We are hearing the words plant-based diet more and more in our society. With the launch of documentaries like Game Changers, books like Forks over knives (which is also a documentary) 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. It is not necessarily vegan but it can be. Many reasons exist for choosing a plant-based nutrition, here are 3 reasons:
- Improve your health: Most people 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 fibre into your nutrition. Most people don’t consume enough fibre and that can lead to inflammation of the digestive tract, constipation and hemorrhoids.
- Succeed in weight loss and weight management: In general, individuals who are on a plant-based diet tend to consume fewer calories than other types of diets. 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 diet with reduce salt consumption (2300-1500 mg a day) showed a reduction in blood pressure and increased weight loss. The weightloss just naturally happens.
- Prevent or manage a chronic disease: Research demonstrates that individuals on a plant-based diet 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 demonstrates 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.
As a Naturopath I always say “start at the next meal” and “start them young”. If you have children, now is the time to change what they eat. Fussy eating develops due to lack of the right nutrients in the body.
