What are the benefits of a based plant diet?
Whether you are thinking about eating less meat or giving it up altogether, the benefits are clear: reduced risk of disease and improved health and well-being. Less meat specifically reduces the risk of suffering from:
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Obesity
- Arterial hypertension
- High cholesterol
- Type 2 diabetes
- Many types of cancer
Meat is often high in cholesterol and saturated fats, the key players in poor heart health. And processed meats, such as cold meats, bacon, and sausages, often contain too much sodium as well.
Other benefits and results you can get from adopting this lifestyle are as follows:
- Improved sleep quality
- Losing weight and having more energy
- Living longer
Bear in mind that not all plant based diets are healthy. You need to make an active and conscious effort to incorporate into your nutrition the nutrients you need to maintain optimal levels of energy and quality of life. Make sure you don’t replace meat with a lot of highly processed meat substitutes or “vegan junk food“. You know, too many chips.
The key is to add high-quality plant foods that are high in nutrients. In fact, in a recent study, eating mostly high-quality plant foods (such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and nuts) was proven to be linked to a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease than eating mostly lower-quality plant foods (such as fruit juices, refined cereals, potatoes, and sweets).
The researchers concluded that even if you have had a poor diet for half your life, adding more healthy plant foods in adulthood can help reduce your risk.
This is great news because we often tend to see everything as black and white. All or nothing. “I’ve already eaten poorly all my life. Now that I’m thirty, I’m not going to change my diet; I’m going to die anyway.“
This resignation only leads us to develop more health problems and even to live fewer years of life. There is always plenty of time to change our diet.