Switching over to a plant-based diet was probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It has opened my eyes to food I have never eaten and health benefits I never seen before.
What is a plant-based?
A plant-based diet is consuming foods primarily made of plants. This includes fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, and legumes. There are many different plant-based diets including vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, and so on. Each diet ranges differently in terms of how much or how little animal products, but one thing they have in common is, they are centered around plants.
15 Benefits of Eating a Plant-Based Diet
1. ) Disease Prevention
There is a direct correlation between diet and disease. Unhealthy diet is the number one cause of death in the United States. This includes nutrition-and-obesity-related diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes reported by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
A diet rich in fruits and vegetables can lower your risk of many diseases including heart disease, blood pressure, types of cancer, and can even stabilize blood sugar, explains Harvard.
2. ) Immune Support
Plants are loaded with the vitamins and minerals your body needs. Nutrients, antioxidants, and phytochemicals keep your body balanced and healthy so your immune system can perform optimally, proclaimed MD Anderson Cancer Center. Plants also help fight off infection and protect you against germs and microorganisms says Andrea Murray, MD.
3. ) Reduce Inflammation
Inflammation is the leading cause of chronic disease
Forks Over Knives
In addition, MD Anderson says those same antioxidants and phytochemicals also move around your body neutralizing toxins from bacteria, viruses, pollution, and more – reducing inflammation.
Frontiers of Nutrition report diets high in fat and processed meats have been positively correlated with C-reactive protein (CRP) or inflammatory markers. CRP help doctors determine the risk of inflammation in the body and risk of heart attack, for example.
The same study specifically dives into the association between plant-based diets and Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic inflammatory immune disease. The Physicians Committee of Responsible Medicine states that a plant-based diet can reduce inflammation and reduce pain and swelling.
Read More
Anti-Inflammatory Eating: Gluten Free, Dairy Free Guide
4. ) Gut Health
Gut health plays a significant role in overall health. Frontiers in Nutrition documents the positive relationship between a plant-based diet and a stable and more diverse microbial system. Gut health aids in digestion and allows for nutrients to be better absorbed by the body.
5.) Energy
Vegan foods help fight tiredness. And with digestion being easier (due to the reduction in animal products), your body can conserve energy. Plus, there are many superfoods out there that can naturally increase your energy. Foods like apples, oats, quinoa, spinach, sweet potato, and so on. Learn more about how to introduce these foods into your diet.
Read More
6 Easy Ways to Eat More Vegetables and Improve Your Health
6. ) Diverse Colorful Cuisine
As I mentioned above, going plant-based has introduced me to a wide variety of fruits and vegetables I never would have tried otherwise. Many cuisines around the world are vegetable-based.
In a recent survey by Pew Research Center, 81% of Indian adults limit their meat consumption and 4 in 10 consider themselves vegetarian. The people of Ethiopia restrict their animal products for religious reasons, so their cooking is extremely plant friendly. Jamaican, Japanese, Mediterranean cultures are also eat a diverse variation of fruits and vegetables.
Recipes with this type of inspiration can teach you new exciting ways of cooking.
7.) Slows Aging
Plant-centered diets can promote health and longevity and even slow aging, according to The Beet. The article notes that foods such as carrots can slow cellular aging, almonds fight off wrinkles, and green tea is known to regenerate skin.
8.) Athletic Performance
I am sure you have heard by now, there are very successful world-class athletes that follow a plant-based diet. Seven-time Grand Slam singles titles and 14 Grand Slam Women’s doubles titles, Venus Williams has been a raw vegan since 2011. Ultramarathon runner, Scott Jurek saw veganism as a long-term solution to his family’s chronic health problems. Barny du Plessis, bodybuilder, saw radical improvement to his performance after switching to minimize his ever-growing list of health concerns. After returning to the stage, Plessis won Mr. Universe in 2014. The list of athletes from Business Insider goes on – read more here.
9.) You can eat more
My favorite benefit, you eat more! Plant-based foods are low in calories so you can enjoy larger portion sizes.
10.) Weight Management
Eating more vegetables and less meat has been shown to lower body weight. This study by NASM indicates weight loss and weight management over time due to the lower caloric intake.
11.) Saves you money on groceries
Did you ever happen to notice how expensive meat is? Steak, seafood, ground beef is usually the highest priced item on your bill (especially if you are opting for a better quality). Beans, legumes, and grains are far cheaper (even more so when purchased dry) and contain far more nutrients than meat. You can keep your grocery bill even lower by buying what’s in season or even growing your own.
12. ) Mental Health
In the article Food and Mood: Eating Plants to Fight the Blues, research suggests that dietary changes can enhance and improve mood without the need for medication. Depression stems from a chemical imbalance of neurotransmitters and inflammation of the brain. In agreement with Food and Mood, antioxidants and phytochemicals from fruits and vegetables aid in damage repair and decrease inflammation.
13. ) Reduced Carbon Footprint
When it comes to global warming, there is no doubt a connection between increased temperature and animal farming. There is even a term now called plantary-diet. Eating to support the wellness and longevity of our planet.
Reducing animal proteins is going to lower your carbon footprint by the water, greenhouse gases, and waste byproducts that come along with the production of these foods. If you want a more in-depth look, read this article The Case for Plant Based | UCLA Sustainability.
14. ) Marine Life Destruction
The ocean is a powerful being with climate-healing abilities. Truth or Drought says 80% of the world’s oxygen comes from phytoplankton so obviously the ocean is vital to our own health. The amount of destruction, specifically from fishing, is causing great harm to delicate balance of marine life. The exploitation of our oceans is worse now than ever before. For a full explanation Trust of Drought clearly spells it out for us.
15. ) Mind Opening
Plant-based eating has evolved me for the better. It has opened my mind to a new way of living, different cultures, world issues, compassion for animals, and people questioning the status quo.
Wrapping up
With less than 10% of American’s consuming enough fruits and vegetables, I would highly recommend taking a good hard look at your eating habits and how they are affecting your health.
You by no means need to completely flip flop overnight. I understand how overwhelming it can be to change years of eating habits. Start with small changes and I guarantee you will be feeling better in no time.
Additional information
Check out this fantastic TED Talk from Caldwell Esselstyn director of Heart Disease Reversal Program and a leader in the plant-based food movement.
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