The 3 Principal Reasons to Start Plant-Based Nutrition Now and The 5 secrets of plant-based eating

We are hearing the word plant-based nutrition more and more in our society. With the launch of documentaries like Game Changers, books like Forks over knives and the emergence of athletes changing their nutrition to be plant-based, one has to wonder what this is all about.

Our understanding of plant-based eating may differ from one individual to another. In the world of nutrition, plant-based eating is having a large portion of one’s nutrition coming from vegetables, fruits, herbs, nuts, whole grains and also include legumes or other plants. Many reasons exist for choosing a plant-based nutrition, here’s our 3 principal reasons:

1. Improve your health: Most Americans consume double the recommended daily intake of protein which can also cause issues with digestion. By reducing your intake of animal food, you will most likely reach the recommended daily intake of protein without surpassing it. In addition, an increased consumption of vegetables, grains and beans will bring more fiber into your nutrition. Most Americans don’t consume enough fiber and that can lead to inflammation of the digestive tract, constipation and hemorrhoids.
2. Succeed in weight loss and weight management: In general, individuals who are on a plant-based nutrition tend to consume fewer calories than other types of nutrition. That is because most of their calories are coming from healthier options and fewer calories per weight. Some studies indicate that individuals who had a plant-based nutrition with reduce sodium consumption (2300-1500 mg a day) showed a reduction in blood pressure and increased weight loss.
3. Prevent or manage a chronic disease: Research demonstrates that individuals on a plant-based nutrition can prevent or manage chronic disease. A report published by the World Health Organization recommended that a daily intake of 400 g of fruits and vegetable would contribute to preventing chronic diseases which include diabetes, heart disease, cancer and obesity.

While thousands of research demonstrate the health benefit of consuming vegetables as a way to prevent illness, many of us still refuse to change our nutritional habits to increase our quality of life and health. Many people believe that exercising, medication and supplements are sufficient to maintain health. Meanwhile, experts in the field of health and wellness say that weight management is 75–80% nutrition and 20–25% exercise. The best approach remains a balanced nutrition with a lot of variety and refrain from overindulging.

Here are 5 secrets about plant-based eating

Plant-Based Eating Is Not Necessarily a Vegan Diet

Our understanding of plant-based eating may differ from one individual to another. In the world of nutrition, plant-based eating is having a large portion of one’s nutrition coming from vegetables, fruits, herbs, nuts, whole grains and also include legumes or other plants. A spectrum of plant-based nutrition options is available to you. Some are very strict (vegan diet), others are still adding animal products like dairy (vegetarian). At the other end of the spectrum are those that still eat meat, poultry and fish on an occasional basis.

Plant-Based Eating Is the Original Paleo Diet

We once believed that early humans consumed a large proportion of animal protein in their diet. It is from that belief that, in the 2000s, the Paleo diet (mainly comprised of animal protein) became really popular in the world of nutrition and diet. Although, we now know that the nutrition of bipedal primates and Homo sapiens was primarily composed of nuts, fruits, leaves, roots, seeds and water. In that case, the “original” Paleo Diet was in fact plant-based.

Plant-Based Eating Is Good for Muscles and Strength

The strongest mammal, the gorilla, is herbivores. It has the ability to lift 10 times its body weight. It would be like a 200 lb. individual lifting 2000 lb. If other mammals can live a healthy and strong life on a plant-based nutrition, we probably can too. Some studies and athletes have demonstrated that it is possible to increase muscles and be fit with a plant-based nutrition. For example, one of the best runners of all time and American ultramarathoner, Scott Jurek is known to be a plant-based eater!

Plant-Based Eating Is Not a Diet

Plant-based eating can be for everyone, the main idea is not to “diet” or remove something from your nutrition but more about adding more vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, and legumes. For those of you who love their steak or burgers once in a while, you don’t have to completely eliminate animal-based food. You can certainly reduce it by adding more meals that are plant-based.

Plant-Based Eating is Easy

Pick a day of the week when you will do a plant-based eating day, select your breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes, get your grocery items and implement the change! It is as simple as that.