Plant-based diets help the immune system function at its optimal level. Incorporating plant-based food sources also supports good bowel management, reduce cholesterol and help avoid high blood sugar levels.
Plant-based diets emphasize whole grains, fruits and vegetables while including healthful fats like olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds for sustenance. Meat products and animal by-products are excluded from such a diet.
Vegetables
Plant-based diets that include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and nuts have been associated with lower rates of cancer and heart disease. When switching out meat with vegan alternatives such as “vegan junk food” be wary that you opt for nutritious plant-based options instead.
Planned correctly, plant-based diets can be an effective means of helping patients to achieve health and fitness by keeping weight under control while decreasing or even eliminating medications for chronic health conditions – as well as leaving less of an environmental footprint.
Fruits
Diets consisting of whole foods from plants are an effective way to prevent, manage and even reverse many common illnesses. While many associate these diets with carbohydrates alone, these healthy eating patterns also provide protein as well as essential micronutrients like iron and zinc.
Starting is simple – plan one meat-free day each week or add vegetables and whole grains into your meals, gradually increasing your consumption of plants over time.
Beans
Beans, members of the legume family, are an excellent source of both fiber and protein, plus vitamins, minerals and health-promoting phytochemicals that provide many other health benefits.
Physicians are increasingly acknowledging the positive influence of a well-planned plant-based diet on obesity, diabetes, hypertension and lipid disorders – making them an invaluable preventative tool against debilitating chronic lifestyle diseases.
Nuts
Nuts provide many heart-healthy fats and are packed with vital vitamins and minerals, in addition to being an excellent source of protein.
Selecting a plant-based diet is an effective way to lower your risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and lipid disorders. Switching your eating habits could improve both your health and that of the planet; but doing so requires planning, encouragement from friends and family members, patience and dedication.
Seeds
Plant-based diets include an assortment of seeds, nuts and fruits rich in healthy fats, fiber, vitamins and minerals.
Seeds provide the starting materials to build complex plants from, making them nutritional powerhouses that can help bolster immunity and lower your risk of chronic diseases. Flaxseeds, chia seeds and hemp seeds contain proteins, healthy fats, antioxidants and fiber.
Whole Grains
Whole grains contain all three parts of a grain kernel for optimal nutrition: bran, germ and starch – without being stripped out during milling processes like refined grains are. They offer important health-promoting elements like fiber, B vitamins, iron, copper zinc as well as healthy fats which promote overall wellbeing.
These nutrients can reduce oxidative stress and protect against cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer. Furthermore, eating a plant-based diet can decrease consumption of foods high in saturated fats and salt.
Legumes
A balanced plant-based diet emphasizes nutrient-rich foods like vegetables, whole grains and legumes to provide your body with all of its needed nutrition – this may include veganism, vegetarianism or flexitarianism as eating patterns.
Legumes (beans, lentils and peas) provide an abundance of proteins, fiber, vitamins and minerals – not to mention fixing nitrogen into the soil for other crops! Legumes can easily be integrated into meals and snacks alike!
Vegetable Oils
Vegetable oils are made up of mild, odorless and light colored oils derived from seeds, grains and fruits, used as cooking and salad dressing ingredients.
Substituting plant-based meals will help lower your environmental footprint by eliminating livestock and the need for animal products, and it may even benefit both your health and wallet.
MD Anderson nutrition experts advise filling two-thirds of your plate with whole grains, vegetables and fruits.
Soy Products
Soybeans contain protein, fiber, iron, vitamin C and B-vitamins as well as phosphorus. Furthermore, soybeans also contain isoflavones which act like natural estrogen in your body.
Opt for whole, minimally processed soy foods such as edamame, tofu, tempeh and natto; soy milk cheese sauce and soy sauce; however, avoid highly processed options that contain added sugars or preservatives and opt for unflavored and organic options whenever possible.
Nut Milks
Many nut milks are fortified with calcium. When selecting one, it’s essential to check its ingredients panel for an indication of the percentage of nuts it contains.
MD Anderson recommends filling two-thirds of your plate with whole plant foods such as vegetables, beans and legumes, nuts and seeds, whole grains and healthy fats like avocado to reduce cholesterol, blood pressure and prevent or reverse heart disease. This diet may help lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure and even reverse it altogether.
