How to Start A Vegan Diet

A traditional American diet includes large portions of meat and dairy products. These products can be high in calories, saturated fat and cholesterol, making them unhealthy foods to form the bulk of your diet. A vegan diet plan eliminates all animal products, including meat, dairy, poultry, fish, eggs and honey. You may start a vegan diet to lose weight, improve your health, reduce your environmental impact or out of concern for animals. To start a vegan diet, plan your meals carefully to avoid nutrient deficiencies.

Consult a registered dietitian. A dietitian is trained to analyze your diet and lifestyle to determine your nutritional needs, and their insight and expertise will help make your transition to a vegan diet much smoother.

Decide whether you want to gradually transition into a vegan diet or give up animal products cold turkey. Some people find that starting a vegan diet in gradual stages increases their commitment to the diet plan.

Make a list of vegan recipes you already work into your meals. Many who are not vegans eat lentil soup, bean salads or a meatless red sauce over pasta. Start your vegan diet by eating those vegan meals with which you may already be familiar, such as oatmeal or cream of rice for breakfast.

Make a list of your favorite recipes that aren't vegan. Identify substitutes for the animal products in each recipe. Think about soy or gluten meat substitutes, soy dairy products, egg substitutes such as flax eggs, vegetable oils, whole grains, beans and other vegan ingredients you can incorporate into your favorite recipes. Use grilled mushrooms to add meaty texture to dishes, swap out regular hamburgers for veggie burgers made from lentils, mushrooms and bulgar and try using agave or brown rice syrup instead of honey

Compile a list of vegan recipes. Purchase a vegan cookbook, find vegan recipe websites or swap ideas with a vegan friend. Having a large number of vegan recipe options helps you stick with your new diet.

Eat a balanced diet that includes lean protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats. Avoid becoming protein deficient by incorporating 5 or 6 ounces of soy products, beans, seeds and nuts into your diet each day. Eat wheat germ, whole grain products, soy-based foods, peas, dried fruits, lentils and nuts to receive zinc and iron.

Track your daily food intake using an online food journal. Note any deficiencies in nutrients traditionally derived from meat and other animal products and take a multivitamin to supplement your dietary intake of these important nutrients.

How to Pair a Wine With Curry Chicken

Chicken curry can be somewhat tricky to pair with wine, particularly when the sheer variety of chicken curry recipes in the world is taken into consideration. From mild to fiery hot, Southern Indian to Thai to English, the number of variations is almost endless. That said, there are a few suggestions for pairing wines with chicken curries based on the ingredients in the curry and the geographic region from which the curry hails.

Pair Reisling with spicy curries that contain coconut milk. A Reisling can stand up to the aggressive spicy nature of the curry because of its acidity, but isn't so sweet that it will compound the sweetness of the coconut milk. In general, acidic white wines are good choices for spicy dishes.

Avoid wines that contain high levels of tannins, such as robust reds, or wines that have been aged in oak barrels, like many Chardonnays. These flavors can hit a discordant note with spicy curries.

Drink sparkling wines like champagne or prosecco when enjoying a chicken curry that contains a lot of butter or heavy cream. These wines can cut through the richness of the dairy fats in the curry sauce and help to cleanse the palate after the meal.

Read the labels of bottles and look for tasting notes that compare the flavor of the wine to tropical fruits and ingredients like lemongrass, pineapple or similar foods. These will pair well with curries, as they too originate in tropical or sub-tropical climates.

How to Eat Six Meals a Day to Lose Weight

If you want to lose weight by eating six meals per day, the trick is to keep the calorie content of each meal low. This is not about eating six large meals every day. Each meal should be the equivalent of a balanced snack or light meal. To lose 1 lb. per week by dieting, you have to cut 3,500 calories from your weekly diet, which means about 500 calories per day. This is the equivalent of 1 tbsp. of butter, a slice of bread, a slice of cheddar cheese and one 3 oz. hamburger.

Plan out your meals. Eating six small meals a day sounds great in practice, but if you work full-time, commute to work and want to go out in the evening, you'll have to prepare your food ahead of time. Purchase healthy snacks, such as low-fat yogurt, fruit and cut-up veggies so you have quick, convenient snacks easily available.

Keep your portions small. Eating off of a smaller plate than usual can help you keep portions in line. Meat and fish should be 3 oz., or about the size of a deck of cards. You should have 1 cup of pasta or rice, about the size of a baseball. A serving of vegetables is also 1 cup. Many people are used to eating much more than this, so limiting yourself to these portion sizes could cut hundreds of calories from your diet.

Center your meals around vegetables. Vegetables are high in fiber and many nutrients, and low in fat and calories. This makes them great for filling you up when you're hungry but still want to stick with your diet. Choose fruit a couple of times a day for variety, but don't overdo it. Some fruits have more calories than vegetables.

Include protein at every meal. Keep the portions small, and make sure that you choose low-fat options, such as lean fish, chicken and beef, beans or an egg. Include yogurt or cheese as well. Even though they have less protein than the other options, they will help you stay full until your next meal.

Eliminate junk food, such as chips and chocolate, and sweetened beverages, such as soda, specialty coffee and alcohol. These all have a lot of calories and few, if any, nutrients. If you want to eat six small, balanced meals that will help you lose weight, you won't have room for these in your diet. If you were a junk food "junkie," this step alone could help you meet your calorie cutting goal.

How to Do the Ketosis Diet

The ketosis, or ketogenic, diet has been used for many decades in the treatment of epilepsy, and more recently as a weight-loss strategy. The diet is very low in carbohydrates, which causes the body to burn fat stores for fuel. A study published in Experimental & Clinical Cardiology in 2004 showed the beneficial effects of a long-term ketosis diet on weight and body mass index in obese participants. There are some side effects to be aware of, however. Always consult your doctor before changing your diet significantly.

All About Ketosis

Carbs are your body's main source of fuel. They power all your physiological functions as well as your daily activities. But your body can also use fat for fuel when carbs aren't available. Eating fewer than 20 grams of carbs a day can result in a state called ketosis, in which your body is breaking down stored fat to use for energy.

Diet Pros

The 2004 Experimental & Clinical Cardiology study results showed significant loss of body weight and body fat. It also showed markedly improved cholesterol profiles, with a significant increase in high-density lipoprotein, the "good" cholesterol, and significant decreases in low-density lipoprotein, the "bad" cholesterol. Triglycerides and blood glucose also decreased significantly after 24 weeks.

Diet Cons

The amount of carbs you can eat on a ketosis diet is well below the amount recommended for health by national guidelines. The process of breaking down fat for fuel causes substances called ketones to build up in the blood. Side effects can include nausea, mental and physical fatigue, headaches, and bad breath. A study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in May 2006 showed potential negative effects of a ketogenic diet on emotions, mood state and the desire to be physically active.

What You Can Eat

Staying below 20 grams of carbs a severely limits your food options. You can have meat, fish and poultry; eggs; most cheeses; healthy fats from vegetables oils, nuts and avocados; seeds; and nonstarchy vegetables such as lettuce, mushrooms and tomatoes. For breakfast, you can have an omelet made with one egg yolk and a couple of egg whites, stuffed with sauteed mushrooms and spinach. For lunch, top salad greens with light tuna canned in water, chopped celery and tomatoes and avocado slices. At dinner, a fillet of fish or a lean sirloin steak and a side of steamed broccoli keeps you under your carb limit for the day.

Foods to Avoid

You need to avoid most processed foods, dairy, grains, fruit, sweets and starchy vegetables on a ketosis diet. Processed foods like pasta, chips and granola bars are chock-full of carbs, as is dairy, which contains carbs in the form of the milk sugar, lactose. Even healthy whole grains and fruit are off-limits when you're trying to achieve ketosis. Starchy vegetables such as potatoes, squash, peas and corn also offer essential nutrients, but they are too high in carbs to keep you under the 20-gram limit. Anything containing added sugar, such as ice cream, cookies, candy or sweetened beverages, is a no-no.

How to Lose Weight With Prune Juice

Prune juice is a sweet, fruit juice made from pitted and squeezed prunes. It is known for its laxative effects and often drunk during cleanses. People find it easier to go to the bathroom after drinking prune juice or eating whole prunes and, as such, this type of juice is commonly used to prevent bloating and constipation. While prune juice is often considered a weight loss tool, it is incorrect to say one can safely lose weight simply by drinking prune juice. However, prune juice can be used as part of a healthy weight loss technique.

Incorporate more exercise into your day. The key ingredient to weight loss is the burning of calories, which is most quickly achieved when you exercise. Try to exercise one hour a day. This can be as simple as two 30-minute walks, obtaining a gym membership or joining a sports team.

Purchase a brand of prune juice that has a flavor you enjoy. Prune juice is an acquired taste, so it’s important that you can stomach it. Ensure the prune juice you purchase is 100 percent juice and does not have any sugar added. Some prune juice cocktails will have another kind of fruit juice added, which is fine. The key is to avoid refined sugar intake.

Eliminate refined sugars, such as candy, cake, ice cream and soft drinks, from your diet. These products are known to drastically increase your caloric intake and cause you to gain weight. When you have a craving for something sweet, drink a glass of prune juice. One cup of prune juice contains 182 calories, which is far fewer than a soft drink. Best of all, the calories in prune juice come from the sweetness in the fruit itself, not from an added sugar source. Remember that while prune juice is far healthier than sugary alternatives, five glasses a day gives you nearly 1,000 calories. Try to drink the juice only when you feel you’d like a sweet snack.

Eliminate high-fat foods, such as French fries, donuts and potato chips, from your diet. Like high-sugar foods, foods high in saturated fat are a chief culprit of weight gain. Removing them from your diet will allow you to eat healthier foods, including fruits, vegetables, grains and fish.

Use the washroom frequently. Because prune juice contains a natural laxative, you may find you're making further trips to the bathroom. This is a good thing if you're losing weight, because more bathroom visits will result in a healthier intestinal system with less bloating.

The Vegetable Soup Diet

The vegetable soup diet was developed for those who have trouble following other weight-loss plans. On this plan participants are allowed to eat vegetable soup as much as they'd like. The soup makes a decent low-calorie filler, but the plan itself is not substantial enough to be followed long term without potential health risks. It is, however, an effective diet for those seeking to drop a few pounds before beginning a long-lasting healthy eating plan.

The Plan

The vegetable soup diet is a weight-loss plan that has been designed for short-term use. The weeklong diet is based on portion-controlled, low-fat meals and a nourishing vegetable soup. Soup portions are not measured or restricted, so dieters can keep their hunger at bay by eating as much of it as they like. A large pot of the basic soup is prepared the evening before the start of the diet. Each day, the basic soup is modified in some way to keep dieters from becoming bored. Each meal contains 300 to 400 calories, for a daily total of 1200 calories on average. As a bonus for good behavior, twice a week dieters are encouraged to choose a 100 calorie snack of their choice. Additionally, dieters are allowed to have celery sticks, strips of bell pepper, cucumber wedges or carrot sticks any time they feel the urge.

The Soup

The original soup recipe makes 28 cups of basic vegetable soup. Begin by coating a large stock pot or soup kettle with nonstick cooking spray. Add 1 pound of sliced carrots, four peeled and chopped onions, five sliced stalks of celery, 1 pound of sliced mushrooms, three chopped bell peppers, and 2 tablespoons of minced garlic. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes. Then add 48 ounces of undrained canned diced tomatoes, 1 pound of shredded green cabbage, 1 pound of fresh green beans, 64 ounces of chicken broth, and 2 quarts of water. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover the soup. Allow it to simmer for 10 minutes, then add 12 ounces of baby spinach leaves and 1 pound of sliced zucchini. Cover and simmer 10 minutes more. Customize the vegetables in the recipe, leaving out anything you don't care for and adding those you'd prefer, except potatoes, beans, corn, avocado or peas.

Variations

Once the soup has been made, it can be kept in the refrigerator for the remainder of the week. To alter the basic recipe, measure 2 cups into a medium saucepan, then stir in up to 1 cup of any of the following: ½ cup cannellini beans, ½ cup black beans, ½ cup kidney beans, ½ cup cooked pasta, 3 ounces of boneless skinless chicken breast, ¼ cup corn, 4 ounces of skinless fish fillets, ¼ cup salsa, 4 ounces of ground turkey breast or 2 ounces of turkey kielbasa. Top with 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, or reduced-fat sour cream and season with basil, chili powder, cilantro, dill, paprika or any of your favorite herbs. For example, the make a Southwestern style soup, you might combine ground turkey that has been browned and drained with black beans, crumbled tortilla chips, chopped cilantro and a dash of cumin.

How to Make a Sassy Water Recipe for a Flat Belly Diet

The Flat Belly Diet is touted as a plan that will help people shed extra pounds and inches that collect around the midsection and belly. Using proper nutrition, the diet helps to eliminate a build up of contaminants, fat, and excess water weight. Sassy water is one of the main staples of the Flat Belly Diet, and should be drunk every day.

Pour the water in the bottle or jug. Ideally, this water should be filtered, so that it is as pure as possible. If you don't want to buy several gallon jugs of water each week, you can invest in an water filter, such as Pur or Brita, in order to ensure that your water is filtered.

Wash the cucumber and spearmint as thoroughly as possible. If your cucumber isn't organic, it will have a waxy coating on it. This waxy outer coating can be removed by soaking the cucumber in apple cider vinegar and rinsing in warm water, while scrubbing with a rough towel.

Peel the brown outer coating of the ginger off with a vegetable peeler.

Slice the cucumber and ginger as thinly as possible. Cucumber is an important ingredient in the Flat Belly Diet sassy water because it is a natural diuretic, and helps the body release stored excess water.

Tear the spearmint leaves.

Add the ginger, cucumber, and spearmint to the filtered water. Shake the container well, mixing the filtered water and ingredients together. Ginger is an ingredient of the flat belly diet sassy water recipe because it's reported to boost metabolism.

Put the container in the refrigerator and drink it the following day. In order to have a successful diet, the water should be drunk instead of juices, sodas, and other drinks. If you live in a hot climate, consider making a double batch of Flat Belly diet sassy water, because your local weather could cause dehydration.