A vegan diet is one that contains no animal products whatsoever. This means no meats of any kind, no eggs or dairy and no honey. While a vegan diet might sound like a healthy one, the truth is that you can easily gain weight on it if you focus on eating lots of sugars and fats. If you want to lose weight without abandoning your vegan lifestyle, you will have to look for a diet that respects a few basic parameters.
"Skinny Bitch" by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin
This funny, irreverent book comes with an optional companion, the "Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook: Crazy Delicious Recipes that Are Good to the Earth and Great for Your Bod." Described as a tart-tongued approach to eating healthy, this book focuses mainly on why you should give up meat and switch to a vegan diet. Expect lots of graphic descriptions of rotting meat and why Atkins and other high-protein diets are the enemy. If you're easily offended, this book is not for you, as it's laced with profanity and rude comments. Among the hilarious accounts and rough language, however, there is a lot of good advice about eating whole grains, choosing the best fruits and vegetables and using soy and soy products to meet your protein needs. The goal of the book is not only to help you lose weight, but also to teach you how to eat healthier whole foods.
"The Engine 2 Diet" by Rip Esselstyn
"The Engine 2 Diet: The Texas Firefighter's 28-Day Save-Your-Life Plan that Lowers Cholesterol and Burns Away the Pounds" was written by a firefighter who wanted to help his crewmates lose weight, gain energy and become healthier. While the book advocates a vegan diet, there's no mention of animal welfare or saving the planet. Instead, Esselstyn promotes veganism as a path to ultimate health and natural weight loss. The book includes vegan versions of popular recipes such as pizza, pancakes and Tex-Mex dishes. It also offers tips on shopping, eating out, stocking your pantry and dealing with cravings. Fruits and vegetables, whole grains and nuts and seeds are at the center of the meal plan.
"The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook" by Neal Barnard, MD and Robyn Webb
Dr. Neal Barnard became a popular name in the 1990s, with the publication of his book "Food for Life," in which he advocates a switch to a vegan diet for the health of humans, animals and the planet. Barnard is also the president of the nonprofit organization Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. PCRM focuses on educating people about the importance of a healthy vegetarian diet, as well as fighting for alternatives to animal research. "The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook: 125 Easy and Delicious Recipes to Jump-Start Weight Loss and Help You Feel Great" offers tons of suggestions for losing weight on a vegan diet with minimal effort. Recipes are simple and can be made with ingredients found in any supermarket.
References
- "Skinny Bitch"; Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin; 2005
- "The Engine 2 Diet: The Texas Firefighter's 28-Day Save-Your-Life Plan that Lowers Cholesterol and Burns Away the Pounds"; Rip Esselstyn; 2009
- "The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook: 125 Easy and Delicious Recipes to Jump-Start Weight Loss and Help You Feel Great"; Neal Barnard, MD and Robyn Webb; 2010
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