Exciting things are happening on my blog today! Drumroll please…my very first guest author! If you have been considering a plant-based diet like me, you will find this article very resourceful! Big thanks to Katy Malkin from www.learnervegan.com.
What can a plant-based diet do for me?
About the author – Katy Malkin is an adventurous writer, health-conscious foodie, and the creator of Learner Vegan. She is passionate about making veganism accessible for all.
Most people have heard of a vegan diet. Love it or loathe it, you can’t deny the benefits for animals, the environment and our wellbeing. Veganism can be naturally healthier than the Standard American Diet – but a plant-based diet takes it to a whole other level. With so much discussion around how to eat for optimal health, it’s hard to know where to turn. However, no diet has such overwhelming, objective evidence in its favor as this one.
As someone who has been vegan for 6 years, but plant-based for only 6 months, I saw a dramatic improvement in my health. Less fatigue, weight loss, and relief from anxiety are just a few of the benefits I experienced.
But what is a plant-based diet, and how has it been shown to improve your health?
What is a plant-based diet?
To keep it simple, plant-based is like a branch of veganism. As a vegan, you remove all animal products from your diet, including meat, fish, eggs, and dairy. However, being vegan doesn’t necessarily mean healthy. You can still buy vegan cakes, chocolate, fast food, and cheese – great on the tastebuds, but not so helpful for our body!
A plant-based diet eliminates all of the animal-based foods (just like veganism) but focuses on whole, fresh, unprocessed foods such as grains, fruit, vegetables, and beans. It also excludes unhealthy ingredients such as refined sugar, white/bleached flour, and heavily refined oils. For example, Oreos are vegan but not part of a plant-based diet. You can find a complete list of included foods on the Nutrition Studies website.
Plant-based is also usually diet-related, whereas a vegan will also eliminate other animal products from their lifestyles, such as leather and animal-tested cosmetics.
Why do people choose plant-based foods? Primarily for the fantastic health benefits. Increased energy, reaching your natural weight, reducing the risk of certain cancers, and even reversing diseases – these are just some of the perks of eating this way. Let’s go into more detail!
Weight Loss and Stabilisation
Weight loss isn’t a goal for everybody, but having a consistent, healthy weight for your body type should be a priority for us all. With 69% of US adults being classed as overweight or obese and childhood obesity on the rise too, it’s never been more important to address our diet. A plant-based diet can certainly help with this. It’s high in fibre, free from processed foods, and people lose significantly more weight on this diet than any other. The best bit? It’s not a fad diet, it’s for life. You don’t count calories – hooray! You can eat more without feeling deprived. By following it long-term, you can keep weight off for good. Sound boring? You can still eat dessert on a plant-based diet. Many people make their own treats such as peanut butter cups, cookies and mousse from unprocessed alternatives – so you can still enjoy sweet food!
Reducing the Risk of Disease
One of the more commonly known facts about a plant-based diet is that it’s extremely heart-healthy. Several large studies of more than 200,000 people found that those partaking in this lifestyle had a much lower risk of developing heart disease than those following any other diet. This includes related heart problems such as blocked arteries.
The risk of many cancers is also reduced. As you move away from eating animal products (from vegetarian to vegan, then through to plant-based), the likelihood of developing them lessens. Consuming red and processed meat hugely increases your chances of developing colon cancer. In contrast, the cancers that struggle to thrive in a plant-based body include gastrointestinal, colorectal, breast, pancreatic, prostate cancer, with many more being added to the list every year. These conclusions have been met after an analysis of 51 million people and the creation of a global blueprint for disease prevention. Not to be sneered at, that’s for sure!
Brain diseases can be combatted too. Although studies into Alzheimer’s Disease are in early stages, so far there are suggestions that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables slows and prevents cognitive decline, as they involve more compounds and antioxidants. Watch out for future evidence here.
Reversing Existing Disease
And how about the illnesses we already have as a population?
We are currently in a global Type 2 Diabetes epidemic, primarily due to poor lifestyle choices and obesity. Therefore, it’s really exciting to discover that a plant-based diet can not only reduce your risk of contracting T2D, but actually reverse it in existing sufferers. More than 200,000 people were studied, and those following a healthy plant-based diet had a whopping 34-50% less chance of developing Type 2 Diabetes, than those who didn’t. Blood sugar control is more manageable with those who already have the disease, which helps the body to emerge from this form of diabetes and into a more regulated state.
Other health issues can be improved, too. There have been new studies (2018) that have seen improvements in participants cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and triglycerides. Cholesterol actually only comes from animal products, and meat has little potassium (needed for stable blood pressure) – we just simply don’t need to eat them.
Skeptical? There’s a great documentary called What the Health that follows the journey of chronically ill people into a plant-based diet. Give it a watch!
“Milk, cheese, and ice cream once enjoyed a healthful reputation that few people questioned, but that has changed. It has become clear that these foods contribute not only fat but also cholesterol, animal protein, and, in the case of fat-free varieties, a big load of lactose sugar.”
― Neal D. Barnard, Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes: The Scientifically Proven System for Reversing Diabetes without Drugs
Increased Energy
Most of us would love more energy, both physically and mentally. Plant-based proteins from legumes, leafy greens, and seeds are easily digestible, so give you energy quickly and don’t sit in your body for long periods of time (making you feel sluggish). Your body doesn’t have to use a lot of energy to digest it all, either. They’re also full of fibre and energizing properties that make you feel more mentally alert.
Whole foods, in particular, release energy in a balanced and consistent way, keeping your blood sugar levels stable, so you can feel productive and lively for longer periods of time. Great for running around after little ones or working full-time!
Red meat and junk food, on the other hand, sit in your stomach, take much longer to digest, and hang around in the intestine. This can cause constipation, making you feel heavy and drained.
In addition, a study has also discovered that people following a plant-based diet have a 52% less chance of developing hyperthyroidism, a condition which can cause fatigue and difficulty sleeping. If you’re concerned about this, the very best foods for thyroid stimulation are leafy greens, nuts, seaweed, and berries. Get them into your meals daily and notice the difference!
Are you convinced about a plant-based diet yet? There are so many other benefits than those mentioned above – improved happiness and mental health, better digestion, longer life expectancy and clearer skin. Go ahead and do your own research – just ensure it’s based on scientific, long-term studies that aren’t funded by organizations with hidden agendas.
If you don’t feel ready to transition completely to a plant-based diet yet, how about incorporating a few easy recipes into your schedule? Pinterest is fantastic for meal ideas, and I’ve also developed a quick lunch to take to work – give it a try!
Protein Pasta Salad
- 100 g pasta (cooked and cooled – choose wholewheat, lentil or brown rice pasta)
- 0.5 package tofu (cubed, tossed in soy sauce and baked on a sheet for 15 mins)
- 1 small grated carrot
- Handful of chopped spinach
- Handful of seeds (I like pumpkin, sesame and sunflower)
- 0.25 chopped cucumber
- Dressing – 1 tbsp tahini, 1 tsp dijon mustard, 1 tsp olive oil, whisked and thinned out to desired consistency with water
Simply prepare your ingredients as above, and mix together in a large bowl.
NB: Not a fan of tofu? You may change your mind once it’s baked! If not, houmous and tempeh are also delicious as replacements.