8 REASONS TO CONSIDER SWITCHING TO A PLANT-BASED DIET
1. Less saturated fat in plants.
2. Cutting fatty meats from your diet is helpful. Yes, some cholesterol is needed for our bodies to work properly however, our bodies produce enough cholesterol on it’s own that we do not need to be ingesting it through food consumption. Animal based products contain cholesterol but plant based foods do not. This is important because bad high levels of cholesterol in the blood can lead to heart disease, stroke and heart attack. 3. Plants increase fibre in your diet. Fibre is important because it interacts with the bad cholesterol in your digestive system and helps remove it quickly from your body. Fibre is found in foods such as lentils, vegetables, nuts, fruits, and beans. Adding these high fibre foods to a meal with meat or fish is not sufficient. You must replace the meat source with the plant-based food for it to be beneficial. 4. Eating less meat reduces the risk of diabetes and obesity. Meat contains a high amount of saturated fat, which is a main cause of type-2 diabetes. Those people who have diabetes have twice the chance of developing heart disease. Researchers have reported that if you are someone who has always relied on a meat based diet and you decide to switch to plant-based, you will immediately cut calories and lose weight. This weight loss happens for two reasons: plant-based foods do not contain saturated fat, and fruits and vegetables are mostly made up of water therefore have few calories. 5. Fruits and vegetables lower blood pressure. 6. Plants load your diet with Omega-3s. The University of Maryland Medical Center conducted a research study, which concluded that omega-3 fatty acids could decrease your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure, as well as lower your cholesterol. However, omega-3s are not made within our bodies therefore the only way to get them is through your diet. The best food sources for Omega 3s are pumpkin seeds, canola oil, soybeans, walnuts, and flaxseeds. 7. A plant-based diet adds many nutrients. Plant based foods such as fruits and vegetables are full of antioxidants and potassium. The American Heart Association has discovered that potassium decreases the effects of sodium, which we know sodium increases blood sugar pressure. Therefore, potassium decreases blood pressure. 8. You can stay away from the unhealthy parts of meat. Replacing animal food with plant-based foods does not only give you more helpful healthy nutrients, it also takes away the harmful nutrients that are in the meat products. Not only does removing the meat reduce cholesterol and saturated fat, it also removes heme iron (associated with cancer and other diseases). Carnitine is also removed from diets when switching to plant-based. This is a substance that is found in red meat, eggs and dairy. It can be toxic to the body and aids in transporting cholesterol around the body.
