Questionhi! i'm almost 21. i was wondering if you could give me your thoughts on something i thought of. first off, i don't think i'm overweight. my bmi is like 23. however, i can't get my family off my back. they, especially my parents, say i'm fat. they think it's funny, they "joke" about it all the time with my uncles and cousins. i hate it. my friends are also like that, pinching my midsection and arms because they're big and soft. i was an athlete in hs so i guess they just got used to me being this super fit kid.
i want to be a vegan since it sounds really healthy to do so and it's ethical. i'm glad to be able to subtract cruelty in the world.
i read this article that included apples and carrots as good energy givers and can fill one up. if i ate only apples for breakfast and only raw carrots for dinner (for lunch, i'll be having what i can. but i promise to try to keep it vegan! :) ), will that be okay? i mean health-wise. i'm a going to miss key vitamins and minerals from normal meals by replacing them with a single ingredient per meal?
i have to say, you have a great record here at allexperts. thank you for helping everybody
AnswerHi Justin!!
Congrats, congrats, congrats on your decision to eat ethically and adopt a more nutritionally sound lifestyle!! This is the beginning of something beautiful I assure you!! As for your family's response to your current physique I wouldn't make too much of it. At the end of the day people will always have their opinions, which they are more than entitled to. At times it may be hurtful while at other times not so much. Either way, your priority must always be YOU so try to redirect your focus to loving that beautiful, dynamic, ready to absorb the deliciousness of the fabulously new, healthy lifestyle that awaits you!!! That alone is reason enough to ignore the not-so-positive remarks and energy that may surround you. Absorbing positivity feels good so focus on that. Right now you are oozing with positivity just for the mere fact that you are taking control of your health and nutrition! If nothing else, that should have you floating in the clouds.
Now regarding what to eat... Sure, apples and carrots are an excellent source of nutrition, but the key to a healthy vegan diet is diversity. To ensure that you get an adequate amount of ALL of the nutrients that your body needs, you'll have to eat a variety of whole, fresh fruits and vegetables. Taking this approach will help you immensely in both feeling and looking better. In fact, if you're looking to lose weight try a 2 to 3 week live food detox where you eat nothing but whole, fresh, live produce. By "live" I mean uncooked, fresh fruits and vegetables. The live foods will do several things for you. First, fruits and vegetables contain ALL of the vitamins and nutrients that our bodies need for sustenance. That being the case you'll experience satiety, so you'll find that you are less hungry, less often. Next, eating live foods is also a great way to lose weight. Approaching weight loss in this way is healthy, safe and incomparable to any fad diet on the market today.
So go ahead and stock up on some fresh pears, apples, bananas, spinach, kale, carrots, zucchini, etc. Whether you prefer to get your daily intake of vitamins through drinking smoothies, eating salads or veggie wraps, using cookbooks and recipes, or snacking on dried fruits, raw nuts and seeds doesn't really matter. All that matters is that you eat as much whole, fresh fruits and vegetables as possible and you'll be well on your way to feeling better about YOU. Your body will so thank you and you'll definitely see the results in the mirror. Then your family won't be making fun of you, but they'll be coming to you for advise on how to get as healthy and fabulous as you!!
Sunflower Smooches!!
Amirah B
Amirah Bellamy is a Vegan Coach, Vegetarian Fitness Meal Planning Expert, and Author. To learn more about her fabulous Vegetarian Meal Plans, purchase her infamous eBook 揟he 50?Book That抯 Hotter Than 50 Cent,?or INSTANTLY grab her FREE Vegetarian Starter Kit go to www.AmirahBFit.com
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