Many people are switching to this amazing lifestyle because they want to improve their health & wellbeing or reverse illness.
Consuming more whole, natural foods will aid in maintaining, and regaining your health.
Not only will you sleep better, your skin will clear up and glow, you will have more strength, afternoon fatigue will fade away, your mood will improve, you will rarely catch colds or the flu, aches and pains will disappear, you will lose excess body fat, you will gain muscle, your joint pain will dissipate and you will feel better than ever.
Animal-based foods are extremely acid-forming, while plant-based foods are alkalizing—keeping bones strong and healthy.
Plant-based foods reduce the risk of cancer and “diseases of affluence,” like diabetes.
Other factors causing people to choose plant-based eating for health reasons, including the high occurrence of pathogens, hormones and antibiotics in animal products, and the many benefits of phytonutrients in plants.
The convergence of evidence suggests that an affordable plant-based diet can help prevent and even reverse some of the top killer diseases in the Western world
There is clear evidence and numerous studies that prove that a plant-based diet and consuming plant proteins rather than animal proteins can reverse diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and certain cancers that scientifically generated foodstuffs, genetically modified foods and animal products promote.
The prevalence of lactose intolerance and dairy allergies is an additional reason people are shifting away from dairy products.
Heart Health:
Make no mistake, health is wealth.
The number one killer in the Western World isn’t guns, or drugs, or car accidents. It’s heart disease — a ruthless killer that is directly related to what’s on our plates.
Heart disease is the number 1 world leading killer –
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of Australia’s largest health problems and it is a major cause of death in Australia, with 43,603 deaths attributed to CVD in Australia in 2013. Cardiovascular disease kills one Australian every 12 minutes.
9 in 10 adult Australians have at least one risk factor for CVD and one in four (25%) have three or more risk factors.
Risk factors include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, overweight and obesity, physical inactivity, low fruit and vegetable intake, alcohol and smoking.
Harvard researchers tracked the health habits of about 110,000 people for 14 years, and found that the higher intake of fruits and vegetables, the lower their chances of developing cardiovascular disease. Specifically, people who averaged eight-plus servings of fruits and veggies a day were 30 percent less likely to have a heart attack or stroke, compared to those who had less than 1.5 daily servings.
Lower Blood Pressure
Most people living a plant-based diet automatically have lower blood pressure due to a higher intake of potassium-rich foods. Potassium helps lower blood pressure that leads to stress and anxiety.
Most all whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and all fruits and vegetables contain high amounts of potassium and Vitamin B6 (which also helps lower blood pressure).
Meat and most all animal foods contain little to no potassium and actually raise blood pressure and cholesterol.
Lots of research, including some from the Harvard School of Public Health, suggests a diet loaded with fruits and veggies can lower blood pressure.
The Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study (AusDiab) conducted in 1999–2000 reported that 30% of Australians over 25 years of age, or 3.7 million Australians, were hypertensive (blood pressure > 140/90 mmHg). meaning they’re at higher risk for heart disease and stroke – two leading causes of death in Australia.
Lower Cholesterol
Speaking of lower cholesterol, it’s one of the main benefits you’ll receive from embracing plant-based foods. Most people don’t know that plants contain NO cholesterol, even saturated sources like coconut and cacao. While you should balance your fat intake no matter if you’re vegan or not, a plant-based diet is one of the simplest ways to lower cholesterol.
Consider this: one egg has twice the amount of cholesterol as a fast food hamburger and fish contains even more cholesterol than meat or poultry, depending on the type you eat.
Plant foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and seeds can actually lower rates of cholesterol and heart disease.
Better Blood Sugar
The number one way to fight high blood sugar is to eat more fiber.
Its slows down absorption of sugars in the blood stream and as a result can help improve how hungry you are all day long, not to mention balance your cortisol levels that cause stress.
Animal foods have been found to raise blood sugar, despite the myth that they help fight it.
Lower rates of Cancer
A low fat, whole foods plant-based diet is the number one way to improve your chances at avoiding cancer risks (while also avoiding smoking and alcohol, of course).
Animal foods including Meat & dairy have been linked to cancer, especially colon, stomach, breast & prostate cancers.
Weight Loss
If you’re consuming a whole foods, plant-based diet (especially one that’s low in fat and processed sugars), you’re going to lose weight.
A diet high in raw, clean whole foods may improve your chances at losing weight even more.
Weight loss naturally occurs when you consume more fiber, vitamins, and minerals than you do animal fats and proteins.
There’s plenty of research suggesting vegetarians tend to consume fewer calories, and thus weigh less and have lower body mass indexes than non-vegetarians.
Opting largely for fruits, veggies and whole grains in lieu of meat will likely leave you feeling fuller on fewer calories.
Obesity is not just a vanity issue, but is now also linked to some of the leading causes of death, including diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Science now shows that vegetarians have lower rates of obesity.
In fact, the National Institutes of Health concluded that on average, people who avoid meat, dairy, and eggs have body mass indexes almost 20% lower than meat eaters. That translates into about 30 pounds less weight than non-vegetarians of similar height in certain age brackets.
Diabetes prevention
Type 2 diabetes is no joke. It can cause heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and health issues leading to amputations.
What can help prevent type 2 diabetes? A healthy, vegan diet. In a study tracking the diabetes rates of people who do not eat animal products, 62% had reduced risk of developing diabetes compared to meat eaters.
Roughly 387 million people are living with diabetes, and according to the International Diabetes Federation, that number is expected to soar to nearly 600 million by 2035. Type 2 diabetes is entirely preventable, and plenty of research suggests a plant-based diet can help ward off the disease.
Dr. Neal Barnard of the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine says your also likely to experience less constipation and better sleep on a plant-based diet, along with less inflammation and lower risks of diabetes.
Skin Care:
Cutting back on animal products also means skipping much of their saturated fats, which are notorious for clogging pores.
Plus, many of the vitamins, pigments and phytochemicals in fruits and veggies contribute to healthy skin. The lycopene in tomatoes, for example, helps protect your skin from sun damage, and the vitamin C in sweet potatoes smooths wrinkles by stimulating the production of collagen.