Oh dear! There appears to be so much confusion about what a ‘standard’ healthy vegan weight loss day should look like. But  you need to remember, we are all unique with different nutrition and energy needs. Therefore this post will give you *GENERAL* suggestions only. This means you may have to change the servings to suit your needs.

For instance, if you have a lot of weight to lose [more than 20kg], you are tall or are very active….you’ may need more food than the recommended amounts below. 

If you only have a small amount of weight to lose, are a mature aged woman, rather short and not active at all…then you may have to eat less than the suggested serves in this document.

Look at your current plan. Is yours bringing you the results you seek? Are you feeling well, energised and happy on your weight loss journey? ….If not, then you need to make adjustments to experience a better outcome.

NOTE: Do NOT eat the same foods every day. Variety is the key. Every food offers a different set of nutrients and health benefits. 

Kale does not replace broccoli.
A Brazil nut does not replace an almond.

Each whole food contains its own special components. So it’s best to include a big variety each day instead of falling into a rut eating the same things over and over again.

Sadly, there isn’t a single eating plan that works for all of us. It would be great if there was. And I agree: many of you do brilliantly well following healthy high starch plans, eating generous bowls of porridge, pasta, potatoes and mountains of brown rice. 

However, many do NOT do well with that approach. Starchy, high carb foods cause some of you a hormonal roller coaster that can end in cravings, loss of energy and weight gain. And it is for ‘you’ that this general plan is written.

Just mentioning: these suggestions below are for females only. Men have different energy and nutritional needs.

Although vegans can meet their basic protein requirements, when you are one a weight loss plan, we may need to think outside the box. 

I suggest you consider buying a high quality vegan protein powder without any fancy fillers and gums. One that gives you around 20g of protein per serve with less than 5g carbs. Why do I wish for you to invest in a protein powder?

Protein not only maintains muscles, bones, blood, and body organs plus boosts immunity…….protein also offers us superior hunger control plus a beneficial ‘thermic’ effect. This means it increases your metabolic rate for about an hour or more after consuming it. Way more than eating fat or carbs.

During a vegan weight loss diet, those who are ‘carb sensitive’ cannot simply lower carbs by eating a piece of fish with a light salad. We have to work around this issue so we can obtain the weight loss benefits that protein offers. A good quality vegan powder gives you that big protein hit with minimal calories. 

Therefore, protein powders are a girl’s best friend when she is losing weight on a plant based diet or maintaining weight

To bring about fat loss through caloric deficit, we moderate serving sizes of higher calorie foods. But not to the detriment of losing out on protein and therefore being hungry and possibly lowering your metabolic rate. And the good thing is: protein powders can be added to low sugar smoothies, to breakfast cereals, to soups or can be enjoyed as a snack.  

Ok…so let us see what you can eat.

BREAKFAST

Upon waking 1 glass warm water with ginger and lemon to ‘wash out’ your tummy and support your liver and get digestion started.

1/2 cup of fruit, preferably berries

1/3 to max 1/2 cup of rolled oats or muesli, either raw or made into porridge. Muesli has nuts and seeds that contain protein for hunger control. You can add a heaped teaspoon of your favourite protein powder to prevent mid morning hunger. You can sprinkle on some cinnamon [Ceylon produces the most potent type….] It can assist to lower sugar spikes. Have you tried peanut butter powder? It is defatted and is a good source of protein and fibre. And tastes delicious mixed into cereals. 

Or enjoy a chia pudding or vegan yogurt with fruit. Or a savoury chickpea flour omelette. [High protein content]

Have a green tea, black tea or a cup of coffee with unsweetened plant milk. So now you are set for the day.  It’s best to leave 30 minutes after a vegan meal before consuming coffee or tea, because tannin hinders iron absorption of plant based foods. 

MID MORNING
Apple, 6 almonds [Green apples are slightly more beneficial for weight loss, due to a special fibre they contain]. Or vegetable sticks with 2 TBS hummus.

LUNCH

Gluten free or standard wrap with heaps of colourful salads, hummus and chickpeas, a couple of celery and red bell pepper sticks.

Or a puréed oil free vegetable soup with a couple of small wholemeal crackers and a small side salad. Add half a cup of red kidney beans or chickpeas for hunger control and protein.

Or a large mixed salad with half a cup of beans or chickpeas with an oil free dressing

You can add half a cup cooked grains or quinoa to a salad or a mixed Buddha bowl …but always add half a cup of cooked beans, chickpeas, lentils or tofu!

AFTERNOON
Many veggie sticks with sun dried tomato hummus.
Use cut up cucumber, celery, carrot, courgettes and cherry tomatoes

Or vegan yogurt with either 2 dried apricots, some berries or a Kiwi fruit

OR have a protein shake with a few seeds on top.

Or home made protein balls: in a processor mash up 1 cup pitted dates, 2 TBS nut butter, 1 scoop of protein powder, 1 TBS raw cacao powder,  1 TBS flax seed meal and 1 TBS chia seeds. Form small balls and roll in coconut shreds.

DINNER

As a starter: big green juice with minimal fruit, or a pureed veg soup or a mixed green salad

Your basic meal servings, if I were to wash off all the sauces, are ½ cup cooked brown rice, cooked pasta or cooked quinoa, 1/2 cup pulses/legumes for protein and 1.5 cups side vegetables or 2 cups salad. So what does this look like? 

How about a stir fry, or sautéed or steamed vegetables, with 1 cup or less of a stew. Or a casserole or Lentil Bolognese?

Or a chickpea curry? 

To prevent hunger, fill half your plate with healthy low carb veg such as broccoli, green beans, spinach, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts etc. These have minimal calories and carbs. When using potato or sweet potato, corn and peas, use those in half cup servings. 

Fill a quarter of the plate with half cup cooked lentils or beans in a sauce; and the other quarter of the plate is filled with 1/3 or 1/2 a cup of cooked grains like rice, pasta or quinoa.

The star on your plate are low carb vegetables. The dense carbs [beans and grains] are the ‘supporting actors’. 

EVENING SNACK
a little frozen banana ‘ice cream’ with almond flakes or 2 dates filled with almond butter…

• SUMMARY
  1.5L to maximum 2 L water. Not more unless you run a marathon or live in a hot climate. Too much water can lead to an imbalance of electrolytes. You can end up with Hyponatremia, which is a life-threatening shortage of sodium in the blood stream. Athletes sometimes end up with this condition if they drink too much water and don’t replace electrolytes.
• Enjoy 2 to 3 cups of green tea a day. I have switched to decaf now…Try it 🙂 
• A mixture of 35 g nuts and seeds per day
• Repeating the carb amounts, so you do not forget: per meal, half a cup cooked grains, or half a cup raw oats, or one slice of bread, or a medium potato / sweet potato.
  Eat only the equivalent of about 1 to 1.5 cups of cooked whole grains throughout the day. But not in one go because that can cause a sugar spike. After a sugar spike you usually have a sugar ‘crash’ and start getting too hungry. If you’re gluten intolerant, choose gluten free foods.  
• Puréed vegetable soups with some bean or tofu content have been proven to control hunger. Prepare a few and keep in your freezer. They are great before a main meal or even as a snack.
• Eat beans, tofu or other vegan proteins at each meal. Half a cup cooked, at least twice a day.. 
• If gas and wind is a problem, please consult a pharmacy. There are natural preparations available to overcome this frustrating issue. 
• Avoid processed oils out of a bottle. They are very high in calories and have some negative health implications that I will leave for another post.
• You can have up to ½ a small avocado per day
• I recommend a vegan Omega 3 preparation. It is made out of micro algae. They contain EPA and DHA. Not ALA which is difficult for the body to convert into the type it likes to use.
• 1 tablespoon flax seed meal or 1 tablespoon chia seeds per day. You can top your cereals or smoothies with these.
• Take a Vit B12 tablet. Dr M.Greger recommends cyanocobalamin rather than methylcobalamin. However, it is not suitable for everyone. The other form, methylcobalamin, a natural form of B12, is easier to absorb, but is less ‘stable’. Please check with your health care practitioner to see which form of B12 is suitable for you. But taking it is a must!  If you decide on cyanocobalamin, take about 250mcg per day. I take 500mcg of a mixed B12 product containing both types.
• Take a vegan Vit D3 [cholecalciferol] 2000 IU unless you wish to run around naked in the sunshine for 30 minutes a day. Sunshine assists your body to create its own D3… ….Sunshine? It is difficult to find in the UK.
• Have 3 pieces of fruit a day. Preferably 1 citrus, ½ cup berries and another fruit of your choice. Leave tropical fruits for a treat. Bananas should be small  🙂 

As mentioned, invest in a good vegan protein powder. Have that at least 4 times a week as a smoothie instead of a snack or a breakfast. At other times you can add some small amounts to your cereals or chia pots. 

For your smoothies, please add 1/2 cup fruit, a handful of green leaves, and flax meal or chia seeds. Avoid high sugar fruit such as grapes, bananas and mangoes. Add also a tablespoon of nut butter to your smoothies for better hunger control.

Need more info? Please click here to ask 

Until next time,

Nicki Kelly, The Vegan Weight Loss Mentor.

Disclaimer: The content in this document is for general information only and is not meant as medical advice. Your use of any information in this document is entirely at your own risk, for which we shall not be liable. It shall be your own responsibility to ensure that any products or information meet your specific requirements. Please consult your health care provider before starting any weight loss programme.

Your gut, aka “the inside of your belly”, is your body’s literal “second brain”. For years, the medical world has been trying to figure out what causes our moods to change. And they also wanted to understand why our reactions to life’s ‘challenges’ are sometimes experienced as stress, anxiety or depression and at other times simply as a ‘blip’.    

Well, it appears that there’s a much needed chemical that’s being blamed for some of the above which has also an influence on your ‘potty’ habits.

How strange is that?

Your mood and your bathroom habits are linked to an important chemical in our body called serotonin. Most of it is produced in the gut…. but only when you have a healthy balance of gut bacteria or flora, as it’s sometimes called.

Out of balance gut flora? That equals to not much serotonin production, mood problems and bowel problems. Because what we put inside of our bellies is directly related to our emotional health and toileting issues.

Have you ever had an upset stomach and running to the bathroom because you were stressed or because you experienced a panic attack?

Well, there have been many scientific studies that linked mood problems to gut problems and vice versa.

Spokesperson from UCLA: “Researchers have known that the brain sends signals to your gut, which is why stress and other emotions can contribute to gastrointestinal symptoms. This study shows what has been suspected but until now had been proved only in animal studies: that signals travel the opposite way as well.’Time and time again, we hear from patients that they NEVER felt depressed or anxious until they started experiencing problems with their gut,’ [Dr. Kirsten] Tillisch said. ‘Our study shows that the gut–brain connection is a two-way street.'”

WOW. Such a big AHA moment.

They recently even tested IBS suffers and noted that they can be both low in serotonin [causing their constipation] or have too high levels [causing the opposite effect]

Struggling with cravings and weight issues? This chemical also plays a part in reducing your appetite; and new research is looking into its role in treating obesity. This is one busy chemical, is it not!

So…..Is your gut balanced with 85% good bacteria and 15% bad bacteria? Because that’s the recipe for improving serotonin levels for better health and mood. Some symptoms of an unhealthy flora balance include gas, bloating, nausea, sugar cravings, and more. 

The best way to set this right is by topping up with probiotics. They feed the good bacteria and thus improve serotonin production. Probiotics can be taken in pill form or you can get them through your diet.

Excellent sources of probiotics include fermented or cultured foods and beverages, such as

• Yogurt
• Kefir
• Naturally fermented sauerkraut
• Apple cider vinegar
• Japanese Miso
• Tempeh [fermented soya beans]
• Organic brine cured olives and gherkins

All these will help you to digest food properly, absorb vital nutrients, lower sugar cravings, prevent constipation and help maintain a healthy state of mind and mood. And now, besides taking my probiotic supplement, I’m off to buy some naturally fermented food…

How about you?

Until next time, yours in health 🙂

Nicki Kelly.

Can’t say NO to cravings?

Are you worried about always needing something to eat after dinner? 

Then let me help you.

I could come over to your place and watch out for you. I’d simply block you from grabbing that glass of wine at night, or those crisps, cakes or whatever funky stuff you’re compelled to eat or drink.

But that’s a seriously expensive weight loss service. Plane tickets, taxi fare, etc. (eye roll) 

Therefore, let’s try something more sensible.

Cravings, especially those after dinner, mainly occur due to these following reasons.

They could be:
1) You’re a little bored..Can happen. Try to do something else besides eating. Maybe watch an exciting movie, paint your nails, call a friend. How about eating a few frozen blueberries or a pickled cucumber? They are probably not what you had in mind, but the are great ‘cravings interrupter’

2) If  you genuinely would enjoy something to eat after dinner, have something lovely: guilt free fresh fruit and a protein and nut ball with a green tea.

3) Could  you actually be hungry? Eat something sensible. Totally acceptable to eat when hungry  🙂 

4) You perhaps got into a bad habit and now you’ve created a routine. Easy to do, you know. It does take a little work to un-do this.

5) Your body is depleted in certain nutrients and keeps craving the very foods that continue to deplete it. How crazy is that?

When you give your body nourishing foods, they will help your physical cravings to subside. But in the end it’s you who has to break the habit itself. Retrain your bad habit to form new good habits. Eat foods that balance your blood sugars so they don’t dip and push you to eat more than you really need. Always add vegan protein rich foods to your meals, because they’ve been proven to help with keeping you fuller for longer. 

Craving alcohol? Swap it out. Give your body a delicious green juice instead.

I get you. It’s not the same. But stick with it. The new habit will take about 3 weeks to lodge itself into your mind….and from then on you will be craving a delicious healthy juice instead. 

In addition, when you regularly crave alcohol or certain foods, you could be deficient in Chromium, Magnesium or Tryptophan

Do you want to know which foods contain those? 

CHROMIUM, it’s a trace element and small amounts can be found in 

• Broccoli
• Nutritonal Yeast and Brewer’s Yeast
• Sweet potato
• Corn
• Oats

MAGNESIUM

Magnesium helps to calm the nerves and it’s a very common mineral deficiency. Some sources state that over 80% of people in America are deficient in magnesium. 

So where to find magnesium..

• Dark leafy greens, like spinach, kale and chard
• Raw cacao
• Raw cashew nuts
• Almonds and Pumpkin Seeds
• Black beans

 

TRYPTOPHAN

Tryptophan is an important compound. It’s the precursor to serotonin in the body, the hormone that’s responsible for happiness. Foods that are high in tryptophan give you the building blocks you need for balancing your hormones and feeling better plus it plays a role with a restful sleep. Find it in…

• Tofu
• Oats
• Beans
• Lentils

So now you’re better set up to beat those pesky cravings.

Need more help? Contact me in my Facebook group page. I might be able to give you some more tips. See you there.
Yours in Health & Skinny Jeans,
Nicki Kelly
The Vegan Weight Loss Mentor. 

Why do I place this nice photo here?

I want to remind you what ‘real’ food looks like. 

Soy derivatives. I call them ‘plastic food’. Although I think it might even be healthier to eat plastic instead of the soy derivatives.

I get pretty mad when I have to write about this subject.

Why?

Because I want everyone to eat well, eat natural clean foods and be healthy. And soy derivatives don’t fit into this picture.

Firstly, because soybean crop has to withstand heavy applications of pesticides. Therefore every time you consume regular TVP made of soya [textured veg protein]  you’ll be getting an unwanted dose of it, unless it says organic.

Food processors are always looking to increase profits.  And that’s totally ok. I’m not against them making a profit. But what I am against is them making a buck without producing ‘honest’ foods and feeding us stuff that makes us sick.

Substituting cheap soy derivatives as a filler for part of the volume is one way that food processors “extend” our foods.

Soy by products and derivatives are very VERY cheap. A few months ago one of our favourite brands changed yet another one of their products to included low cost soy protein. This to allowed them to produce a cheaper product. Cheaper to them,…. not us.

Personally, I’m not going anywhere near it. Except when my vegan husband wants to eat it. I cook it for him, but I eat one of my chickpea burgers instead, whilst he is eating ‘Frankenfood’.

If you see any of these following items in the ingredient list of your pre-packed foods, put it back on the shelf and run the other way. But beware….finding soy free foods is not going to be easy.

Challenge: find me a supermarket bread or vegan sausage without it. Please. I bet I will hear crickets for some time to come. 95% of them contain either these soy items below or similar…

Soy Protein Isolate: De-fatted soybean meal is mixed with a cocktail of various chemicals to remove the fibre (and remove any other useful nutrient) to precipitate out the protein. These protein curds are then dipped into another chemical solution and spray dried at extremely high temperatures.

Textured Soy Protein: TSP is used as a meat replacement in vegan and vegetarian products. It’s made by forcing de-fatted soybean flour through a special machine called an extruder. The temperature and pressure are extreme and here comes what I don’t like either: it changes the structure of the soy protein [very unnatural] and turns it into a product, much like foam packing. 

Soy Protein Concentrate (SPC): created from defatted soy flakes, and it mainly it consists soy protein and its fibre. But look how it’s made: they are mixing soy solids with aqueous acid, aqueous alcohol, moist heat and/or organic solvents. This new mush immobilizes the protein, which is then extracted with some of the soy carbohydrates, isoflavones and salt residue.

Is this still a food?

I don’t think so. 

If given a choice, it would be better to have a chickpea or lentil burger.

Do you want to read more about how soy derivatives are made? I don’t. I’m just getting mad with this subject.

Truly, if you want a healthy body, feed it mostly healthy clean, natural foods. Read the food labels and make a decision to avoid soy derivatives. If you can. Good luck with that one.

Quick word on organic tofu. Likely ok for most people. Some are allergic to it and some people complain from strange hormonal reactions to it. Like me. My boobies hurt when I eat soy more than twice a month. I know. Too much information. Sorry.  But certain soy components are able to change women’s hormone levels. That is why soy supplements are often used during menopause. They mimic oestrogen and unless you want to interfere with your hormone levels, don’t eat it too often.  

Do you have thyroid issues? Please reduce or avoid the intake of soy.  

However, if you wish to try something new: fermented soy is a nutrient-dense food which in small quantities can be beneficial for you. The fermentation process produces major changes in soy’s structure and removes some of the goitrogens (thyroid-harming substances).   

Soy milk? Only drink if organic made from whole soy beans. That ‘should’ be ok. But I cannot vouch for this statement either. After all, it’s still made with soy….

‘Real soy milk’ was originally made by using the leftover residue from making tofu. But look what they’ve done to it now? It’s a concoction of stuffs, just like most commercial plant milk….

But I admit….and here comes the ‘but’….I buy some ready-made almond, oat or coconut milk in cartons for my hot beverages, because they contain added calcium. Plus my home-made one that I use for smoothies and with breakfast cereal, seriously curdles and has ‘bits’ floating in it.

Hey, I’m not a saint either 😉 But they don’t make my boobies hurt either.

Until next time,

 

 Nicki Kelly.