{"id":1448736,"date":"2022-04-21T08:31:58","date_gmt":"2022-04-21T12:31:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1448736"},"modified":"2022-04-21T08:32:01","modified_gmt":"2022-04-21T12:32:01","slug":"a-beginners-guide-to-the-flexitarian-diet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/a-beginners-guide-to-the-flexitarian-diet\/","title":{"rendered":"A Beginner\u2019s Guide to the Flexitarian Diet"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fa-beginners-guide-to-the-flexitarian-diet%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1448736&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The benefits of being vegetarian carry over to this diet, which is why the flexitarian diet is recommended for people who are curious about vegetarianism, and occasionally for former vegans or vegetarians who may have experienced nutritional <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/hs\/guide-to-essential-nutrients\/common-nutrient-deficiencies\/\" data-gd-wrapped=\"\">deficiencies<\/a> as a result of going completely meat-free. But it\u2019s also a great option for anyone who wants to adopt a healthier lifestyle, because it foregrounds plants without being anti-meat, says\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lizshealthytable.com\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Liz Weiss, RDN<\/a>, of Liz\u2019s Healthy Table in\u00a0Lexington, Massachusetts.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a closer look at some of the possible benefits of the eating approach.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Lowers Risk of Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div>Given its second-place ranking in the Best Diets Overall category and second in Best Diets for Diabetes in the 2022 Best Diet Rankings by\u00a0U.S. News &#038; World Report, it\u2019s not surprising that a study found that a vegetarian diet (the flexitarians\u2019 stricter counterpart) was more effective at reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes than a \u201cdiabetes-friendly diet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"view-sources\"><button class=\"view-sources__arrow\" type=\"button\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.everydayhealth.com\/react-component-images\/right-up-arrow.svg?w=50\" data-src=\"\" width=\"auto\" height=\"auto\" alt=\"right up arrow\" class=\"eh-image__img\" \/><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>In the study, 74 participants consumed the same number of calories for six months. Some went on a vegetarian diet, and others went on a diet that emphasized reducing sugars, refined carbs, cholesterol, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/saturated-fat\/guide\/\" data-gd-wrapped=\"\">saturated fat<\/a>. Interestingly, people on the vegetarian diet lost more subfascial fat (the fat that lines your muscles), and intramuscular fat (the type stored inside your muscles themselves). The fat stored in your muscles can impact your metabolism and lead to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/type-2-diabetes\/insulin-resistance-causes-symptoms-diagnosis-consequences\/\" data-gd-wrapped=\"\">insulin resistance<\/a> (and even type 2 diabetes).<\/p>\n<div>One study found that flexitarians had a lowered risk of type 2 diabetes compared with nonvegetarians.<\/p>\n<p class=\"view-sources\"><button class=\"view-sources__arrow\" type=\"button\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.everydayhealth.com\/react-component-images\/right-up-arrow.svg?w=50\" data-src=\"\" width=\"auto\" height=\"auto\" alt=\"right up arrow\" class=\"eh-image__img\" \/><\/button><\/p>\n<p>In addition, being overweight is one of the biggest risk factors for type 2 diabetes, and this same study showed that flexitarians had lower BMIs than nonvegetarians.<\/p>\n<p class=\"view-sources\"><button class=\"view-sources__arrow\" type=\"button\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.everydayhealth.com\/react-component-images\/right-up-arrow.svg?w=50\" data-src=\"\" width=\"auto\" height=\"auto\" alt=\"right up arrow\" class=\"eh-image__img\" \/><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3><strong>Boosts Heart Health<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div>Also, a large preliminary study found that people who followed a semi-vegetarian (aka flexitarian) diet had a lower\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/heart-disease\/\">risk of heart disease<\/a> and stroke. In the study, the researchers followed more than 450,000 Europeans for 10 years and found that the participants who consumed at least 70 percent of their food from plant sources (called \u201cmost pro-vegetarian\u201d) had a 20 percent lower risk of dying of heart disease than those who ate fewer plant-based foods (called \u201cleast pro-vegetarian\u201d). The researchers concluded that substituting some of the meat in your diet with vegetables may be a simple way to lower the risk of heart-related death. It\u2019s worth noting that this study was not published in a peer-reviewed journal, and therefore its credibility is limited.<\/p>\n<p class=\"view-sources\"><button class=\"view-sources__arrow\" type=\"button\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.everydayhealth.com\/react-component-images\/right-up-arrow.svg?w=50\" data-src=\"\" width=\"auto\" height=\"auto\" alt=\"right up arrow\" class=\"eh-image__img\" \/><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3><strong>Contributes to a Longer Life<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div>Research also suggests that flexitarians may live about 3.6 years longer than their more carnivorous counterparts, likely as a result of the reduced risk of disease.<\/p>\n<p class=\"view-sources\"><button class=\"view-sources__arrow\" type=\"button\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.everydayhealth.com\/react-component-images\/right-up-arrow.svg?w=50\" data-src=\"\" width=\"auto\" height=\"auto\" alt=\"right up arrow\" class=\"eh-image__img\" \/><\/button><\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, a study of over half a million people found that red and processed meat intakes were associated with modest increases in total death rates, death by cancer, and death by heart disease.<\/p>\n<p class=\"view-sources\"><button class=\"view-sources__arrow\" type=\"button\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.everydayhealth.com\/react-component-images\/right-up-arrow.svg?w=50\" data-src=\"\" width=\"auto\" height=\"auto\" alt=\"right up arrow\" class=\"eh-image__img\" \/><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3><strong>Reduces Your Carbon Footprint<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div>An underrecognized benefit of going flexitarian is its benefit to our planet, says <a href=\"https:\/\/sharonpalmer.com\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sharon Palmer, RDN<\/a>, \u201cThe Plant-Powered Dietitian,\u201d who lives in Los Angeles. Palmer says eating less meat (and replacing it with more whole-plant foods, such as beans, peas, lentils, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds) can reduce your personal carbon footprint. The agriculture and livestock industries account for 10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.<\/p>\n<p class=\"view-sources\"><button class=\"view-sources__arrow\" type=\"button\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.everydayhealth.com\/react-component-images\/right-up-arrow.svg?w=50\" data-src=\"\" width=\"auto\" height=\"auto\" alt=\"right up arrow\" class=\"eh-image__img\" \/><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3><strong>Is Easy to Follow<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The other major advantage of going flexitarian is the diet&#8217;s straightforwardness and flexibility, says Blatner, which increases the chances that the diet would become a long-term lifestyle.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Helps You Save Money<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>There are no exotic (or particularly pricey) ingredients required for this diet plan, so groceries shouldn\u2019t cost more than they typically do. And, if meat is the current star of all your meals, bypassing the butcher may actually save you money. The diet&#8217;s wiggle room concerning what you eat means that there\u2019s wiggle room financially, as well.<\/p>\n<div>Indeed, one study looked at how much money vegetarians save by comparing government-recommended weekly meal plans (which include meat) with comparable seven-day plant-based meals, and found that vegetarians can save up to $750 annually. Compared with the meat eaters, the veg dieters also ate more servings of fruits, veggies, and whole grains.<\/p>\n<p class=\"view-sources\"><button class=\"view-sources__arrow\" type=\"button\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.everydayhealth.com\/react-component-images\/right-up-arrow.svg?w=50\" data-src=\"\" width=\"auto\" height=\"auto\" alt=\"right up arrow\" class=\"eh-image__img\" \/><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3><strong>Keeps You Well Nourished<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div>A position paper suggests that a vegetarian diet contains a greater amount of nutrient-dense food than nonvegetarian diets.<\/p>\n<p class=\"view-sources\"><button class=\"view-sources__arrow\" type=\"button\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.everydayhealth.com\/react-component-images\/right-up-arrow.svg?w=50\" data-src=\"\" width=\"auto\" height=\"auto\" alt=\"right up arrow\" class=\"eh-image__img\" \/><\/button><\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the flexitarian diet prioritizes produce, which will likely cut down your consumption of processed and packaged foods that are often packed with added salt and sugar, says Blatner. \u201cIt\u2019s great for someone who doesn\u2019t want to be super strict about not eating their favorite animal-based meals,\u201d says Weiss.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><strong>Improves Skin Health<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div>For a glowing complexion, pack your plate with plants. A fruit-, veggie-, nut-, and legume-forward diet is rich in nutrients, such as vitamins A, C, and E, and polyphenols \u2014 these are antioxidant plant compounds \u2014 that help neutralize damaging, skin-aging free radicals, lower inflammation, protect against UV exposure, and build skin\u2019s support structures, including collagen, notes a recent review.<\/p>\n<p class=\"view-sources\"><button class=\"view-sources__arrow\" type=\"button\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.everydayhealth.com\/react-component-images\/right-up-arrow.svg?w=50\" data-src=\"\" width=\"auto\" height=\"auto\" alt=\"right up arrow\" class=\"eh-image__img\" \/><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The benefits of being vegetarian carry over to this diet, which is why the flexitarian diet is recommended for people who are curious about vegetarianism, and occasionally for former vegans<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":505,"featured_media":1891793,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1448736","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_finder_url":"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/diet-nutrition\/diet\/flexitarian-diet-health-benefits-food-list-sample-menu-more\/","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1448736","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/505"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1448736"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1448736\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1891793"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1448736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1448736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1448736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}