- Hello, my friends,
welcome to my channel.
If you're new here, my name is Alyssa,
and today we are talking about
plant-based slim down secrets.
I get a lot of questions from you guys
about losing weight on a plant-based diet,
so today I thought I
would do a little video
and kind of talk through
my five best tips,
and really, they're more of secrets,
for slimming down on a plant-based diet.
I don't know if I've mentioned this
in my videos before, but I actually am
a certified holistic nutritionist.
I got my certification last year,
and the basis of the program
was plant-based eating,
so I've done a lot of reading
about plant-based eating,
and today I wanna share
some of my best secrets.
So, the first one is
to up your fiber intake
to support your gut.
I'm sure many of you have heard
that having optimal gut health
or having a health gut
is really important for a healthy
kind of overall system.
A lot of stuff happens in our gut,
and it impacts a lot
of the other processes
that happen in our bodies,
and when our digestive system is on track,
we're able to absorb more
nutrients from our food,
and we're able to eliminate toxins,
so that's basically the main
point of our digestive system
is to get nutrients from our food,
and then eliminate what we don't need.
So, one of the best ways that
we can support our digestive system
is by eating fiber.
Luckily, if you're already following
a primarily plant-based diet,
you're probably eating
a lot of fiber already,
but fiber-rich foods
are things like fruits,
vegetables, whole grains, legumes,
a lot of naturally
plant-based foods in general.
And the benefit of
having fiber in our diet
is that it not only
stimulates digestive juices,
so that's like getting the
digestive enzymes going
and helping our food break down,
but it also adds bulk
to our bowel movements,
which means that we are
able to better eliminate
the toxins from our body.
So, two of the other things
that I love about fiber-rich foods
are that they take longer
to chew in general,
so that means that, once
they hit our stomach,
they're already more broken down,
meaning that it's easier for our belly
to put that through to our intestines.
And then, fiber-rich foods
also take longer to digest,
so that means that, when we're eating
a diet rich in fiber and fibrous foods,
we are able to stay fuller for longer,
we're getting more energy,
and again, it's helping keep
our digestive system more regular.
So really, fiber is amazing,
and what I've done with today's video
is that I've actually
put together a free guide
that you guys can download
that talks about all these different tips
in a little bit more detail,
so click the link in the
description box below
to download that guide,
because I'm gonna talk about
some of my favorite fiber-rich foods
in that guide, and instead
of just kind of making this
a huge, long video, like 30 minute video,
we're gonna try to keep it
a little bit more short.
So, download that guide,
and let's move onto
secret number two.
Secret number two is that raw food
isn't always better, and I
know that this is gonna be
a little bit controversial,
especially on YouTube,
because there are a lot
of raw vegans on YouTube,
but it's my personal belief
that you need to have a balance
of both raw foods and
cooked foods in your diet.
So, the benefit of raw food is that
the food has not been heated,
and it retains all of the nutrients,
but the downside of raw food is that
it is a little bit harder
on our digestive system,
and it is harder to kind of move through
our system in general.
However, what's interesting,
and I was reading this in
a lot of my nutrition information,
is that there are some
vegetables in particular that,
actually, you get more nutrients from
when you cook them, so that's because
the cooking process or the heating process
is breaking down the plant walls,
and that ends up releasing the nutrients,
and it's able to help us
and our digestive systems
absorb those nutrients
because they have been released from
the plant cells' walls, and they're just
easily ready there for absorption.
Another question I'm sure you guys
are gonna ask about cooking is that
what cooking method is best?
So, I don't wanna go through
all the different cooking
methods right now,
but if you do download that guide,
I have my favorite cooking methods
in the order listed that I recommend.
But basically, what I want
to give you an example of is sweet potato.
So, think about a sweet potato,
a whole raw sweet potato.
Usually you're not gonna
eat a sweet potato raw,
but sweet potatoes are amazing,
they're high in fiber, they're high in
vitamin A and vitamin K.
Everybody knows that sweet potatoes
are healthy for you.
But look at sweet potato
fries versus a baked potato.
So, sweet potato fries
have been deep fried
in a, most likely low quality oil,
and then the baked sweet potato
is just a whole sweet potato
that has been cooked and is soft,
and you are going to be getting
a lot more nutrition and nutrients
from that baked sweet potato
than you would from the fries.
So, it does matter, the method
that you're using to cook,
and again, if you want to see my list,
click the link in the
description box below
and download that guide.
Secret number three is,
just because it's vegan,
it doesn't mean it's healthy.
I think a lot of us get
caught up in labels on foods,
and we assume that, if
something is gluten free,
or if something is low fat,
or if something is vegan,
that it means that it's healthy,
and that is not the case.
The prime example, and
one of the best examples
that I like to give is an Oreo.
So, Oreos are vegan,
but are Oreos healthy?
No, no, no, no, no, you're
not gonna lose weight
eating a sleeve of Oreos,
so what I wanna encourage you guys to do
is read your labels.
You're going to the supermarket
and you're picking up plant-based foods,
just look at the box and look at
the ingredients that
are used in that food.
If you recognize everything on the list
and they are whole food sources,
that is fine by me, I would say buy it.
If there are things in there
like additives and preservatives
or other things that you don't recognize,
I would say put that back and move onto
another product that might
be a little bit more whole.
So really, the goal here is to incorporate
as many whole foods into
your diet as possible,
and you want them to be as
close to the source as possible.
So, of course, when you're
buying a cracker, for example,
it's already been
cooked, but if the flours
that are derived in that cracker
are from whole brown rice,
or whole quinoa, or
millet, whatever it is,
you know that you're
getting more nutrients
than something that is highly processed.
And how does that relate to slimming down?
Basically, when you have a
diet rich in whole foods,
your digestion is easier.
We're talking a lot about digestion today,
but it's important because,
when your digestion is good,
you're getting rid of the toxins,
but when you're eating a lot of
processed food and junk,
those toxins are swirling
around in your body,
and you just aren't able
to get rid of the weight
because your body is just kind of
holding onto these toxins,
they're going into your fat cells,
and it's just not a remedy for success.
And I know I keep mentioning this guide,
but I have included more
information in the guide,
and one of the things with
this secret that I included
is the five things that I always
avoid on nutrition labels,
so if you wanna see that,
make sure to download it
from the link below.
Secret number four is that
portion control still matters.
Even if we're eating an
incredibly healthy diet,
we're eating a lot of fiber-rich foods,
we're eating fruits, vegetables, legumes,
it still matters the
quantity that we're eating.
So, there, I'm sure you
know, there is this concept
of calories in versus calories out,
and there is truth to that.
If we're consuming more calories
than our bodies are naturally using up,
whether that's through exercise
or just our daily life,
then we're gonna be gaining weight because
our body has an excess amount of calories.
What I think is interesting
about calories is that
every person is different,
and the amount of calories
that you're gonna need
depends on a variety of factors,
including your gender, your height,
your weight, your age,
your activity level,
and if you think of that
in terms of a person,
so a man who is 6'3" and is a pro athlete,
he is going to need
way more daily calories
than somebody like me, who's 5'3",
and even though I exercise,
I still sit at a desk and
work on my computer a lot.
So, you do have to kind of adjust
the amount of calories that
you need every single day,
and that's where a food
journal can really help.
So, I recommend that you guys
just start by writing down
the quantity of food that you're eating.
You don't necessarily
have to put a calorie,
like, number next to that.
Really, just the idea is that
you're gonna learn how much you're eating,
and you might learn something interesting.
I think a lot of times we,
especially in terms of snacks,
or maybe, like, our meals, we think that
we're eating less than we actually are.
Smoothies are a really
great example of that.
A lot of times we use
smoothies as a snack,
and sometimes, smoothies
are really high in calories
because a lot goes into them.
You have bananas, you have fruit,
you have avocado, you have
nut butter, you have protein.
The amount of calories that is
in that snack size smoothie,
that might be more of a
meal sized smoothie for you.
So, really, the goal of the food journal
is just to give you an idea of
how much quantity of food you're eating,
and then you can potential adjust
based on where you're at.
And the extra stuff that's
in the guide for this one
is that I am giving you a formula for
how I build my plant-based plate.
So, if you wanna see that, click the link
in the description box below.
And then, secret number five
is to meal prep like a boss.
You guys know that I talk
a lot about meal prep,
and a lot of you really
enjoy meal prepping.
I've done a few meal prep videos,
so if you wanna see that entire series,
I've also linked that in
the description box below.
But what's great about meal prep
is that it sets you up for success
for the entire week.
When you're meal prepping,
you're much more likely
to reach for those healthy foods,
you kind of have your set meals,
so you don't need to worry about
what you're gonna eat at lunch,
and then end up reaching for something
that isn't as nutritious for you.
In terms of the timing for meal prep,
really, that's based on your schedule.
A lot of people, it
works over the weekend,
but if you work on the
weekends, you can adjust.
Sometimes, you don't
even have to meal prep
for the entire week,
you could just meal prep
a few days at a time.
And really, the best thing about meal prep
is that it's ultimately gonna help you
get to that goal weight because
you're reaching for those
foods that are healthy
and those foods that are
supporting your healthy goal.
So, I get a lot of questions about
if you need anything
special for meal prep,
and the answer is no.
If you have containers at home,
you have plastic bags,
or you have tin foil,
you can totally start meal prepping.
I do recommend that, at some point in
your meal prepping journey, you transition
over to glass containers, just because
they are more non-toxic, and
they are also heat-proof,
so you can heat them up
when you get to the office,
or you can heat up leftovers
when you get home from the office,
or school, whatever you do.
And then, the other question
I get a lot about meal prep
is how long this food lasts,
and what's great about meal prepping
on a plant-based diet is that
plant-based foods last
longer in the fridge
than animal-based products.
So, you don't really have
to worry about spoilage
as much with plant-based foods.
My general rule of thumb is that,
if you are storing stuff in the fridge,
it will last up to five days,
sometimes you can go to six.
And then, if you're storing
stuff in the freezer,
it lasts up to six months,
and you can even go longer
than that sometimes.
So, if you're meal prepping
for a plant-based diet,
that food is gonna last you a lot longer,
and again, it's just
setting you up for success,
and it's gonna help you
reach your healthy goal,
or your goal weight, if weight
loss is one of your goals,
much more quickly because you have
all of that food in front of you,
you know exactly what you're gonna eat,
and you can plan for your week.
So, I hope you guys
found these tips helpful.
Again, I put together a free guide,
it's 100% free, that outlines
these in more detail,
it talks a little bit more about
some of the best ways
that you can slim down
on a plant-based diet.
So, if that is one of your goals,
if you're interested in that,
I've linked that in the
description box below.
You can just tap that
link, enter your email,
and I will send you the guide.
And if you guys have
any specific questions
about plant-based eating,
definitely leave them
in the comments below.
I do get a lot of questions about it,
so I wanna make sure
that I'm covering topics
that you guys are curious about.
And if you have specific questions
or you wanna learn more about
my personal plant-based journey,
I did a video on that,
like, a year ago, maybe now,
and I will put that link in
the description box below
so you can watch that if you want.
And other than that, if you haven't
subscribed to the channel already,
I would love for you to
join us here on YouTube.
There's a red button that says subscribe
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And other than that, I hope you have
a really lovely rest of your day.
Bye, guys!
(gentle guitar music)
