Progressively working towards a diet that is centered around plants is one of the best things you

can do for your health and the sustainability of our planet. Regardless of your beliefs or

practices in regards to consumption of dairy, poultry and other various meat sources, the perks

of eating more plants are undeniable.

 

If you still need some convincing, it’s worth considering that some of the strongest, most robust

creatures on the planet thrive on a plant based diet. Elephants, rhinos, hippos, bison and horses

all thrive and healthily reproduce on a vegan diet.

 

Increased Energy

Digestion is one of the most taxing processes that your body undergoes. Since we are digesting

food several times a day, it’s best to stick with foods that are easiest for our system to digest.

Doing this will minimize the energy that your body is expending. You can expect to see a

noticeable difference in your energy once you start looking to vegetables and fruits to make up

the majority of your diet.

Some good foods to look to for maximum digestion are water-dense fruits, vegetables like leafy

greens, squash, cucumbers, carrots and healing roots like ginger and turmeric. Aim to keep your

diet ever changing and vast. Strive to eat what’s in season; you may even find that you save

money by buying most of your produce at your local farmers market.

 

Athletic Performance

Contrary to popular belief, plant do contain protein. Plants are actually a primary source

of protein, while meat is a secondary source. In fact, a sea green vegetable called

spirulina is, pound for pound, the most protein dense food on the planet. You can

purchase spirulina or its sea green cousin, chlorella, at most health food stores in the

supplement section.

Look to plant based sources of protein like nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, nutritional

yeast and fermented soy to make up the rest of your protein consumption. With more

vegans online than ever, it’s easy to find delicious recipes to kick start your plant habit.

Weight Loss

When switching over to a plant based diet full of whole foods, many experience weight

loss. This is primarily due to the fact that your body is detoxing more efficiently and your

system is flushing out toxins more readily. Since toxins and heavy metals are stored in

fat tissue, fat loss is imminent.

Your body’s internal pH is gradually changing as well, as plant foods are more alkaline

than animal foods. As your stomach’s pH becomes more alkaline, better digestion takes

place and your body assimilates nutrients more effectively.

 

Helping the Planet

While there are avenues of meat production that are done more sustainably and

mindfully than others, most meat is produced via factory farming. Factory farming is

meat production done in large quantities and often with cruel practices. The animal’s

quality of life is low and it’s unethical in many ways.

Also, the facts tend to be shocking when you really contemplate them. According to

PETA, it takes more than 2,400 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of meat, while

growing 1 pound of wheat requires only 25 gallons of water. Furthermore, it takes 11

times as much fossil fuel to make 1 calorie of animal protein, versus the energy required

to make 1 calorie of plant protein.

 

Veganism is a hot buzz word in recent times, with reportedly close to 6 percent of

Americans adopting a vegan lifestyle. All things considered, this is a choice that could

continuously benefit the planet as the plant-eating crowd grows. If you’re curious about

how eating more plants could benefit you, try it out for a week and journal how you feel.

Chances are good that you’ll love how you feel and be proud of your small effort

towards sustainable eating.

 

About the Author

Helen Sanders is chief editor at HealthAmbition.com. Established in 2012, Health Ambition has grown rapidly in recent years. Our goal is to provide easy-to-understand health and nutrition advice that makes a real impact. We pride ourselves on making sure our actionable advice can be followed by regular people with busy lives.

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