1.) Lose Weight – When we choose plant-based foods instead of the typical fare of animal-based products such as meat, dairy, and eggs, everything moves in the right direction. Weight loss becomes easier for two main reasons. First, we’re not filling our bellies with calorie-dense, artery blocking foods packed with saturated fat. Secondly, by eating plant foods naturally low in calories and high in fiber, it fills us up quicker and we push away from the table sooner. A winning combination for weight loss!
2.) Sleep Better –By moving toward more balanced nutrition, our bodies perform exactly as they were designed. With the right nutrients, we have lower cortisol levels and our brains can shift into sleep mode much quicker. We can actually choose foods specifically for sleep. Complex carbs break down in the digestive process leaving behind tryptophan, which allows our brain to make serotonin – the magic to help us happily drift off to sleep.
3.) Reduce Pain – Ready to be free of aches and pains? People switching to a plant-based diet claim their long-time knee or back pain just disappears. How is this possible? Two main reasons: inflammation and circulation. Dairy is a large contributor to inflammation leading to pain. Plant-based diets promote better circulation by “clearing out” arteries and veins allowing blood to flow to areas previously “starved” of oxygen and nutrients. Less inflammation, more circulation means less pain!
4.) Prevent & Reverse Chronic Diseases –The recipe is simple: stop eating the damaging foods, and replace them with whole plant foods. Countries that consume mostly plant foods (such as Asian countries before McDonalds arrived) have the lowest rates of heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and many other chronic degenerative diseases. The numbers tell the story!
5.) Boost Energy and Immunity –Animal products “tax” the system and take a lot of energy to process. Think of it like the fuel in your car. If you’re putting diesel into a car that takes unleaded, everything goes wrong. It run rough, smokes, and doesn’t perform as designed. Put in the right fuel, and our bodies “buzz” with a new energy and our immune system is supercharged!
6.) Lower Cholesterol – Plant foods have zero dietary cholesterol, and work hard to lower the levels of cholesterol in our bodies. We stop funneling high cholesterol, fatty animal foods in, and replace with high fiber plant foods which reduce it and you have a double-whammy in the right direction!
7.) Improve Digestion – Nobody likes “bad belly,” yet so many of us suffer from stomach pain after eating that requires antacids and other medication. Our digestive system is designed to take full advantage of the fiber found in plant food to keep things MOVING!
8.) Save Lives – When we stop eating animal products, we save the lives of innocent animals. The horrific conditions of large commercial livestock and fish farming are well kept from the public eye. By caring and learning more about where our food comes from, it’s easy to see why more people are considering a plant-based diet.
9.) Conserve Water –With droughts in California and other places globally, many are wondering, “where’s all the water going?” Because pigs, cows, and chickens are not ordering take out, they must be fed something. Livestock production demands hundreds of millions of gallons of water each day.
10.) Save the Environment – Plant-based eating can lower greenhouse gases, save our land, and reduce the carbon footprint. All the methane gas that millions of animals “emit” is a major threat to the planet’s ozone layer. Less demand for animal products, means less animals on the planet reducing the impact.
11.) Enhance Athletic Performance – More top-level athletes are now embracing plant-based eating than ever before. With a more efficient vascular system thanks to plants, they are getting more oxygen to muscles. Recovery times are faster as well. For further reading, check out the work by Brendon Brazier, Scott Jurek, and Rich Roll.
12.) Never Count Calories Again – This is wonderful news for those who have been on diets where every calorie must be accounted for. Whole food, plant-based eating is the beautiful combination of naturally low calories and high fiber to fill you up, so you can toss your calorie counting chart!
13.) Think More Clearly – Eating more plants and less saturated fats from animal products opens the pathways for more blood to flow into our brains. By delivering maximum blood flow complete with all the essential nutrients, our brains will serve us well. In addition, when we are getting better sleep, our brains have a chance to “file away” all the information from our day so we can remember things more clearly!
14.) Healthy Skin, Hair, and Nails – Your physical appearance is one of the first things others will notice when you go plant-based. Skin, hair, and nails are a tell-tail sign of our health. When our bodies are toxic due to poor diet, our cells breakdown causing collagen, keratin, and elastin to take the hit. Add stress to the mix and you have a recipe for blotchy skin, dry hair, and brittle nails. Removing dairy from the diet also helps reduce acne and other skin conditions causing redness and itching. Leafy greens, oats, almonds, and berries provide some serious horsepower to make us look our best!
15.) Save Money –When we scratch the meat, dairy, and eggs from the shopping list, our savings add up quickly! Buying fruits and veggies at local farmer’s markets and buying in bulk will help to keep your grocery bill in check.
16.) Be Happier – When we look and feel our best, the sun seems to shine a little brighter and we have a more positive outlook on life. Having more energy and less pain will put a smile on your face, and when others ask how you did it, simply say, “I decided to go Plant-based in 2016!”
Scott Putnam
Whole Living Nutrition, LLC
For more information and further reading, check out the ‘recommended books’ section of our website: www.wholelivingnutrition.com