Vegan diets are a great way to help people lose weight. However, they also offer several other health benefits. A diet high in plants is also high in nutrients, antioxidants, fibre and is low in calories.
A vegan lifestyle was not something you could easily do if you led a gym-heavy lifestyle up until quite recently. Protein powders and protein bars mostly all contained whey, and the vegan-friendly products were very expensive – until now. Due to the larger audience of those against using animal products, a lot of companies now manufacture their own high plant-based protein blends.
Since there are so many health benefits of plants and now plant-based diets have become more popular, it seems that a lot more people are going vegan every day.
The Vegan Society says that “Well-planned vegan diets contain all the nutrients we need to remain strong and healthy. When people go vegan, they often eat more fruit and vegetables, and enjoy meals higher in fibre and lower in saturated fat”. Which is 100% true, however, us gym-warriors need a lot more protein than others do. Quorn products have a protein in them called ‘mycoprotein’, which contains all the essential amino acids your body needs to thrive on a gym day – although we do not always get our daily protein intake from food, hence why there is a need for cheaper high protein vegan products.
There are many benefits of turning to plant-based protein supplements.
FRIENDLY FIBRE
Vegan food and vegan protein snacks are packed with fibre. Fibre is really good for your digestive system. It helps keep everything running smoothly and also gives you the feeling of being full, which is really helpful when trying to lose weight. Fibre can also help support heart health which is a great benefit.
METABOLISM BOOST
Another really good advantage of vegan protein powder is the way it works with your metabolism. Protein itself takes longer to digest than other foods like carbs and fat. This means that your metabolism will be working harder when you have a high protein intake. With plant-based protein, it also takes a long time to digest because of all the fibre too. Therefore, your metabolism will be working extra hard to digest the protein and fibre. The more your body works on metabolising the plant-based protein you’ve just eaten, the better your body will be at burning the extra fat you’re trying to lose.
SLIMMING SATURATED FATS
Plant-based protein still contains fats, but that’s fine. You need fat in your diet to absorb certain vitamins and to perform other important functions. Certain fats, like the ones that come from coconut, can actually help with your weight. Coconut fat gets called the most weight loss friendly fat. It has been studied to help people lose weight.
EXTRA VITAMINS AND MINERALS
As we know, plant-based diets offer a lot of extra vitamins and minerals to your diet. By using a protein powder that offers more than just protein alone, you are able to intake tons of vitamins and minerals that you wouldn’t necessarily get from animal protein alone.
Calcium
Dairy foods are rich in calcium but if you are not eating these, you will need to ensure you’re obtaining calcium from elsewhere. Fortified plant-based snacks and protein powder can help you with that. By incorporating enough calcium into your diet, you will lower the risk of bone fractures.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin, needed for a lot of reasons. Too little can result in fatigue and anaemia. Vitamin B12 is usually acquired by eating animal products. However, if you are vegan you will have to incorporate it into your diet another way. That’s where fortified food supplements come in to play. Plant-based protein supplements will enable you to incorporate vitamin B12 into your diet easily.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
These fats have been shown to be important for health and will usually be found in fish. However, if you are removing fish and other meats from your diet, you will have to find other ways to incorporate omega 3 into your diet. Plant-based supplements again will help you do this, as well as other fortified vegan foods.
Try some vegan products today and see the health benefits for yourself!
