we’re on a constant quest to improve our health and wellbeing, sometimes finding ourselves giving up whole groups of food all together. for a lot of people, however, it might seem like too much of a challenge to go completely vegetarian. if you’d like to ease your way into a vegetarian diet or probably just cleanse your system once a week, an easy way to start might be meatless mondays!
What are Meatless Mondays?
Meatless Mondays is a non-profit health initiative, launched in 2003, which encourages people around the world to go meatless once a week. The movement aims to improve people’s health and that of the planet too by reducing our carbon footprint.
WHY GO MEATLESS?
Going meatless once a week is said to have several positive effects on various ailments, apart from the added benefit of saving the environment by saving resources.
PREVENT HEART DISEASE AND STROKE
Vegetarians are 36% less likely than meat eaters to suffer from metabolic syndrome – excess belly fat and high blood triglycerides that increase your risk for heart problems. A study indicated that each daily serving of fruits or vegetables was associated with a 4% decline in coronary heart disease and a 5% lower risk of stroke.
LIMIT CANCER RISK
Consuming more antioxidant-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables results in lower cancer rates. If you also target organically grown produce, you’re likely to decrease your exposure to carcinogenic pesticides too.
FIGHT DIABETES
Research suggests that plant-based diets, especially those that are low in processed meats can reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes. It can also decrease your total calorie consumption, which helps you obtain and maintain a healthy weight, a key component to preventing and treating the not-so-sweet disease.
REDUCE STRESS
A recent study stated that people who adopted a vegetarian diet reduced their stress levels by 39% after just 2 weeks on their new diet. The mood boost is attributed to plant compounds that fight oxidative stress in your body.
BATTLES OBESITY
People on plant-based, vegetarian diets tend to have a significantly lower Body Mass Index (BMI). This may be in part because plant-based diets are rich in fiber which contribute to fullness, resulting in lower calorie intake and less overeating.
IMPROVE YOUR NUTRITION
Going meatless encourages consumption of plant-based sources of protein like beans and peas. Consuming beans and results in a higher intake of fiber, protein, folate, zinc, iron and magnesium. In addition, diets high in beans and peas are associated with lower intakes of saturated fat and total fat.
Here’s How You Can Get Started
If you’re hoping to hop on the Meatless Monday wagon, but aren’t quite sure where to start, check out these quick tips for sticking to the plan.
Motivate yourself through research
Sure, we’ve given you plenty of reason to get started, but nothing helps like a bit of your own research. To keep your motivation up for Meatless Mondays, look into the harmful aspects of regular consumption of meat. In addition, you could read up on some of the many benefits of going meat-free for a day – the list is endless!
Cook up a storm
For your Meatless Mondays, get excited and don’t just cook a dish you normally would, but without meat. If you do it this way, you’re more likely to get bored, revert to your old ways and miss the meat. Instead, buy a few vegetarian or vegan cookbooks or scour the internet and keep it interesting
Plan ahead and get your groceries
Choose what you’d like to eat ahead of time, then do your grocery shopping. This way, your fridge will be stocked with lots of fresh fruits, veggies and perhaps interesting ingredients like tofu, Quorn and more, so it will be easier for you to stick with the meatless diet. Get creative!
Pack your lunch the night before
It can be stressful packing your lunch on a weekday, so pack it the night before. If you’re putting a salad together, make sure you don’t throw on the dressing till right before you eat it to avoid it being a soggy mess.
Get your friends or family on board
You’re more likely to stick to the plan if you have a friend or family member on board with you. So maybe post a picture online and let them know what you’ll be doing to spread some awareness. The more the merrier.
