Do you know someone who’s dropped meat from their Diet recently?

Chances are high that you know at least one vegetarian, and if you know about a few of them, there’s bound to be at least one vegan in the group, too. More and more people are picking up vegetarianism as both a lifestyle and a diet for many reasons, such as ethical concerns over humane treatment of animals during slaughter, or because of severe food allergies that leave them unable to process meats and meat byproducts properly.

Whatever the reasons are, vegetarianism is becoming more and more commonplace. According to a 2018 Gallup poll conducted in the United States, an estimated 5% of adult Americans identify as vegetarian – that’s over 16 million people who practice some form of meat-free diet.

With a demographic this large, it’s difficult not to include them in conversations about healthy lifestyles. One popular question that comes up in such discussions is, “is this diet vegetarian-friendly?”

ADAPTABILITY IN A DIET

As it happens for fast metabolism diet enthusiasts, the specialized diet designed by celebrity nutritionist Haylie Pomroy is highly adaptable for people with special or specific dietary preferences and needs. In fact, in her books about the specialized diet, there are sections dedicated to adapting the diet’s meal plans (called Phases) to existing dietary preferences, such as meat-free or gluten-free diets.

When it comes to food items that fall under the diet’s “do not eat” list, there’s a pretty long list: it includes wheat, corn, dairy, soy, refined sugar, caffeine, alcohol, dried fruits and artificial fruit juices, artificial sweeteners, and “diet” formula food. If you’ll notice, the majority of these foods contain allergens such as gluten. And while the diet includes meats as part of the accepted food items, allowances are also made for people who prefer not to eat meat.

In fact, for the protein-heavy phase (Phase 3), Ms. Haylie Pomroy suggests substituting legumes or phase-specific fish (for pescetarians) for meat in any recipe. Personal preferences are also accepted, so if you like brown rice pasta for your Italian-themed weekend dinners, for example, you can definitely incorporate it into your phase-specific meals.

PROCRASTINATING IS THE DEMISE OF PROGRESS

All things considered, being a practicing vegetarian and also a fast metabolism diet enthusiast don’t need to be mutually exclusive. Specialized diets are typically designed with ways to adapt to a number of dietary preferences and needs, especially with regards to allergens and lifestyle or religious restrictions.

The important thing is that one gets started –  getting fit and healthy is a constantly evolving process that is only effective if it’s kept up with, and regularly.

Start small. Start with simple changes, like dropping your soda consumption from two glasses to just one, or sticking to a couple pizza slices during family movie nights. Walk around the block once today, then twice tomorrow, and work your way up to walking a mile or two daily.

When you’re ready – be that after the COVID-19 pandemic has passed, or during it – you can go full-tilt and carve yourself out a new, healthier you, without sacrificing your lifestyle choices.

The post Meat-Free Healthy Living: Fast Metabolism Diet And Vegetarians appeared first on The Fast Metabolism Diet Community.