How a Plant-Based Diet Helps You Maintain a Healthy Body

The CDC published a study that found more the 70% adults in the United States are overweight or obese. That is disturbing. With increased weight comes increased risk for diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and even cancer. But help is available. It’s well known that diet and exercise (along with moderate alcohol consumption) are the best ways to lower your chances of acquiring any of these illnesses. And what do we know about diet and exercise? Better eating leads to decreased obesity, which leads to fewer chronic illnesses. What else can help? We know that adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet helps keep you fit and healthy — and makes you feel better too!

Do you know that people who follow a plant-based (vegan) diet are, on average, 25%? A vegan diet can also help reduce the risk of:

• Heart disease
• High cholesterol, which leads to the deposition of fats in the blood, restricting blood flow and causing heart attacks and strokesDiabetes and Type 2 Diabetes

Vegan diets may also help fight inflammation.

So how do you do it?

Increase the amount of nutrient-rich, whole plant foods in your diet

A healthy diet that contains a variety of nutrient-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds helps keep your body in good shape. They can also help you lose weight.

Nutrient-rich foods contain few calories and lots of fibre which can help keep your digestive system functioning properly and prevent you from overeating. They also contain many vitamins and minerals that can help prevent or slow down the onset of many chronic diseases. Legumes and other whole-grain foods are also high in essential nutrients and are good sources of protein.

Whole grains are excellent sources of fibre, and are also rich in essential minerals such as selenium, copper, and magnesium. Many whole grain foods also contain vitamin B-12, which is important for blood health.

Vegetarians should consider taking a B-12 supplement, or consuming fortified foods such as cereals and plant-based milk. I’m an oat milk girl myself, best one I’ve found to pop in my cup of tea so it doesn’t taste weird. My brand of choice is Alpro, love their new ‘Shh, it’s not milk’ chilled oat milk, but my local supermarket have stopped stocking the full fat version (boo hiss). Have also just tried Mlkology … unusual taste, not for my cuppa, but poured over cereal it’s a winner.

Increase the amount of fibre in your diet

A plant-based diet is known to be a good source of fibre, which is essential for regulating blood sugar levels. High-fibre diets have been linked to lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes and is also less calorie-dense, making it a good choice for people with diabetes. Also, a diet rich in fibre helps you feel fuller for longer which stops you reaching for that packet of chocolate biscuits mid-morning, mid-afternoon and in the evening as you binge-watch the latest must-see show.

Aim to include at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Remember that fresh fruit is higher in fibre than canned or processed fruit, and you should eat the skins whenever possible.

You can get also increase your fibre intake by consuming more beans and lentils, whole grains, nuts and seeds.

When it comes to breakfast, a high-fibre breakfast is very beneficial. Steel-cut oats with berries or nuts is a better choice than refined, sugar-laden cereals with low-fibre content.

Fibre-rich foods help regulate bowel movements and prevent constipation, and are also beneficial for your heart, as they slow down your body’s ability to absorb sugar. A diet rich in fibre may even improve your blood pressure and reduce inflammation. Studies have shown that people who eat more fiber-rich foods have a reduced risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and all types of cancer.

Avoid unhealthy plant-based foods

While plant-based foods are generally healthy, there are some foods that are bad for your health. French fries and potato chips, refined grains, and sweet drinks for example, are unhealthy and may increase your risk of heart disease and weight gain. To avoid these negative effects, try to limit or eliminate these foods from your diet gradually.

It’s important to choose those plant-based foods with the best nutritional value. Avocados, walnuts, and seeds are all great sources of healthy fats. Unsweetened coconut is also a great option, as is unsweetened plant-based milk. You can also buy protein powders and supplements made with plant-based ingredients.

Benefits of a plant-based diet

1. Lowers the risk of heart disease

A plant-based diet is an excellent option for lowering your risk of heart disease because it’s rich in many vitamins and minerals that can reduce your risk of heart disease by as much as 80 percent. Plant-based foods are also rich in fibre, low in saturated fat, and additionally, they contain high levels of nitrous oxide, which relaxes blood vessels.

In a recent study, researchers found that people who followed a plant-based diet had a reduced risk of developing heart disease during midlife. The study participants already had the motivation to change their diet, but this change required a certain level of restriction. To help them stick to their new diets, the researchers gave them information on suitable recipes and the nutritional needs of their bodies.

The study also suggested that the risk of cardiovascular disease also decreased by reducing animal-based foods. “This study is not definitive, but it does suggest that a plant-based diet may lower your risk of heart disease,” said Dr. Mariell Jessup, chief scientific and medical officer at the American Heart Association, who was not involved in the study.

Additionally, a further study also found a link between plant-based diets and reduced risk of heart failure in healthy adults without previous heart disease. While most heart failure prevention methods focus on smoking and controlling blood pressure, they also recommend a healthy diet and exercise. This study is still early and further research is needed to determine whether plant-based diets are a good option for people with heart disease.

2. Lowers the risk of cancer

The benefits of eating more healthy plant-based foods may include lowering the risk of cancer. A study conducted by the Center for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health of Paris-Saclay University found that people who ate more plant-based foods were less likely to develop cancer than those who ate a higher percentage of animal proteins. These findings, however, are not conclusive. Further studies are needed to determine if a plant-based diet is linked to a reduced risk of cancer.

As plant-based diets are a good source of fibre, they can significantly reduce the risk of several cancers, such as colorectal cancer and breast cancer. A plant-based diet contains soluble fibre, found in nutritional yeast, which reduces the risk of breast cancer by 62% in women who consume at least 6 grams of it a day. Lycopene, a carotenoid, is found in red fruits and vegetables, and it is linked to a lower risk of prostate cancer.

A study revealed that a plant-based diet may slow the progression of prostate cancer in men who have been diagnosed with the disease, and a low-fat plant-based diet may even halt the growth of early-stage prostate cancer. Moreover, the study found that a low-fat plant-based diet may influence the expression of cancer-related genes and the immune system.

3. Other benefits

Plant-based diets have has been linked with helping to protect against other chronic diseases as well as lowering the risk of severe depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and premature death.

Conclusion

As Charles R. Evans MD said, “You are what you eat”.

A plant-based diet is quickly becoming a popular health choice and a great way to eliminate animal products from your everyday life. By removing sources of cholesterol and saturated fats from your diet, you can cut health risks from these toxins and help decrease your risk for diseases like cancer and heart disease, among other things.

It will also give you an opportunity to choose those foods that help your body thrive and offer you the nutrients that you require for a healthy living. You may opt for a raw food or vegan diet, or even just include more vegetables in your meals. The choice is yours, but whatever you choose, remember that with every bite comes the opportunity to improve your health.

More likely than not, you’ll feel better living a plant-based lifestyle. You may even notice that your aches and pains from previous years are no longer there. But what should convince you try plant-based living is the larger picture: being able to do something positive to benefit your health and environment. By leading a plant-based lifestyle, you take a responsible approach towards your health. You vote for a clean environment by choosing not to harm it with animal products. You set an inspiring example for those around you, and we can all be happy knowing we’re doing right by our bodies and the planet we call home.

Raise your fork — it’s time to make the change!