Plant-Based Diet for Beginner

Plant Based Diet Good or Bad?

       A plant-based diet is all about celebrating and enjoying foods that our bodies naturally fuel and are minimally processed. There are plenty of fruit and vegetable recipes for dieting out there, and it's time we shared the "why" behind this.

Eating more plants is what gives me the energy and power to thrive. I used to be very tired and felt trapped in a body that wouldn't allow me to do the things I wanted to—but that's all over with a plant-based diet. But I don't use the term in a restrictive way– it's really the foundation I build for my diet to ensure I get enough nutrition to thrive.

You might think that switching to a plant-based diet sounds like a great idea, but you don't know where to start. We have the tools, insights, and expertise to make change easy and fun. We'll answer your questions, provide helpful suggestions, and share the techniques you need.

What Is A Plant Based Diet For Beginners?

There is no clear definition of the plant-based diet. The Whole Foods Plant Based Diet or the WFPB diet is not necessarily a set diet, the Plant Based Diet is more of a lifestyle.

This is because plant-based diets can vary greatly depending on the degree to which a person incorporates them

However, the basic principles of a whole food, plant-based diet are as follows:

1. Limiting or avoiding animal products

2. Emphasizes whole, minimally processed foods.

3. Excludes processed foods, such as added sugar, white flour, and refined oils.

4. Focus on plants, including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes, which should make up the majority of what you eat.

5. Pays particular attention to food quality, with many proponents of the WFPB diet promoting locally sourced organic foods whenever possible.

For this reason, these diets are often confused with vegan or vegetarian diets. But even though they are similar in some ways, these diets are not the same.

People who follow a vegan diet don't eat any animal products, including meat, dairy, poultry, seafood, eggs, and honey. Vegetarians exclude all meat and poultry from their diet, but some vegetarians eat eggs, seafood or milk.

WFPB diets, on the other hand, are more flexible. Followers eat mostly plants, but animal products are not off limits.

While people who follow the WFPB diet may not eat animal products, others may eat less eggs, poultry, seafood, meat or dairy.

Whole food, plant-based diets are based on the following principles:

Whole foods describe natural foods that are not much processed. That means whole, unrefined, or minimally purified ingredients.

A whole, plant-based diet allows you to meet your nutritional needs by focusing on minimally processed, natural plant foods.

What is meant by "vegetable" is food that comes from plants and does not contain animal ingredients such as meat, milk, eggs or honey.

Plant Based Diet Food Plan

What to Eat and Drink

- Vegetables like Swiss chard, kale, spinach, collard greens, asparagus, sweet potatoes, bell peppers and broccoli)

- Fruits such as avocados, watermelons, strawberries, blueberries, grapes, apples, bananas, grapefruit, and oranges.

- Nuts like walnuts, macadamia nuts, almonds and cashews.

- Whole grains such as brown rice, whole wheat bread, quinoa, farro and whole grain pasta.

- Grains like flaxseeds, chia seeds and flaxseeds

– Tea (green, lavender, chamomile or ginger)

- peas

- nuts

- Coffee (eating well)

What to Limit or Avoid Completely, Depends On How Strict You Decide To Be.

- Processed animal meat, such as sausage and hot dogs

- Dairy (milk and cheese)

- Meats and poultry (chicken, beef, and pork)

- Refined grains such as rice, white pasta, and bread

- Candy like cookies, brownies, and cakes.

- Potatoes and French Fries

- Honey

- Beverages containing sugar, such as soda and fruit juices

- All animal products like milk, eggs, and meat

Plant-Based Diet Can Help You Lose Weight and Improve Health

Obesity is an issue of epidemic proportions. Over 69% of U.S. adults are overweight or obese.

Luckily, making dietary and lifestyle changes can facilitate weight loss and have a long-term impact on health.

Numerous studies have shown that a plant-based diet is beneficial for weight loss.

The high fiber content of the WFPB diet, along with the exclusion of processed foods, is a winning combination for weight loss.

1,100 people found that those assigned to the plant-based diet lost significantly more weight -- about 4.5 pounds over an 18-week average, than those assigned to the non-vegetarian diet.

Adopting a healthy plant-based diet can also help you maintain your weight in the long term.

A study in 65 overweight and obese adults found that those on the WFPB diet lost significantly more weight than a control group and were able to maintain a 9.25 pound weight loss over a one-year follow-up period.

Simply cutting out processed foods that are not allowed on the WFPB diet such as soda, sweets, fast food and refined grains is a powerful weight loss tool in itself.

Benefits of Plant-Based Diet for Your Health

Eating the right foods and getting the nutrients your body needs is very important for good health. And adopting a plant-based diet will put you on the fast lane to health and vitality.

Chronic disease is increasing at high rate. And it's happening to people who are younger and younger. According to WHO, by 2020, chronic diseases will account for nearly three quarters of all deaths worldwide. These include diseases such as cancer, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, autoimmune diseases, and digestive disorders, among many others.

We now know that most chronic diseases are related to lifestyle. And that diet is a more powerful predictor of chronic disease than genetics. Many people turn to a plant-based diet to not only prevent chronic diseases, but also slow their progression and, in some cases, even reverse them completely.

Adopting a plant-based diet has many health benefits, including:

Type 2 diabetes

Replacing animal protein with plant protein had a profoundly positive effect on people with type 2 diabetes. When researchers reviewed and analyzed data from 13 randomized controlled trials, they found a reduction in three important markers of diabetes severity - hemoglobin A1c, fasting glucose, and fasting insulin. - when switching from animal proteins to plant proteins.

Eating in this way improves weight loss, triglyceride levels and blood sugar control, compared to the diet recommended by the American Diabetic Association.

While many people mistakenly believe that diabetes is caused by sugar alone, we are beginning to understand the role of saturated fat in its development. When people with type 2 diabetes stop eating meat (the main source of saturated fat), their blood sugar levels usually improve.

Cancer

A plant-based diet can help people forestall cancer as well? A 2011 study in Cancer Management and Research concluded that a plant-based diet is a useful strategy for reducing the risk of cancer. Specifically, increased plant intake, elimination of red and processed meats, and maintenance of a healthy body were associated with reduced cancer.

Heart Disease

Following a plant-based diet has been shown to be beneficially positive for those with cardiovascular disease. The more plant protein, nuts, and vegetables people eat, the less likely they are to die from coronary artery disease.

By eating more fruits and vegetables and less meat, you can prevent damage to cells that line and protect your blood vessels. In the last few decades, science has discovered that damage to this endothelial lining causes various types of heart disease and atherosclerosis.

Bone health

A plant-based diet can provide all the calcium you need, as long as you maintain a balanced diet. And although we cannot underestimate the importance of calcium, it is not the only thing needed to support strong bones.

Here's the good news: a plant-based diet contains this essential nutrient in abundance. These nutrients are vitamin D, vitamin K, potassium, and magnesium.12 Foods that support bone health are soy products, fruits, and vegetables. These are all common in plant-based diets.

Alzheimer’s & Neurodegenerative Disease

Patients with Alzheimer's and neurodegenerative diseases may benefit from a plant-based diet. While there are a few documented cases of reversal, most of them are preventable. A comprehensive report conducted by a husband and wife team, Drs. Dean and Ayesha Sherzai concluded that more than 90% of cases of Alzheimer's were preventable.

Most of this prevention can be achieved with lifestyle strategies, and whole foods plant nutrition is one of the most important strategies of all. Further research suggests that this may be due in part to the brain-gut connection. A poor diet interferes with the gut microbiota, contributes to inflammation in the body and affects the central nervous system and, ultimately, the brain. One study found that inflammation, intestinal dysbiosis, and leaky gut may contribute to the neurodegeneration process in Alzheimer's patients.

The Plant-Based Lifestyle is About Living The Best Life You Can

It fights fatigue and common ailments so there is nothing holding you back from the amazing things you do in your life. Our bodies are amazing machines, but they need to be properly cared for. Setting plants as the basis of your diet gives your body what it needs to keep growing strong, today and in the future. The best part is- not too difficult, stressful, or expensive! One habit at a time can bring you to your healthiest self. There's no end to what you can accomplish. Plants are only the start.