Over the last few years, the vegan diet has gained some popularity. Veganism is not something that’s new, people have been following such diets in the past for ethical and health purposes.
If you are wondering what is a vegan diet? Then this is the right place to know about it. The vegan diet is known for its health benefits and how quickly it can affect your waistline. People follow the vegan diet for weight loss and to improve their blood sugar levels.
Just like every other diet with tons of benefits, you also get some drawbacks. If you stick to the plant-based source of foods then obviously there will be some nutritional deficiencies in your body.
We will dig deep into all the important things you should know about the vegan diet and veganism, and if you are planning to go full vegan then this article will help you to understand all the things you will need to sacrifice and what backlash you can face, although it’s good for your health and we will help you to follow this diet properly.
WHAT IS VEGAN DIET?
In a vegan diet, you don’t eat foods that include meat, eggs, and all the other animal products. The reason why people choose to follow a vegan diet is due to the fact that they don’t like consuming animal products. In a way, they think that it’s not ethical for them to hurt animals and use their products.
Although some people use it due to the benefits that they can get by following the vegan diet. Sometimes consuming too much meat can be bad for your health, this is why shifting to a vegan diet might be a good option for you.
If you want to trim that waistline then you can use the vegan diet for weight loss. If we dig deeper into the vegan diet then there are different types of vegan diets that we will talk about later.
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VEGAN VS VEGETARIAN
There is a difference between being a vegan and vegetarian. If you are full-on vegan then all the animal’s products are crossed out on your list. That’s not the case with being a vegetarian.
Vegetarian people will eat vegetables and foods like cheese, eggs, and other dairy foods. This is the only difference between the two.
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IS IT WORTH THE SACRIFICE?
If you follow a diet with pure dedication and discipline then it’s worth your time and sacrifice. Whether you are following this diet for your ethical or health reasons. This diet is worth it.
The reason why we are saying this is because it has tons of health benefits. The foods that are in this diet are nutritious as well. Our vegetable broth snack is perfect for a vegan diet.
TYPES OF VEGAN DIETS
There are more than 10 different ways in which you can follow a vegan diet. It really depends on your own taste. Some of the types are:
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The starch solution
This type of diet contains foods that are starchy. Most of them are potatoes, corn, and rice. If you would eat such foods in your regular diet then you would get fat but as your only source of foods are plant-based then it won’t affect you in a similar way.
- Whole-food vegan diet
This one is ideal for beginners as it contains most of the whole-foods like legumes, seeds, vegetable broth, whole grain, and fruits. If you are planning to go full vegan then this one should be your choice. You can turn it into a vegan keto diet as well.
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Junk-food vegan diet
Just like your normal diet has junk foods, but this one excludes the ones with meat. In this diet, you consume fries, processed vegan foods, cheese, and vegan desserts.
BENEFITS OF VEGAN DIET
Most people change their lifestyle and go vegan. If you are from a normal lifestyle where you used to eat meat or animal products then the transition from that lifestyle to a vegan lifestyle will be tricky.
When it comes to the benefits of the vegan diet, the list can be a long one. We’ll talk about the ones that are common. Keep in mind that there can be some deficiency problems if you are not having enough protein and other nutrients in your diet. If you are not a complete vegan then you can try bone broth to get the required protein and minerals in your body.
Coming to the benefits of a vegan diet. The first thing that you will notice is weight loss. So it’s great to maintain a healthy weight by following this diet. Apart from that, the other benefits are:
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ARTHRITIS
Vegetables can help in reducing the inflammation of our bodies. This can lead to the prevention of arthritis. It can also help in reducing joint pain and swelling. Drinking vegetable broth and raw vegetables help a lot in preventing such bone disorders. Collagen is important for your bone health as it helps in making your bones flexible. Some people use collagen powder to improve their bone health. Although if you are following a vegan diet then it might be difficult to consume collagen in your diet.
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HEART HEALTH
Another benefit of following a vegan diet is that it helps in improving your heart health. There are several studies that show people who are vegetarian or vegan have less chance of getting a serious heart disorder.
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BLOOD SUGAR
Similarly, it can also reduce your blood sugar levels. This is something that I mentioned before, excessive meat can be harmful to your health as it can lead to cholesterol and high blood pressure. This is why the combination of both foods is important. As we are only talking about vegan foods then it does lower your cholesterol and blood sugar level.
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KIDNEY FUNCTION
People who are diabetic and suffer from kidney issues should add vegetables to their diet and if they want to see improved results then they should follow a vegan diet as it helps in improving your kidney function.
VEGETABLE BROTH VS STOCK
There is a lot of fuss around the difference between stock and broth. There are some major differences between the two and I will try to clear them out. In the end, you will be able to decide which one is better for your health. We already know that a vegan diet is really beneficial for your health, but what should you be consuming in it is the main question.
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COOKING TIME
If we do a vegetable broth vs stock comparison then the first thing that will come up is its cooking time. Stocks are usually cooked for several minutes to a few hours.
When it comes to broth, it takes way more time than that. Stocks are light in taste and they are more like a clear soup. As for the vegetable broth, they are cooked for 6-7 hours which makes their taste strong as compared to stock. Their texture is thick and not watery.
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NUTRITION DIFFERENCE
When something is cooked for more time, it means that you are extracting more nutrients from it. The same goes for vegetable broth and vegetable stock. If you are making a homemade vegetable soup then it will way more nutrient-dense as compared to a regular vegetable stock.
VEGAN RECIPES
As we all know that veganism is not something that is new. People have been following it for several decades and it has it’s pros and cons but still, people do prefer to be vegan. There are so many recipes out there and some people are also making vegan cheese and all sorts of stuff.
VEGETABLE SOUP
Simple vegetable soup is best for you, if you are looking to lose all that extra weight and if you are new to the vegan diet. Most people wonder how to make vegetable broth and this recipe will make it easy for you. Some people find it difficult to consume raw cooked vegetables. What they can do is start off by consuming vegetable soup so that they get a hang of this diet. This vegetable broth recipe is all you need to get all the healthy nutrition that would last for a day.
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 cups LonoLife Vegetable Broth
- 1 Onion chopped
- 2 carrots chopped to ¼ inch rounds
- ½ Cabbage chopped in small rounds.
- Half cup of peas
- 2 celery stalks chopped to ¼ inch rounds
- 1/2 teaspoon salt ( or according to your taste )
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
DIRECTIONS:
- Add vegetable broth to a large pot. Add carrots, cabbage, broccoli, peas, onions, and celery to broth and simmer it for about 15 minutes.
- Choose some herbs of your choice and add them to the broth and then cook for another 10 minutes and stir occasionally so that nothing sticks to the boiling pan.
- Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!
BOTTOM LINE
If you want to improve your health and maintain your weight then just like any other healthy diet, a vegan diet is also good for you. The best option here is to drink the homemade vegetable broth by using fresh and healthy veggies. There are still some studies that are pending which will clear out what kind of nutritious deficiencies this can cause in the human body. If you are following veganism then it’s not a bad thing but being too obsessed over a diet can be harmful to your health. So there is no need to be stressed out over what you should and shouldn’t eat. The goal should be to improve your health. You can eat meat and vegetables together as well, if that’s not what you prefer then you have the option to be a vegan or vegetarian. As long as you are taking care of your health
