7 Really Good Reasons To Eat More Plants
If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you know I talk a lot about eating plant based. Before you think to yourself that eating plant based isn’t for you, I need to clarify: eating plant based doesn’t mean being vegan! Eating plant based just means eating a diet that is rich in plants. Why should you eat a plant based diet? Here are 7 really good reasons!
1) As you get older, your body gets less efficient at absorbing nutrition. A plant based diet improves gut health and helps your body absorb more nutrition from your food.
2) It supports your immune system. Plants have essential nutrients that you cannot get from other foods. All the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in plants are important! They also have phytochemicals, which are only found in plants, that are actually believed to protect your cells from damage that could lead to cancer.
3) Plant foods reduce inflammation. The same phytochemicals and antioxidants that I just mentioned neutralize toxins in your body that you may have been exposed to from pollution, processed food, and more. Prolonged inflammation can damage your body’s cells and has been linked to cancer and other inflammatory diseases like arthritis. A plant-based diet removes some of the triggers to these diseases.
4) Plants give us fiber. Many people don’t get enough fiber in their diet. Eating plant-based is a sure fire way to avoid this. We all know that eating more fiber is great for your digestive system.
5) Eating plant based is the closest thing we have to an anti-cancer diet. Like I mentioned already, eating plant-based may actually help us avoid cancer. It is actually the one diet that is consistently proven, for over more than two decades, to reduce your risk for cancer.
6) It helps maintain a healthy weight. Staying at a healthy weight is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Eating plant-based may help you avoid some processed and unhealthy foods if you are loading up your plate with more fruits and veggies!
7) It is so much better for the environment. Did you know that the meat industry causes a lot of pollution? If you are eating more plants, you are also playing a role in protecting the environment.
Remember, eating plant-based does not mean you can’t eat meat! It does mean that your meals should be mostly plants: vegetables, whole grains and fruits. This also includes beans, seeds and nuts.
One great tip is to fill half to two-thirds of your plate with these plant-based foods. The MD Anderson Cancer Center recommends that the remaining one-third should be a lean protein like chicken or fish, or a plant protein like tofu or beans.
You still need to watch out for added sugar, unhealthy fats, and highly processed foods which aren’t great for us.
You should also remember that what you do most of the time is what is important. It is okay to indulge every once in a while, as long as what you do most of the time is eating good, healthy, wholesome food!
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