Eating Plant Based; 4 Rookie Mistakes

IS THIS YOU??

You’re including A LOT more Plant-Based foods in your diet but your efforts are getting you nowhere.

You may be making some of these Rookie Mistakes!

These mistakes are commonly made by rookies and veterans – so no matter whether you’ve been Vegetarian or Vegan for years or you’re just starting into your own health journey – let me help you avoid some of these pitfalls and give you some tips on how to overcome some common mistakes!

Mistake #1: Plant-Based Doesn’t (always) Mean Healthy

The term ‘healthy’ is understood differently by everyone but clean/natural/vegan/plant based are used interchangeably in the health industry. No wonder you’re confused and possibly making this mistake!

Upon putting more plants on your plate, it seems like the ‘easiest’ choice is to just shop and eat how you’ve always eaten, using your previous ‘Animal-Based’ eating model. You may have previously eaten mince patties, or sausages, chicken etc. so end up looking for the equivalent in plants. You buy veggie patties, fake-meats, soy-faux chicken legs but still don’t feel healthy.

No wonder!! Those processed, packaged, artificial and fake foods are full of salt, sugar, oils, artificial favours and colours and actually harm your health. They erode your Gut Microbiome and can see you looking and feeling ‘unhealthy’. Leading you to the conclusion that eating plants is not healthy. But you’re eating fake foods. Not healthy whole foods. How to get around this? Cook up a bunch of a black beans and then saute with onion and Cumin, Coriander and Paprika (to taste). Pop them in a corn taco shell and top with lettuce, tomato and jalapeños – now that’s healthy!

Mistake #2: Nuts Galore

So, you’ve given up meat, dairy, cheese, yogurt, bread, packaged, processed foods, frozen foods, fried food, pastries, baked goods, lollies…

…. and now your meals are just not keeping you full.

So, you begin adding nuts and seeds – which is great because they have wonderful properties, rich in vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids – if , eaten in moderation!

Then comes Nut and Seed-Butters, OH MY !! This Rookie Mistake is made by everyone alike, because WHO doesn’t love nutty, smooth peanut, almond or cashew butter! Spoon after spoon into the nut-jar, it’s just…So – Hard – To – Stop! But, stop you must- because nut butter is going to trip you up on your weight-loss efforts. Nut/Seed butter is concentrated nuts and seeds – meaning that in just one spoonful of nut butter we are consuming the equivalent of about a handful of nuts. And, nuts and seeds are majority FAT – in fact 75% of its content comes from FAT and 35% of that is Saturated Fat. Fats, in moderation, and from the right sources like nuts and seeds are essential, but the problem with nut butter is that portion control is not practiced, and the typical serving size should be about 1 tbsp.

Avoid this mistake… Control your portion – have a Tbsp next to the jar and measure your butter. Or, do not bring into the home – if its in arm’s reach and you are hungry, chances are you’ll eat it!

Mistake #3: A Dehydrated Prune

Science 101 teaches us we are made up of water – practically 70% in fact!

So, it makes sense to drink a lot of water, right? …. right? Water is not only essential for our survival, but not drinking enough is a common mistake among those just starting into their Plant-Based Diet. While fruits and vegetables (in their natural state) contain a lot of water, BONUS! – they also have a lot of FIBRE – and…

Where Fibre goes, water must follow.

The Plant-Based diet, in addition to fruits and vegetables also includes plenty of beans, lentils, legumes = MORE fiibre. But guess what, without water there will be some serious backup problems! Sort of like your kitchen pipes – not enough water going through them – they back up! You see, water makes up about three quarters of faecal content. So, you need it to help move it through your ‘pipes’ Not enough water leads to constipation. (and, you should be passing a bowel movement a minimum of once a day! In fact, 2-3 times is ideal). Constipation is no good for your health or your weight loss efforts. Your colon was designed to hold a few pounds of feces in transit. But when you’re constipated you hold an extra 10 -20 lbs! (5-10kg) that produce toxins increasing inflammation and harming your health. Fibre works to push food through your system and the bonus is that it binds to toxins and helps to reduce inflammation. But it needs water to help it along. And not just a little, a lot!

Avoid this mistake…

Try my Tried and Tested (and super successful) method of, Wee, Water, Wee. Start the day with 2 glasses of water (this starts the cycle) then every time you go for a wee , drink 1 glass of water (after you wash your hands). You see, this makes you wee, so you drink again, and then have to wee (again), and the cycle continues. End result… You stay hydrated.

Mistake #4: Filling Up On Empty Carbs

Allow me to take a minute to explain to you the PRIMARY energy source for the body… yep, carbohydrates! Demonized in the Atkins diet, many still follow ‘low-carb’ diets thinking it’s the reduction of the carbs that helps their weight-loss.

Truth is, not all carbohydrates are created equal. And by removing the ‘good carbs’ you can actually hinder your long-term weight loss efforts. Because it’s these good carbs that feed your beneficial bacteria, and it’s these bacteria that have a hand in keeping you trim! When eating Plant-Based it’s important to avoid the mistake of thinking all carbs are a free-pass. You see, the carbohydrates in processed foods or refined foods, sweets, jams, cookies, table sugar, honey, soft drinks, breads, crackers, pastas and breakfast cereals RAPIDLY raise blood sugar levels making you feel hungry about an hour later – leading you to eat more.

They are devoid of nutrients and the unused sugars are stored as fat (glycogen) in the liver. I call these ‘Empty Carbs’ because they give you nothing but an empty feeling and a bigger waistline! Carbohydrates in the form of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, beans, nuts and seeds are packed with DIETARY FIBRE which stabilizes blood sugar levels and helps to reduce cholesterol levels. They keep you fuller for longer, leading you to eat less. I call these ‘Nutrient Carbs’ because they supply you with a bundle of nutrients, keeping you full and reduce your waistline! They also feed your ‘gut microbiome’ the trillions of beneficial bacteria living inside you that keep your healthy!

Here’s the kicker…Vegetables AND Fruit are ‘Nutrient Carbs’! Packed full of fibre, among other essential nutrients, the BASE of a Plant-Based diet should be these foods. Avoid the pitfall of ‘Empty Carbs’ such as; pastas, pastries, cookies, breads, jams, crackers, donuts, lollies, soft drinks and candy.

Stock your Fruit bowl abundantly with fresh fruits to reach for when blood sugar slumps. Prep some veggie sticks with a simple hummus dip for mid-afternoon pick me-up.

Now, armed with ‘avoiding’ these Four Common Mistakes, you’re off to a great start!

I hope this helps… And… if you want to know more about how to IMPROVE your health significantly then click HERE to find out more about my Gut Health Programs … OR… if you want to eat your way back to health — one meal at a time — check out my Gut Health Recipe Compendium. Nat xx