An organic plant-based diet can be an effective way to manage diabetes and protect against cardiovascular disease while being more environmentally-friendly than eating foods high in animal products.
If you are considering going plant-based, it is essential that you understand both its advantages and challenges. By learning to choose healthy foods and prepare delicious meals with ease while discovering new recipes.
Protein
Plant proteins contain essential vitamins and nutrients that can assist you in reaching a healthier weight by providing your body with fuel in the form of essential proteins. Achieving weight maintenance through this approach has been linked with reduced risks of chronic illnesses like high blood pressure (hypertension), heart disease, type 2 diabetes and triglycerides.
Proteins sourced from plants provide a more nutritious source of energy than proteins from animal sources, with studies revealing a plant-based diet leading to higher insulin and blood glucose levels, increased hormones that regulate hunger and satiety levels and reduced cardiovascular disease risk factors.
Planned properly, a plant-based diet can be highly nutritious. One effective approach is adding more whole plant foods to your diet – for instance by including more greens in meals and replacing meat in recipes with beans.
Vitamins
Whole plant foods provide more than protein: They also offer vitamins A, C and E; potassium; calcium; magnesium; iron; fiber, phytochemicals and antioxidants – essential components of healthful living that reduce risk of disease and maintain overall wellness.
Diet quality has an inextricable relationship to health outcomes, such as the development of chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders and cancer. An inadequate intake of essential micronutrients or excessive consumption of nutrient-poor foods contribute to these diseases’ prevalence.
Whole food, plant-based diets are proven to increase intake of essential micronutrients such as protein, B12, calcium, iron, omega-3 fatty acids and zinc. Seek professional guidance when adopting this approach in order to monitor nutrient levels more accurately.
Minerals
Plant-based diets can help meet your daily recommended mineral requirements. Carefully planned plant-based diets can provide sufficient calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, folate, B vitamins and protein.
Make an effort to eat a variety of foods to get all of the necessary vitamins and minerals, such as leafy green vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds as well as whole grains. Be wary of overly processed plant-based products like faux meats that may be high in sodium levels.
An inadequate intake of Vitamin C can impede immune function and slow wound healing. To meet your daily recommended dosage of this essential nutrient, select citrus fruits, strawberries and bell peppers in addition to legumes (like black beans), figs, kale and broccoli – supplement with fortified foods or supplements as needed.
Fiber
Plant-based diets can help you both maintain a healthy weight and lower the risk of cancer, while also being rich in essential vitamins and minerals such as A, C, E, folate and potassium.
Transitioning to a plant-based diet consumes fewer natural resources and produces fewer climate-altering greenhouse gas emissions compared to raising animals for food, while increasing your fiber consumption can aid bowel health and nutrient absorption.
Start small: To start off slowly adding meat-free meals into your weekly rotation and gradually increasing the amount of vegetables, grains, and legumes on your plate. Keep an eye out for foods high in both soluble and insoluble fiber on nutrition facts panels of products you purchase; and then try one or more of these easy recipes!
Heart Health
An eating regimen consisting of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds may reduce the risk of heart disease. When adopting such a plan, however, it’s important to make smart choices, including limiting sodium consumption and making sure there is sufficient iron and omega-3 fatty acid intake from non-meat sources (i.e. chia seeds or algae oil).
Dieting plant-based means filling two-thirds of your plate with vegetables and fruits, whole grains, beans and nuts – this will improve heart health by lowering blood pressure and optimizing glycemic and lipid control while decreasing medication needs. Eating this way is one of the best preventive measures you can take against cardiovascular disease in middle age; studies have proven it.
