The Health Benefits of Plant-Based Foods

When you include more plant-based foods in your meal plan – or even going completely vegan – just doesn't have to be a complicated process. You can eat green on a budget and without spending hours in the kitchen or be worrying that you’re missing essential nutrients.

What are the health benefits of a vegan/plant-based diet?

A whole food, plant-based diet has been proven to ….……

• Reduce the risk of chronic health conditions such as blood sugar, circulatory imbalances, and immune related issues

• Enhance healthy gut bacteria and improve digestive tract health

• Reduce inflammation

• Support healthy body weight

• Promote healthy bowel movements

• Promote healthy-looking, radiant, glowing skin

• Improve athletic performance and speed up recovery time

Adopting a whole-food, vegan diet also benefits the environment because it helps to reduce carbon emissions. And last but not least, a vegan diet is "100% compassionate, unlike any other diet. I don't know about you, but I love all animals, cats, dogs, cows, pigs, rabbits, etc. and that was my reason for becoming vegan. My reason for switching to a vegan diet was ethics, at the time I was an "ethical vegan". As the years went by, other factors became relevant to me as well. I am now an ethical, health and environmentally conscious vegan. All life matters to me!

Where do you get your protein?

This is a question that I hear quite frequently. Yes! We can get sufficient protein on a whole foods plant based diet. First and most importantly, you need to make sure that you are getting the right amount of protein. Eating too much protein (amino acids links of protein chains) overloads the body’s disposal system (kidneys, liver). Also, high protein intake creates an acidic environment in the body, promoting problematic medical conditions. In contrast, plant-based foods are alkalizing in the body and support optimal health and well-being. As long you are eating a diverse diet sufficient in calories, it’s virtually impossible to suffer from a protein deficiency.

"When you think of the biggest animals on the planet-elephants, buffalo, giraffes, huge, huge mammals-they don’t eat meat-where do they get their protein. It grows out of the ground. Plants are full of protein. That’s where these animals get it, and that’s where we can get it as well."

― Michael Klaper, MD.

Professional athletes, bodybuilders included, are ditching animal based protein and are switching to a plant-based diet and are noticing improved performance and faster recovery time. In case you are wondering who they are….David Carter, Venus and Serena Williams, Mike Tyson, Rich Roll, Tony Gonzalez, and Canada's own, Brandon Brazier, Iron man and Triathlete and two time Canadian 50km Ultra Marathon Champion, just to name a few. Also plant-powered, Patrik Baboumian, Germany’s strongest man.

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Eating diverse plant-based foods provides all nutrients required by the human body, with the exception of Vitamin B12. Therefore, I suggest that everyone may consider taking a B12 supplement, even people who consume animal products. Vitamin B12 is actually produced by bacteria, not from animals. I also recommend taking a vegan Vitamin D3 supplement between October and May, especially, people living in the northern hemisphere due to lack of sunshine.

JUST BE WARNED! Eating a plant-based vegan diet can help to improve your overall physical, mental and emotional health and well-being. You may even grow huge sexy muscles like Popeye if you eat your spinach.