TOP 10 REASONS TO ADOPT A PLANT BASED DIET

I have been 98% whole food plant based for roughly about 4 years. My husband adopted the same about 2 years ago.

We consume a limited pescatarian diet on occasion. When we do eat fish, we purchase from a fish monger and only buy wild caught, sustainable fish that are high in Omegas and contain no mercury.

Since we have become whole food plant-based we definitely notice increased energy, and such a greater sense of well-being overall.

We have been blessed with an abundance of plants that can keep us healthy and be our medicine. Hippocrates quote,

“Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine by thy food,”

could not be any truer today than when he said it 460BC!

When we shift to a predominantly plant-based diet we are making great strides in a healthier lifestyle and diet.

I wanted to share some top reasons to adopt a predominately plant-based diet with you.

1. Heart Health:

Research shows that an increase of fruit and vegetables decreases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Consuming 8 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day were 30% less likely to experience a heart attack or stroke compared to people that had less than 1-2 servings per day. Also including nuts and whole grains had a significant positive effect at improving overall cardiovascular health.

2. Decreased Blood Pressure:

A plant-based diet naturally contains more potassium which in turn will automatically help lower blood pressure. Fruits & vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole grains, and seeds contain high amounts of potassium and Vitamin B6 (this is also beneficial in lowering blood pressure.

3. Lower Cholesterol:

Plant-based foods contain no cholesterol. Consuming a plant-based diet is one of the easiest and healthiest ways of lowering your cholesterol naturally.

4. Reduced Saturated Fats:

It is well known that saturated fat negatively impacts your cardiovascular health. Dairy products and meats contain a large amount of saturated fat. Implementing a plant-based diet and reducing and eliminating dairy and meat from you diet can improve your overall health and reduce your risk of heart disease.

5. Type 2 Diabetes:

Consuming a whole-food, plant-based diet is incredibly important in reducing type 2 diabetes and lowering insulin sensitivity. This is also an easier diet to follow and adopt compared to the normal diet recommended by the American Diabetic Association.

6. Cancer:

Studies have shown that people who have switched to a plant-based diet have greatly reduced their risk factor for developing different forms of cancer and even slowing or reversing it as well.

7. Arthritis:

Eliminating dairy products from your diet has shown great results in alleviating arthritis symptoms and severity. Many have found that consuming a plant-based diet combined with healthy gluten-free products significantly improves their health and symptoms of arthritis.

8. Body Mass Index (BMI):

People that follow a whole food plant-based diet are more likely to experience a healthy BMI and less likely overweight.

9. Reducing your Overall Toxic Load:

The foods we consume today, partly from the SAD –

Standard American Diet contain many hormones, steroids, harmful chemicals and many other toxins. The meat, dairy products and farm-raised fish get these contaminants from their food and processing which is then passed on to us. These toxins can have major detrimental effects on our health and the health of our children. Consuming organic produce and reducing the consumption of animal protein foods can have an impact on limiting our exposure to so many of these toxins and harmful toxins.

10. Our Planet:

The demand for animal products is such a major cause of deforestation due to the land being cleared to make room for the animals. 30%+ of our earth’s land area is used to raise the livestock. Farm animals are also a major contributor of greenhouse gases.

#plantbaseddiet #hhc #TheHeartHealthCoach #vegan #hearthealth #hearthealthcoaching