber and lower in calories plus they take longer to digest, leaving you fuller for longer. When shifting to a predominately plant-based diet, it is important not to replace meat and fish with unhealthy carbs or refined sugars since this would derail any healthy diet and lifestyle change. While there are no limits to a flexitarian diet, reducing sugar intake and processed foods would probably be a good idea. Beans and legumes can be an excellent protein replacement as well as satisfying any meat cravings you may experience.
What is off-limits while on this diet?
Nothing. This diet is not restrictive in any other way than to limit your consumption of meat and fish. The amount you choose is up to you. Some wish to take baby steps and only skip meat 2-3 days a week; others choose to skip meat six days a week. But it has been agreed to qualify as a flexitarian diet, meat should be skipped at least 2 days.
What are the health benefits of being a flexitarian?
According to a study done by the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, vegetarians live on average, 3.5 years longer than meat-eaters. This alone may be worth the effort of decreasing meat from your diet. (2)
Eating a mostly plant-based diet has also shown to improve metabolic health and blood pressure, as well as reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. (3)
Plant-based foods are packed with nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. The recommendation is to eat at least 5 servings per day, however, many Americans fall short in their daily diets. A diet rich in vegetables and fruits can help prevent arthritis, heart disease, stroke, dementia, and can even help slow down your body's aging process.
What is missing?
Nutrients you may need to supplement when on a flexitarian diet include:
- Vitamin B12. This vitamin is often sourced from animal foods. Vitamin B12 is used in the body for energy levels, cardiovascular function, and mood balance. Taking a supplement can ensure that you are getting enough in your diet. A good multivitamin or a B complex can also work as well.
- Iron. Iron is mainly derived from meats although it is present in vegetables such as spinach. It is a crucial nutrient that helps to transport oxygen in the blood. Women are particularly in danger of a deficiency as they lose iron during their monthly menstrual cycle. So if you do not eat any meat then you may need to supplement.
Be More Active
Summertime brings more than hot weather, it can also bring a yearning to shed those extra pounds we put on in the winter months. More than half of all American adults are overweight or obese, which can cause many health problems including cardiovascular disease and stress on joints. Exercise is an important part of a weight-loss plan. Aerobic exercise burns calories while strength training boosts metabolism.
Summer Fitness
Challenge muscles and quell boredom with alternative activities such as:
- Yoga
- Tai chi
- Water Aerobics
- Hiking with the family
- Throwing around a frisbee
- Rowing a boat or kayak
- Power walking
- Swimming.
Supplements and Herbs for Weight Loss
The following supplement all contribute to weight management:
- Vitamin D – to help the body respond to insulin and burn glucose for energy.
- Chromium Picolinate – to lower appetite and help cut body fat.
- Green Coffee Bean Extract – to increase fat-burning and slow breakdown of carbohydrates.
- Green Tea Extract – to increase fat-burning and cause fat loss.
- Turmeric – to increase body heat and boost metabolism.
- Cinnamon – to support normal blood sugar levels and curb cravings.
Sometimes choosing and taking a range of supplements along with diet and exercise can seem overwhelming. Another way to boost your weight loss with supplements is to use a weight management kit, which includes supplements and herbs in easy-to-use packets and shakes that ensure you are getting all the nutrients you need while losing weight. Metagenics Healthy Transformation Weight Loss Program is a great kit to use and convenient for busy lifestyles.
Whatever weight-loss method you choose, remember you still need energy and good nutrition to balance your well-being and weight through the process. A new year resolution to healthier you is a goal worth reaching for!
Reference 1 Vegetarian Diets and Weight Reduction: a Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials, Huang, RY., Huang, CC., Hu, F.B. et al. J GEN INTERN MED (2016) 31: 109. 2 Is Meat Killing Us?, Heather Fields, MD; Denise Millstine, MD; Neera Agrwal, MD; Lisa Marks, MLS, AHIP, The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, May 2016, Vol. 116, 296-300. 3 Flexitarian Diets and Health: A Review of the Evidence-Based Literature. Derbyshire EJ. Frontiers in Nutrition. 06 January 2017
