Diet question - plant based

[L Sass]

Hi all. As you may recall I posted last month about how I loved the switch to plant based food - the energy, the "lightness", the clean feel of it. And I still love it - even more so after reading "The China Study."

So here I am about 7 weeks after I began - and I'm not as lean as before.:-( And I feel not as lean. My calories are the same - about 1500. I'm still working with my personal trainer, but my body fat (the number I really want to move) IS IN LIMBO. UGH!

So I've been reading more about blood type based nutrition. I'm an "O" and the experts in this study advise that O's need to stay away from grains. I even asked Tracie Long on her site and she said she cut out ALL grains.

So for those of you who eat plant based -

1. Do you think it's possible to get all of your nutrients while cutting out grains?

2. If you had to plan a plant based diet with no grains for 1 day, what would it look like?

Thanks to Kathryn for her input in the recent past on this inquiry!

Lorrie

 

[pixie9]

Hi Lorrie,
I've been on a plant-based diet for well over a year and haven't experienced this problem. My advice would be to zig zag your calories everyday(if you're not already doing that). If I notice that I'm putting on weight, then I'll change everything to shock my body. I'll go for a run(which I rarely do), or change up the workout for a good week, and change my calorie intake from day to day. If that doesn't work I would suggest cutting down on grain for a couple of days to see how you feel. BTW, why would grain not be included in a type "O" diet? I've heard of this diet before but believed it to be one of those fad diets that tell people that they need to stop eating certain types of food forever. It reminds me of "the Body Code". This book said that because of my body type, I should NEVER do any major lower body workouts(and that included step,kickboxing, and spinning). Good thing I didn't follow that advice because as a result of doing step,kickboxing and weight training, and of course my plant based diet, I'm probably in THE BEST shape of my life and I plan to only get better!!

Carolyn

 

[kathryn]

You might try an "almost no grain" approach and see if it helps. Avoid flours and go for sprouted grain breads, quinoa and millet.

As for nutrients, grains are particularly strong in the B vitamin category, so you'd have to make sure you have a good source of those (the sprouted breads would have them as well).