Plant-based eating can mean different things for different people and there are both extreme levels and less intense ones. For me, it means avoiding meat (especially red meat) and eliminating dairy from my diet. Although this isn’t entirely plant-based, because I’m still occasionally eating eggs and fish, it’s what works for me at the moment. A completely plant-based diet means eating entirely vegan, and if this seems impossible, it can still be beneficial for the planet and for your body to eat vegan just one or two days a week!
Here are some of the many reasons why incorporating a plant-based diet into your lifestyle is beneficial:
It’s Better for the Environment
Avoiding meat can actually help combat climate change; this is due to the immense level of carbon emissions that occur during the raising of cattle. By simply giving up meat one day a week, we can reduce the amount of carbon emissions in our environment.
It’s Healthier
Ditching dairy and meat for greens and beans can improve your health in a multitude of ways. Many people switch to a plant-based or vegan diet to lose weight, but there are other added health benefits as well. Following this type of diet can enhance your mood, give you more energy, and even improve your skin. Also, eating more fiber-filled foods like lentils, avocados, and beans can help you stay fuller longer, and therefore makes it easier to maintain a healthy weight.
It Can Prevent Diseases
Besides reducing your risk of obesity, maintaining a plant-based diet can also lower your chances of getting heart disease and diabetes. According to an article by Brian Mastroianni, following this type of diet can actually reduce your risk of dying from heart disease by 10%!
You Can Still Have All Your Favorite Foods
When people hear “plant-based” or “vegan” diet, a lot of the time they may think that it only includes fruits and vegetables, but it can be so much more than that. Besides eating all the fruit and veggies you want, you can also have some of the tastiest foods there are. A plant-based diet can usually include indulgent foods such as pasta, bread, and potatoes. Eating plant-based doesn’t mean you can’t have some of your favorite foods, it just means being more mindful about how your food affects yourself and your environment.
There Are So Many Options!
Since the plant-based/vegan lifestyle has been increasing in popularity, the amount of options being sold in supermarkets and restaurants has also been increasing. For example, rather than only being able to purchase dairy milk, there are other options such as almond milk, soymilk, cashew milk, oat milk, and coconut milk – just to name a few. The plant-based meat industry has also been thriving, with options like burgers and sausages made of completely meat-free ingredients.
Choosing to eat plant-based can be for a variety of reasons – to lose weight, to help the environment, or to prevent future diseases. Whatever the reason, following a plant-based diet is something that can be done by every person (even if it’s just one day a week) to improve one’s own health as well as the health of the environment!