By You don’t have to forgo eating meat for the sake of health
I choose not to consume animal protein — but that’s not saying it is wrong to do so. Everyone has their nutritional preferences and is accountable for making their own decisions. I recommend adding a lot more vegetables into your diet, which may mean eliminating a couple of meat days per week. That small window of opportunity to go all-in on veganism will not harm your health; it will enhance it in many ways. I did this recently during the Orthodox Easter period when I became more intent on making particular days vegan for my daughter. I didn’t hear her complain, and she immensely enjoyed the food. It gave her body and stomach a break from the constant overfeeding of meats. So, if you think your family (especially teenagers) might protest — give it a try with one meal, and then add a few more as time progresses. I guarantee that they may not even notice! As long as the dish is delicious, no one cares! Scientists wanted to know how our gut microbiome changes according to short intervals of veganism. The research also included body composition monitoring and insulin resistance. In a study with 1147 participants, 86% were women, and 14% were men. These individuals were overweight but with no prior history of diabetes. The age group was over 55. A low-fat, vegan diet was followed by part of the group, whereas no change was made to the other group. After the 16-week study was completed, the gut microbiome was assessed. A few other mechanisms measure blood sugar and body composition changes. Bodyweight had significantly shifted in the vegan group (-5.8kg) due to fat mass in the visceral area (the most dangerous kind of fat you can have on your body). Insulin sensitivity also increased to higher levels. That means our bodies are much more responsive to insulin, which helps to reduce your chances of developing many diseases — diabetes. The gut microbiome changed due to the dietary change, which brought on the results above. Scientists acknowledge that further work is needed to uncover the effects of a vegan diet in its effectiveness in weight management and diabetes prevention and control. But this study has explored the link between changes in the gut microbiome, leading to weight reduction and reduced insulin sensitivity. Interestingly, the major shift in microbiome composition was due to an increased relative content of short-chain fatty acids producing bacteria that feed on the fibre. That indicates a diet high in dietary fibre content is essential for the changes in this study.
Key takeaways
It’s clear that a diet high in fibre can create remarkable changes in your body, including eliminating visceral fat, making you a lot more insulin sensitive and, of course, eliminating the chances of developing the disease in the future.
How can you start integrating a few more veggies into your diet to get the same effect?
It’s pretty easy, and I will share some tips to help you. One: Have a veggie smoothie for breakfast. Two: Make veggies the central part of your plate, not something you push aside Three: Integrate exercise, too, as that helps with insulin sensitivity Four: Snack on veggies like carrots and celery with your homemade dips Five: Eat a variety of veggies in season according to your country. That brings on more diverse gut bacteria. It’s easy and only matters how much of that hidden creativity you would like to use!
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