You may have heard about plant-based diets. Many athletes, famous icons, and even just regular people have given up meat, dairy, complex carbs, and more. But, did you know about the many benefits of eating a plant-based diet?
Well, if you’ve ever given any thought to cancer prevention, then considering a plant-based diet might be the right choice.
Over the years, there has been a new diet trend hitting the health food headlines almost every week. However, the plant-based diet is one that has always been consistently proven amidst the sea of food trends.
Why Plant-Based Foods?
Plant-based eating patterns focus on foods that are primarily from plants, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, oils, whole grains, legumes, and beans.
Choosing to eat a plant-based diet doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to give up eating meat and dairy, but rather, that you are proportionately choosing more plant-sourced foods.
Immune Health
Plant-based foods support your immune system and contain tons of essential nutrients that you cannot get from other foods. The vitamins and minerals found in plants help to keep your cells healthy so that your immune system is functioning at its very best.
Having a healthy immune system is crucial for reducing your risk for cancer. So, if this is something that is important to you, then considering eating a plant-based diet might be your best chance to to play the cancer-free odds in your favor.
Anti-inflammatory
Also, plant foods reduce inflammation in your body! The same phytochemicals and antioxidants that help to boost your immune system also neutralize toxins from processed food, pollution, bacteria, viruses, and more.
Prolonged inflammation can cause cell and tissue damage, and has also been linked to cancer and arthritis. Eating a plant-based diet can really help you to avoid inflammation and a low immune system so that you can fight off diseases and stay healthier, longer.
Healthy Weight Maintenance
Eating a plant-based diet helps you to maintain a healthy weight and even promote weight loss, which also aids in reducing your risk for cancer. It’s vital for cancer-prevention to maintain a healthy weight since excess weight can cause inflammation and hormonal imbalance.
However, when you eat mostly plant proteins, you remove any of the foods from your diet that can lead to weight gain. And, if you add in regular exercise to your health regime, then you’re well on your way to living the healthiest lifestyle that you can live.
High Fiber
Plants are high in fiber, which gives you access to a host of health benefits. Eating a plant-based diet provides you with a ton of fiber to lower cholesterol and stabilize your blood sugar. And, not to mention, it’s also great for bowel management so you can keep things moving!
Fiber is also very important for reducing your risk of cancer. Not only does a plant-based diet reduce your cancer risk, but also reduces your risk of heart disease, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, and some mental health issues as well.
Eating Plant-Based Meals
When fixing your plant-based meal, make sure that it’s a healthy one. This means that you’re substituting high-saturated fats and carbohydrates with more fibrous vegetables and lean proteins.
Make sure to use healthy cooking methods so that you can get all of the natural benefits that the plant-based diet offers. So don’t eat high processed foods like bread, cookies, or crackers, and try to keep deep-frying out of the equation. Instead, cook your vegetables in a light olive oil. Also, limit your sugar intake. Instead of eating regular pasta, white bread, or white rice, to eating whole wheat pasta, wheat bread, and brown rice.
In Conclusion
All in all, eating a plant-based diet promotes a healthier style of living. Yes, it’s a bit of a sacrifice in terms of that comforting junk food and delicious but fattening sugary snacks.
However, you don’t have to stick to a vegan diet to eat plant-based foods. You can still get all of the protein that you need from nuts, seeds, and legumes. And, there are tons of plant-based meal recipes available to make your dinner-time both tasty and healthy.
