Health, Energy and Optimal Weight on a Plant Based Diet

Plant-based eating is becoming more popular by the day. According to international food and restaurant consultants Baum & Whiteman, plant-based dining was the number one dining trend for 2018.

In the article, Plant Based Food is Declared 2018 Top Dining Trend, a study by Mintel revealed amazing insights.
https://veganuary.com/blog/plant-based-food-2018-trend
•31% of Americans choose to have meat-free days.
•35% of Americans get most of their protein from sources other than red meat.
•66% of people who eat non-meat protein believe these are healthier than red meat.
•83% of US consumers are adding plant-based foods to their diets to improve their health.
•62% are adding plant-based foods to their diets to help with weight management.
•257% more products promoted themselves as vegan in 2016 than in 2012.
•58% of US adults drink non-dairy milk.

If these statistics are not enough to prove the tides are turning, ask virtually anyone who consumes a whole food, plant-based diet what their results have been, and it’s nothing short of miraculous.

Health

Not only can plant-based eating be more cost effective, it is healthier, gives you more energy, helps to stabilize your weight and has been proven to minimize and reverse disease. Mind you, we are talking about plant-based eating and not being a junk food vegan.

Plants are low in calories and more nutrient dense. Simply put, eating plant-based will give you more nutrients than virtually any other way of eating.

You can eat larger portions of low-calorie, high nutrient-dense foods resulting in feeling fuller while releasing unhealthy weight. Plant based foods are fiber rich allowing you to be more regular with your bowel movements resulting in a healthier colon.

Regularity has several benefits including minimizing the risk of colon cancer. Women who have more frequent bowel movements appear to be at lower risk of breast cancer, which may be because bile acids absorbed from our intestines concentrate in the breast and have an estrogen-like tumor promoting effect. https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/bowel-movements/

Cost effective

One argument many people have for not going plant based is the cost. An erroneous belief is that plant-based eating costs more than consuming the S.A.D. (standard American diet) way. Nothing could be further from the truth.

With proper planning, you can substantially cut your grocery bill. After all, many people on the S.A.D. diet frequent fast food restaurants. With the average cost for a family of four to eat fast food being four times what it costs to eat a home-cooked meal, you not only eat healthier on a plant-based diet, you save a lot of money.

In general, a meal costs $5 to $7 at a fast food restaurant, but the cost of well-planned, plant-based cooking at home can average out to $1.50 to $3 per person. That's a 40-79 percent savings for healthier, homemade food. Imagine what you could do with this added savings.

Some of the staples of a plant-based diet are beans, legumes, raw nuts, fruits, vegetables, potatoes and some pasta.

You can save a lot on your monthly grocery bill by cooking the beans and legumes from scratch, buying frozen fruits (no added sugars) and vegetables thereby using only what you need and not letting the fruits and vegetables go to waste.
It’s also important to look at the long-term cost of a calorie dense, nutrient shallow diet. There are plenty of studies out that proves a poor diet contributes greatly to disease, inflammation, low energy, lack of focus and low libido.

One of the best books on the subject is The China Study by Collin Campbell.

Energy

Due to consuming nutrient dense foods, most people notice a marked improvement in their energy levels early on.

A plant-based diet is great for the maintenance of blood sugar levels, which balance your energy and minimize energy dips common to those who eat lots of processed foods, meats, dairy and sugar-laden foods.

Keep in mind, fresh and frozen fruits with no added sugars are okay for most people to eat. Contrary to what many people believe, they can be very good for you. The reason many people believe fruits are bad is they may be consuming canned fruit that is filled with added processed sugars. There’s a huge difference between fresh and frozen fruits and sugar laden fruits.

Before going plant based, some people want to know how quickly they will notice a change in their energy. The answer; it depends. Each person is different and although some people feel an immediate difference, others feel worse before they feel better.

Many people have a few days of feeling bad due to detox symptoms such as aches, headaches, fatigue and irritability.
If you know this going into a plant-based protocol, you are more likely to stick with the transition. Stick with it to get to the other side of how you will feel. After all, much of what is happening is you are releasing toxins from your system.

After a few days, you should feel great. Soon, you will have more energy than you thought possible. However, it’s important to make sure you are eating enough when you switch, or you won’t have the added energy due to consuming less than you need. You can eat much larger portions when eating plant based. Don’t be afraid to do so.

Optimal weight

Amazingly, when you eat a balanced diet of plant-based foods, you will notice unwanted weight literally melt away. When you approach a plant-based eating protocol as a lifestyle change, and not as a diet, excess weight begins to drop off.

There is a pandemic underway with obesity rates on the increase.

“The rates of American adults with obesity have continued to increase over the past decade according to researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In the years between 2007-2008 and 2015-2016, the report says the rates of obesity rose significantly among adults, from 33.7% to 39.6%. Rates of severe obesity increased during this time from 5.7% to 7.7%. The report was published online March 23, 2018 as a research letter in the Journal of the American Medical Association.” https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/obesity-rates-continue-to-rise-among-...

If you are overweight and/or obese, it’s imperative to do something sooner than later to minimize your health risk. A plant-based diet may be exactly the solution you seek.

To watch an interview with Kate McGoey-Smith who dropped 120 pounds, go to...https://youtu.be/FeZLNktzMj8

Not only did she release unwanted (and very unhealthy) weight, she reversed several diseases, was able to stop using several medications and improved her lung and kidney functions.

To get the most out of your efforts, avoid stepping on the scale every day. Otherwise, this is just another of myriad of diets people try for a while and then give up on.

Many people experience weight loss beyond what they thought possible. The most amazing part is that you are not depriving yourself and when done right, you never feel hungry. Quite the opposite will happen; you’ll feel full throughout the day but won’t experience the stuffed feeling most people who eat poorly experience after gorging.

A huge contributor to the weight-loss aspect of a plant-based diet is to go SOS free. What this simply means is the elimination of added salt, processed oils (avocados and raw nuts are essential) and processed sugars.

Savvy marketing campaigns have convinced many people that coconut and olive oils are good for us. In reality, they are empty calories and not good for the heart. One tablespoon of processed oils adds 120 calories while clogging arteries.

Although avocados and nuts are acceptable, avoid consuming too many or you will defeat your healthy weight goals.

Live Healthy, Live Happy

An added benefit of eating plant based is the impact on mood swings and emotional well-being. Many plant-based enthusiasts swear by the effects this way of life has on their overall mindset.

There is growing evidence that plant-based eating could be the solution for a prescription-free, healthy mind and body.

The British Journal of Psychiatry looked at 3,486 participants over a five-year period, examining dietary patterns and depression. What they found was that those who ate more whole, unprocessed foods had a lower risk of depression. Plant-based eaters also had better overall moods. Full article https://www.22daysnutrition.com/blog/boost-brain-health-and-mood-with-a-...

The bottom line is this; there are far more benefits to a plant-based diet than virtually any other way of eating. If you’re looking to feel better, function better and have a better quality of life, why not give it a try.

Even a seven-day period of 100% whole food, plant-based eating will result in some amazing outcomes. They key is 100% whole food, plant-based. Commit to doing this 100% and you may never want to go back to any other way of eating.

Not sure how to do this? Check out the Beginner’s Guide to Plant Based Eating at www.plantbasedeatingforhealth.com/guide.

In it, I chronicle my own journey into a plant-based lifestyle.

Not only have I released 34 pounds without dieting, I have more energy, greater endurance when I run, faster recovery times and an overall sense of well-being I wasn’t experiencing prior to going plant based.