6 Big Reasons to Go Plant-Based

By Donna Dior

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Especially in this day & age there are more reasons than ever to eat plant-based foods. This especially meaning whole-food versions of these foods which are unprocessed and grown in nature such as grains, legumes (beans, lentils & peas), nuts, seeds & of course the priceless bounty and golden treasure of fruits & vegetables.
Plant-based foods, diets & lifestyles are powerful in countless ways and there are so many ways to be creative with them !
Below are a few reasons you may want to consider consuming more of these foods (or becoming entirely plant-based) along with a few details that you may find quite surprising...
(Click "Read More" Below to Continue)...

1 ) YOUR HEALTH

Whole plant-based foods are beyond loaded with nutrients. In addition to containing many incredible vitamins such as powerhouse vitamins A, B’s, C , E & K as well as minerals such as magnesium, potassium and calcium, they contain a very high number of phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are chemicals which act as anti-oxidants which means they have the power to scavenge free radicals (unstable molecules that can harm DNA) and oxidative stress (a detrimental imbalance between free radical production & the body's ability to neutralize it) that can cause damage to bodily organs, tissues, cells & DNA. This has been found to be of particular importance in the area of telomere deficiency. Telomeres are the crucial protective ends of your chromosomes (chromosomes are threadlike DNA protein molecules in the nucleus of cells that carry genes). They can be thought of almost like shoe-lace ends. The length of telomeres can decrease and eventually lead to chromosomes literally unraveling due to oxidative stress and this harmful situation has been found to be irreparable and not surprisingly linked to disease (Take a Look Here), (Here) & (Here). Thus plant-based phytonutrients are noted for massive and countless benefits to wellness including anti-aging/ anti-inflammatizing and again, possessing highly protective potential against many diseases (Take a Look Here), (Here) & (Here).  

Another area that is of importance regarding plant-based foods is that they are often far more alkaline (especially produce) than their acidic animal protein counterparts. Diets high in animal protein (& especially ones low in alkaline foods such as veggies & fruit) can cause elevated acid loads in the body when they are metabolized. Bone loss (mineral) and muscle (protein) degradation can potentially occur when the body attempts to neutralize these acids. Minerals such as calcium can be released (& lost) from the bone in your body. It has indeed been found that there is a potential beneficial connection between low acid load plant-based diets and bone health (Take a Look Here).
Acid can also end up stored in bodily cells which can lead to potential issues including cellular disfunction and insulin resistance. In addition, there is an enormous potential link between high animal protein acidic foods & kidney disease (Take a Look Here). 

There is also evidence that a plant-based diet (with it’s high fiber content just for starters) has the power to positively benefit the all important gut microbiome, which is being found to be linked to so many areas of health in powerful ways. These areas include inflammatory diseases and metabolic syndrome (Take a Look Here). There is also strong connection between the gut microbiome and healthy aging and quite remarkably it has also been found that plant based dietary changes have the potential to alter the expression of genes of the gut microbiome even within one single day (Take a Look Here), (Here) & (Here) !
Further & somewhat surprisingly, there is evidence that improvement in the gut microbiome through a plant-based diet has  been found to impact & assist in better sleep (Take a Look Here) & (Here) !
Along with all of this, the most surprising finding of all regarding the microbiome may be that a plant-based diet and its positive impact on gut microbiome has been found to have the potential to reduce hot flashes in menopausal women by a staggering 95 percent (Take a Look Here) !
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​It has been found overall that plant-based diets are linked to quality of life and well-being along with potential decreased risk of disease (Take a Look Here). For starters, there is strong evidence that plant-based diets can beneficially influence inflammation & inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein in the body that can potentially lead to disease (Take a Look Here).
In particular, plant-based diets have been found to be protective against cardiovascular disease (Take a Look Here), stroke risk (Take a Look Here), diabetes (type2) (Take a Look Here) & (Here), cancer (Take a Look Here) & (Here) & cognitive decline & dementia (Take a Look Here) & (Here).

So if it's wellness you're looking for (& why wouldn't you be), it may be wise to try more plant-based foods !
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2) THE PLANET

In terms of planet earth, reasons for transitioning to plant-based foods are really quite powerful.
The production of food is potentially the greatest cause of environmental usage & change. Basically, eating animal protein is far more harmful to the planet than eating a plant-based diet.

Plant based diets are low in using resources and on environmental impact. They produce far less carbon (Co2) emission & require far less land as well as water to grow and produce verses animal products.
It in fact takes up more land & resources to grow feed for animals (that we then kill & consume) than it does to grow food for humans, while the raising  and slaughter of animals itself is detrimental in areas ranging from the environment to health risk & obviously the enormous issue of animal welfare.
Adding to this is the fact that our current unhealthy western diets are the largest factor in unhealthy humans (Take a Look Here). 
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Animal agriculture is indeed so damaging to our planet that if we were to phase it out it is thought that there would be the potential to swiftly halt increases in climate change and warming of our atmosphere for a whopping 30 years! Halting it alone would potentially be capable of countering up to 68 percent of current carbon emissions in this century (Take a Look Here).
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Hence our collective dietary choices and having the option to transition to plant-based diets offer opportunities for positively impacting environmental health, climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from food systems on planet earth, as well as improving the health of the human population (Take a Look Here), (Here) & (Here) !

Mother Earth is Calling !

3) YOUR WEIGHT

In case you’re looking to drop a little off your middle, or a lot for that matter, it has been found that a plant-based/vegan diet (especially whole-food plant- based) is an incredible way to lose weight !

Once again, the connection between animal protein (which is acidic to your body as previously mentioned) additionally comes into play in the weight loss category. It has been found that there exists an adverse connection between dietary acid load (primarily from animal protein) and bodyweight and body composition as well as previously mentioned insulin sensitivity. So if it’s these areas you’re looking to improve on, you may want to consider limiting your animal protein/acidic food intake & increase your alkaline plant-based ones (Take a Look Here) & (Here).

There is once again a powerful connection between a plant-based diet and its ability to positively influence the gut microbiome. In addition to the immense benefits of this in terms of overall health as mentioned earlier, a healthier microbiome is additionally associated with weight loss, weight composition & insulin resistance (Take a Look Here).
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Further, it has been found that a plant-based diet is enormously powerful overall regarding health, weight-loss & the reduction of body fat for multiple & various reasons (Take a Look Here).

On top of all of this, along with its effect of fat loss even in the muscle & liver (potential contributors to insulin resistance), it has been shown that low fat plant-based diets create an increase regarding the thermic effect of food (the increase in metabolic rate and your metabolism after consuming food) in the body, meaning that on a plant-based diet your body most likely burns more calories (energy) even when at rest than it otherwise would. Hence, this equates to being associated with weight-loss, decreased fat mass & improved insulin sensitivity (Take a Look Here).
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…& Lastly, even verses the often highly touted Mediterranean diet, a low fat vegan/plant-based diet has been found to be more beneficial in not only improving certain health markers, but incredibly powerful regarding weight loss (Take a Look Here). 

So if you'd like your scale to slide straight down & zip those old pants straight up, you may want to consider going plant-based !

4) ENERGY

Along with its benefits regarding reduced risk of disease, foods that are whole -food plant-based are loaded with nutrients that can provide so much fuel & energy for your body ! 
So again, this would be your whole & unprocessed plant-based food category. Especially when consumed (eaten, blended or juiced) in their raw form, plant-based foods such as fruits & veggies are detoxifying, life & cell regenerating and provide many amazing nutrients including enzymes, vitamins, minerals,  & phytonutrients which as mentioned previously, neutralize harmful free radicals and oxidative stress. These incredibly regenerating nutrients & their detoxifying effects are naturally & generously energy providing.

When I personally went whole-food plant-based, I was quite shocked at how energized I felt quite immediately...

Included in the whole-food plant-based foods category, there are certain incredible foods that contain particularly energizing properties. For example, ingredients such as greens and beets provide pure alkalized delivered energy partially due to their high naturally occurring nitrate content. Nitrates convert after ingesting to nitric oxide which is known to beneficially affect vascular health, blood flow & hence energy (Take a Look Here). Greens as well as other plant-based and fermented foods have the added energizing benefits of Vitamin K (Take a Look Here). Many other nutrients in plant-based Foods provide energy such as powerhouse vitamin C that citrus fruits as well as some additional fruits & veggies are abundant in (Take a Look Here) & (Here).
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Lastly, when considering how nutrient dense a plant-based diet can be, it is not surprising that it has been found to possesses quite strong potential in enhancing athletic performance (Take a Look Here) & (Here).
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So, if you’d like more zip & pep in your step, you may want to consider going plant-based !

5) THE GLOW

Besides the energy boost, one of the first things that I personally noticed when switching to more plant-based food was how clear & glowy my skin & hair looked after just a short bit of time.

It would actually make sense that if you’re consuming loads of nutrients & anti-oxidant (anti-rusting as I sometimes refer to them) nutrients in your body that the effect would be beneficial. After all the health of your skin & hair radiates from the inside out. It is also commonly recognized that your skin & hair are a reflection of your health status as well as how well you’re aging.
It has been found that a whole-food plant-based diet can be potentially helpful in preventing & reversing the aging of skin as well as inflammation & oxidative stress which are known to cause it (as well as  hair aging and at least one type of hair-loss (Take a Look Here), (Here) & (Here).
Aging skin by the way has far greater implications than just its unwanted appearance. It is detrimental in many other areas / conditions regarding your skin as well as overall health.

Along with its link to skin health, a plant-based diet has additionally been found to be potentially beneficial in dealing with inflammatory conditions  and diseases regarding the skin (Take a Look Here).

A plant-based diet with its amazing nutrients assists the body’s cells in maximizing their potential. Its powerhouse vitamins—A, C & E to name just a few, along with anti-inflammatory enzymes and once again, super-powered antioxidants & phytonutrients (that battle oxidative stress as previously mentioned) have been noted as beneficial in the areas of hair & skin health along with aging due to their incredible cell regenerating, detoxifying & anti-oxidizing actions (Take a Look Here), (Here) & (Here).  
Vitamin C (which is plentiful in citrus fruits as well as other fruits & veggies) alone battles oxidative stress & stimulates collagen synthesis & production (Take a Look Here), which is basically the glue that connects bodily tissue together and the main protein in skin & hair. 
​Vitamin E contained in many plant-based foods such as spinach, nuts, seeds, & other fruits & veggies protects the skin from UV radiation & damage and oxidative stress. Vitamins C & E together are a powerful pair as the C helps to activate the E !

Once again, the all important gut microbiome that a plant-based diet improves has been found to hugely affect skin & the aging of it (Take a Look Here). The skin itself has its own barrier & microbiome which helps protect it and which a plant-based diet may also help fortify.

Overall, many plant-based foods due to their immense nutritional content have been found to be beneficial regarding healthy skin & esthetics (Take a Look Here). They are also very hydrating (especially produce) compared to animal based ones, and hydration really matters when you’re talking about radiant beauty !
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So if you're going for the glow, you may want to consider going plant-based !

6) SAVE MONEY

In addition to all of the other huge benefits of going plant-based, theres a very good chance it will save you money on your food purchases !
...and we all know how much that matters these days...

Once again, especially when purchasing whole foods such as veggies, fruit, whole grains, legumes (beans, lentils and peas), nuts and seeds. Since many packaged/processed plant-based foods have unhealthy ingredients & tend to be more expensive both health & wallet wise, the far better bet is to stick to whole plant-based foods. Choosing these foods and avoiding the purchase of animal proteins such as meat & dairy products can really add up to savings.

​In addition to them being healthier & more sustainable, whole-food plant-based diets have indeed been found to be more affordable (Take a Look Here)  & (Here) .
Just for starters, many stores these days sell whole plant-based foods in bulk which tend to be way more affordable. For a bunch of additional tips & ideas regarding saving money on a plant-based lifestyle (Take a Look Here) !

There are also so many meal ideas & amazing recipes you can make from basic whole-food plant-based ingredients (Take a Look Here) & (Here) !

So if you want to keep more dollars In your pocket, you may want to consider going  plant-based !

Thats it for now ~ Hope you found this helpful & you'll consider eating more Plant-Based Foods !!

“The Gods created certain kinds of beings to replenish our bodies, they are the trees and the plants and the seeds”
Plato

**Before embarking on Any new dietary, wellness or nutritional program, it is advised and important to consult with your qualified and trusted Healthcare Provider to evaluate your particular and personal medical circumstance.

Disclaimer   
This blog, it's content and any linked materials does not provide medical advice and is presented and intended for informational purposes only. It is based on my personal experience and research and is Not a Substitute for Medical Advice or Treatment. Do not Disregard Medical Advice, or delay in Seeking It because of something you have read in this blog, website or in Any linked material. Consult with a Medical Professional if you have a Medical Condition ! ​​