Plant based diet was introduced by Brendan Brazier who is a professional athlete. The diet is based on avoiding animal and processed foods and emphasizes nutrient-dense raw foods mostly. The diet is known as Thrive Diet.
An individual is required to carry on with this diet for 12 weeks. The diet is about choosing food items that are rich in nutrients, easy to digest, health-oriented, energy-boosting, and lifestyle changes. Here are 12 essential steps that will ensure that you are on the right path while following this diet.
Step 1 Start slowly by easing yourself into the diet. If you have habits of eating lots of refined foods and drinking coffee regularly then it may take some time to change your eating habits.
Step 2 When you plan your meals, make high net-gain foods the main source of intake. All such foods can be digested easily. Your plan should be based on eating raw or whole foods rather than processed, refined, starchy, or sugary foods.
Step 3 Eat 45% fiber-rich foods such as green leafy vegetables. Have a 20% intake from seeds, legumes, and pseudo-grains like wild rice and quinoa. Have a 20% intake from fruits and 10% from cold-pressed oils and avocado. The remaining 5% intake should be based on starchy vegetables and whole grains.
Step 4 Eat low quantity meals throughout the day.
Step 5 Have one meal of energy bar daily. All you need to do is to combine foods like hemp protein, dates, blueberries, lemon juice, sea salt, and flax.
Step 6 Smoothie is a good option to include in your diet. Include green leafy veggies while preparing smoothies.
Step 7 Have a salad with a dressing made from cold-pressed oils. Have it with dinner by combining 1 part flaxseed oil, 1 part pumpkin oil, and 8 parts of hemp oil.
Step 8 You must have strict discipline in eating certain types of foods before and after exercise. Have foods that are easy to digest at least 45 minutes before and after workouts. Have protein intake after workout sessions.
Step 9 Eat raw or cooked plant-based foods. Don’t cook the plant-based foods at high temperatures.
Step 10 Prefer alkaline-forming food options to balance the PH of your body. Limit the intake of acid-forming foods. Alkaline forming foods are able to reduce inflammation, improve endurance, and muscle functionality. Foods such as cider vinegar and citrus fruit become alkalizing after digestion. Beets, asparagus, melons, zucchini, bell peppers, green beans, broccoli, yerba mate tea, green tea, mango, citrus fruits, sea vegetables, and gingerroot are some of the foods to consider.
Step 11– Pasta, sugar, coffee, candy, cheese, white rice, refined flour, breakfast cereals, milk, and cream should be eliminated from your diet.
Step 12 Enjoy a healthy lifestyle by reducing stress. Thrive Diet is all about changing the complete lifestyle so focus on it as a lifestyle changing practice session rather than a diet.