What Is Plant-Based Eating?

A plant-based way of eating is focused on consuming whole plant-derived foods that are unrefined and have minimal to no processing. That means consuming foods that are in their natural form without much to any alteration other than cooking and preparing them for consumption. This way of eating consists staples like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, tubers, and legumes. These foods are so nutrient dense and low in calories that on average consuming pounds of these foods will definitely fulfill your daily nutrition requirements, - in comparison to their highly refined and processed counterparts - but also supports the abundance principle and idea that has been floating around in regards to diets where one can â€œeat more and wight lessâ€.

For instance consuming one Big Mac hamburger from McDonalds is equal to 563 calories while it take the consumption of 5 or more bananas to equal the same amount. So even though one can consume more bananas to reach the same caloric intake as a hamburger, one is also getting a substantial amount of nutrients in the bananas in comparison to the One hamburger. The staple foods are rich in vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and antioxidants. They help to really fuel the body and aid in helping the body to achieve optimal health. (INSERT FOOD COMPARISON CHART)

However being a plant-based eater doesnâ€™t mean one is completely vegan or vegetarian - avoiding animal products in some capacity. For some plant-based eaters consuming animal products can easily fit into their diets, but instead of playing a major role like in the Standard American Diet animal proteins and products act as a supporting role.

Technically a vegan or vegetarian could both not be plant-based as the food industry has steadily increased to cater to these populations with various processed vegan and vegetarian â€œfoodsâ€. However in general here are the different types of diets that the plant-based moniker consists of:

Vegan: free of any kind of animal products
Fruitarian: vegan, consisting primarily or exclusively of fruits
Vegetarian: no meat, but may or may not include other animal products like eggs, dairy products and honey
Pescetarian: vegetarian, including fish and other seafood
Flexitarian: vegetarian, occasionally including meat

In this challenge Iâ€™m going to be focusing on sharing more of a plant-based vegan diet not specifically only for ethical reasons, but simply because that is what works best for me and studies (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662288/) have shown that this diet can help to not only heal chronic illnesses, but also aid in weight loss, clear up brain fog, and in general help an individual thrive in their lives and bodies. A key distinction between the other diets is that although most of these diets are defined by what they exclude, the plant-based diet is defined by what it includes.*

The reason that I love the plant-based moniker is because itâ€™s so inclusive, and itâ€™s all about tailoring the lifestyle to meet each particular individualâ€™s needs. That being said if you feel that you need to consume some animal based protein or other high quality animal products to feel your best, please listen to your body and do that. What matters most is being in alignment with your body, mind, and spirit, and that is why I also advocate you follow what works best for you, and have an open mind to experimenting and finding out what helps you thrive.

Why Plant Based Lifestyle?

Even though our society has advanced overall and in the medical fields considerably the amount of chronic illnesses, autoimmune diseases, obesity, and much more have been on the rise. A plant-based lifestyle helps to promote weight loss, and decrease fatigue, it also aids in the prevention and maintenance of diabetes, it can also treat or even reverse high blood pressure, and help to reduce the need for medications, as well as help with many other diseases and illnesses.

Ultimately food is medicine and health begins by what we put on our plates. Disease is simply a sign that the body is trying to heal and cure itself. However because most of us donâ€™t know this we turn to harmful drugs, substances, and chemicals that causes more side effects than approaching health and healing through the most affordable option that most of us have access to: proper nutrition and food. Drugs and western medicine can definitely aid in times of need, but the dependency on them long-term causes our body to respond by manifesting other illnesses with chronic disease or joint pain, cough, weight gain, skin eruptions, gas, constipation, fever, low energy, kidney issues, perspiration and so on. A diet high in nutrition is a far better way of achieving long-term health and vitality.

If you want to begin your journey to thriving and healing yourself then I highly suggest a plant-based lifestyle! Disease is caused by too much inflammation and acidity in the body and a plant-rich diet can help reverse that by bringing the body back to itâ€™s natural alkaline state to support cellular life. Our bodies - when given proper nutrition - maintain a balanced pH, but when the body becomes too acidic or too alkaline cells can get poisoned by their own toxic waste and die. The easiest and most accessible way to influence our bodies pH levels is through foods we eat. So foods have either acidic or alkaline effects on our bodies. The seemingly best foods for our bodies to maintain optimal health, a balanced pH, and to help us thrive in our bodies is through a nutrient dense plant-based lifestyle.

Also because a plant-based lifestyle is full of fiber, high-water content, and nutritionally dense it helps to give the feeling of being full and also meets nutritional requirements which help to reduce cravings for unhealthy foods, which also aids in weight loss.

Also because a plant-based lifestyle generally reduces the consumption of highly inflammatory foods and is fully of healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals it can help to provide you with a healthy and vibrant looking skin reducing the causes of hormonal and inflammatory acne. It also helps with energy levels, and helping you to feel more energized and alert.

The benefits of a plant-based lifestyle are far too many to list in this healthkit, but all in all its proven to be time and time again the diet that the human body thrives on. Whole foods are clean sources of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats and can help sustain your energy and life more naturally. Transitioning to this way of eating (consuming primarily fruits and vegetables) and living will dramatically improve your life and your health.

Why Plant-Based Health?