Trying to lead a healthier lifestyle? Professionals recommend eating lots of vegetables as it has benefits. Here are 9 reasons to try a plant-based diet.
In recent years, people have been trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle by doing a variety of things such as going to the gym, cutting out unhealthy food from their diet, and trying out a vegetarian diet as well. There are many types of diets that people try to adopt in order to lead a healthier life overall, of which experts and relatives alike often recommend a plant-based one. Are you thinking of trying out the diet but are confused as to if it is really worth it or not? Continue reading to learn nine reasons to try a plant-based diet that will motivate you to try it out.
1. Eating Plants Means Eating Healthy
If you are going to stick with a plant-based diet, it means that you will be eating fruits, vegetables, nuts, and healthy oils. The plant-based diet also consists of whole grains, meaning you can eat sprouted whole grain bread which is considered the healthiest bread you can find.
This practice makes it possible for you to avoid stuffing yourself with junk foods whenever you are hungry since a few fruits or veggies are sure to fill your stomach. These can be used in several healthy recipes as well so that you don’t get bored with eating veggies!
Furthermore, junk foods have little to no nutritional value for your body, and it only causes the body to be in a poor state as a lot of unnecessary sugar and salt is taken in.
2. It Helps You Stay in Shape
One of the most popular reasons to try a plant-based diet is because people wish to lose weight and get in good shape. When you are maintaining a plant-based diet, you will notice that you have a good idea of what things harm your body and what brings benefits.
This knowledge makes it easy for you to create a diet plan that goes along with your fitness goals perfectly. When your diet consists of organic foods, it’s rather easy to build muscles as there are rarely any unnecessary calories eaten. Protein and micronutrients are found in abundance in plant food and are vital in achieving your dream physique!
Furthermore, a plant-based diet is not about making you starve but rather making you feel full without gaining fat. Fruits, whole grains, and vegetables are known for their high fiber percentage. Fiber takes away the feeling to eat something constantly as it makes you feel full longer. Additionally, it also helps with digestion and nutrient absorption.
3. Avoid Inflammation & Diabetes
A lot of people experience problems that are linked to inflammation. Inflammation can occur due to several different reasons, of which the main two are obesity and an unhealthy diet. Studies have revealed that a healthy diet can reduce the chances of chronic inflammation and all the other major diseases linked with it.
Additionally, diabetes, which is one of the most prevalent diseases in the world, can be avoided with the help of a proper diet. The usual habit of eating whatever you want that people practice often does the opposite of preventing type 2 diabetes.
The key to avoiding diabetes and keeping it under control if you are already diagnosed with it is by working on your body’s insulin sensitivity. Exercising and maintaining a healthy diet that consists of natural sugar and fiber is very important.
This practice helps you maintain a stable blood sugar level, and since you will have foods that are not digested quickly in your diet, the tendency to overeat and mess up your blood sugar levels will be a thing of the past for you!
4. Helps with Avoiding Cancer
One of the most hated diseases of our time is cancer. This is mainly because of how hard it is to overcome this lethal disease and how many people tragically pass away due to it. A healthy, green diet can help you avoid the risk of some kinds of cancer, making this one of the best reasons to try a plant-based diet.
One type of cancer that can be warded off is prostate cancer. Plant-based foods contain a compound known as flavonoids, which are said to lower the chances of prostate cancer.
Furthermore, breast cancer can also be tackled with the help of a healthy diet. Phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) is another compound available in abundance in plant food. This can slow down the tumors and hence, slows down the growth of breast cancer in our bodies as well.
5. Low Cholesterol Levels
Another one of the reasons to try a plant-based diet could reduce your cholesterol levels. A vegetarian or vegan diet can lead to a controlled level of cholesterol in your body. This is because you are no longer taking protein from animal-based foods but instead are getting it from plant alternatives.
Protein is one of the most important substances that your body needs to remain healthy and function optimally. However, eating meat and dairy products only is not a great habit, as numerous studies have shown us. Hence, the key here is to make a balanced diet that contains everything your body needs.
Sticking to plant-based foods instead of inorganic manufactured foods may also lead to you living longer as the risk of mortality is drastically reduced for those who stick to a vegetarian or vegan diet.
6. Plant-Based Diets Are Eco-Friendly
Did you know that switching to a plant-based diet is one of the biggest actions a person can take to tackle the problem of our degrading environment? That’s right, eating plants is not only healthy for you, but for the environment as well!
Studies have revealed that the food industry harms the environment more when producing meat and dairy goods than when they are producing natural, plant-based products. Furthermore, this is also a sustainable source of food production that doesn’t harm the environment as it requires less energy and generates less waste.
Additionally, eating little or no meat products means that animals are not killed as often for the sake of putting food on the table. If the demand for animal-based foods is reduced, then all the deforestation and other acts that harm the environment to secure space for farming animals is reduced as well.
Less deforestation also allows animals to stay in their natural habitats with comfort. Hence, switching to a plant-based diet is overall a positive step toward a healthier environment.
7. Improvement in Physicality
If you take a look online, a lot of popular athletes have switched to a plant-based diet. Now of course we don’t expect you to switch just because your favorite athlete did. Instead, let us look at what their reasons to try a plant-based diet truly are.
As athletes only eat what is best for their physique, there must be complex reasoning behind this change in eating. Foods made of green ingredients are known to support your immune system and can serve as an anti-inflammatory remedy as well. If you are an athlete, then you should most certainly try out plant-based diets and see if you feel healthier overall because of it!
8. Plant-Based Diets Are Good for Your Brain
Apart from the benefits a healthy diet can bring to your other organs, a plant-based diet can also be beneficial for your brain. Studies say the likely reason for this is that fruits and vegetables contain polyphenols.
Diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cognitive impairment, and dementia are all diseases that originate in the brain. A green diet is said to reduce the risk of these diseases and in addition to that, the substance polyphenol may also slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s and can also reverse cognitive degradation.
9. Reduced Risk of Heart Diseases
Last but not least of the reasons to try a plant-based diet is the fact that the risk of heart disease is reduced drastically. The foods you eat affect your heart as well. Cholesterol and saturated fats, if not regulated, can have a negative effect on the heart and its arteries.
Processed foods, as well as animal-based foods, are all capable of increasing the chances of heart disease, and they don’t have many nutritional benefits either. In contrast, however, plant-based foods have zero dietary cholesterol and low amounts of saturated fats, while also giving you plenty of fiber.
In Conclusion
The main reason for a switch to a plant-based diet should be the love you have for yourself. A green diet brings enormous benefits to your body and mind, and so even if you are not fond of vegetables, giving it a try and checking the results won’t hurt you. We hope that this article has given you valid reasons to try a plant-based diet yourself and lead a healthy lifestyle while doing it!
FAQs
1. What Diseases Can You Prevent with a Plant-Based Diet?
Sticking to a healthy plant-based diet will help you prevent fatal diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer as well.
2. Is a Plant-Based Diet Actually Healthy?
A plant-based diet means low cholesterol, low saturated fats, and more fiber. This helps prevent and reverse several diseases and keeps your body functioning optimally.
3. What Can I Eat for Protein Instead of Meat?
Nuts, seeds, pulses, etc. are all plausible substitutes for meat in a plant-based diet.