The Beginner’s Guide To Flexitarian Diet By Mohit Bansal Chandigarh

If you've ever contemplated being vegetarian but decided against it because you like a good burger, the flexitarian diet could be a good fit for you. This diet, which combines the terms "flexible" and "vegetarian," suggests by Mohit Bansal Chandigarh that you may gain many of the advantages of a vegetarian diet while still eating meat when you experience hunger.

Once dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner released her book "The Flexitarian Diet: The Mostly Vegetarian Way to Lose Weight, Be Healthier, Prevent Disease, and Add Years to Your Life" in 2008, the term "flexitarian" entered the mainstream. Many individuals have adopted the flexitarian eating concept, owing to the lack of strict restrictions or limits. Vegetarians abstain from meat and other animal foods, while vegans abstain from meat, fish, eggs, dairy, and all other animal-derived dietary items. Flexitarians are neither vegetarians nor vegans since they consume animal products. The Flexitarian Diet has no hard and fast guidelines or suggested calorie and macronutrient amounts. In fact, it is more of a way of life than a diet. The eating pattern is meant for everyone who wants to eat a more healthy diet but does not want to give up their favorite meat pleasures totally. 

When you follow the flexitarian diet, you will eat more vegetarian meals. Throughout the week, the diet allows for meat-based meals. The trick is to eat mostly vegetarian meals while allowing for meat in moderation. According to research, boosting your intake of satisfying plant-based meals that are high in nutrients for general health promotion will lead to increased consumption of vegetarian dishes. Because you don't have to entirely remove any foods, it may be simpler to keep to than more stringent eating programs.

It’s based on the following principles:

• Consume a lot of fruits, veggies, legumes, and whole grains.

• Instead of animal protein, prioritize plant protein.

• Be adaptable and include meat and animal products on occasion.

• Consume foods that have been minimally processed and are as close to their natural state as possible.

• Reduce your intake of added sugars and sweets.

The flexitarian diet is designed to be flexible, and some individuals may need to make adaptations and exclusions to ensure the flexitarian diet fulfills their unique nutritional demands. According to research, a vegetarian diet has considerable physical and even psychological advantages for those with type 2 diabetes. 5 Diabetes patients, on the other hand, must monitor their overall carbohydrate consumption at each meal. Vegetarian meals may have a larger amount of carbs, which may alter blood sugar levels. Iron deficiency is frequent during pregnancy, and semi-vegetarian diets have been linked to reduced iron levels. 6 Pregnant or nursing women who adopt a flexitarian diet may choose to incorporate more meat, increase plant-based iron sources, and/or take an iron supplement if their doctor prescribes it.

Consuming flexitarian meals may provide a number of health advantages  - 

• Lowers Risk of Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes - It's not surprising that a study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition discovered that a vegetarian diet (the stricter counterpart of flexitarians) was more effective at reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes than a "diabetes-friendly diet." For six months, 74 individuals in the research ingested the same quantity of calories. Some followed a vegetarian diet, while others focused on lowering sugars, refined carbohydrates, cholesterol, and saturated fat. Surprisingly, vegetarians shed more subcutaneous fat (fat beneath the skin), subfascial fat (fat that lines your muscles), and intramuscular fat (the type stored inside your muscles themselves). Muscle fat may have an influence on your metabolism and contribute to insulin resistance (and even type 2 diabetes).

• Decreases Your Risk for Heart Disease - Diets high in fiber and healthy fats are beneficial to heart health. Research with over 48,188 people discovered that vegetarians and fish eaters had lower rates of ischemic heart disease than meat-eaters, however, vegetarians had greater risks of hemorrhagic and total stroke. This is most likely due to the fact that vegetarian diets are generally high in fiber and antioxidants, which may lower blood pressure and raise good cholesterol. Furthermore, a 2020 research of 10,797 people on vegetarian, pescatarian, and flexitarian diets found that those who adhered to any diet excluding/reducing meat consumption had lower body mass index, total cholesterol, and blood pressure than those who ate meat. 

• Weight management - Flexitarian eating may also aid with weight control. This is due in part to the fact that flexitarians often restrict high-calorie, highly processed meals in favor of eating more plant foods that are naturally lower in calories. Several studies have shown that those who eat a plant-based diet lose more weight than those who don't. A study of over 1,100 adults revealed that those who followed a vegetarian diet for 18 weeks dropped 4.5 pounds (2 kg) more than those who did not. According to this and other research, vegans tend to lose more weight than vegetarians and omnivores. Because the Flexitarian Diet is more similar to a vegetarian diet than a vegan diet, it may aid in weight reduction, but not as much as a vegan diet. However, weight reduction is not the Flexitarian Diet's main purpose. It focuses on increasing the amount of nutrient-dense foods in your diets, such as fruits, legumes, and vegetables.