Benefits of a Whole-Foods and Plant-Based Diet

With roughly one-half of Americans struggling to lose weight, dieting is a prevalent preoccupation for many people. And it isn’t just an issue in the United States; the UK has been classified as the most overweight country in Western Europe, as all around the world people work to shed pounds, lose inches, and tone up in time for warm weather.

The reason why most diets fail is because they do not provide dieters with a sustainable way of eating. Instead of teaching people how to change their diets in order to sustain long-term and consistent weight loss, fad diets tend to focus on food restriction. The result, at times, leads to short-term weight loss that quickly spirals into yo-yo weight gaining due to the grueling cycle of restriction and bingeing. In order to have the body of your dreams and optimal health, it is essential to eat a balanced, natural diet. That is why a whole-foods, plant-based diet proves to be enormously effective for weight loss and health improvement.

The Details

What exactly does one consume on plant-based diet? While some fear the terms “plant” and “diet” might lead to a diet resembling rabbit food, a whole-foods, plant-based diet in fact packs a lot of tasty goodness into its meal plans. There are a lot of options on a plant-based grocery list, while some meal plans do allow for even more flexibility.

Plant-based diets include stocking up on soy products, such as edamame, tempeh, and tofu. A wide variety of nuts and seeds should be mixed in and snacked on, including almonds, chia seeds, flaxseeds, help seeds, and sesame seeds to name a few. Another main component of plant-based protein is beans and legumes. This includes items such as peas, peanuts, and chickpeas.

Additional protein can be reaped from wheat protein, rice, soy, hemp, or pea-based protein powder. When it comes to carbs, there are no restricted grains, though complex carbs provide superior energy sources. Therefore, fibrous, whole-grain options are always recommended. And of course no plant-based diet would be complete without veggies, including plenty of leafy greens, and fresh fruit. It’s also essential to consume enough plant-based fats.

Weight Loss

Plant-based diet weight loss is one of the main appeals of this sustainable, natural meal plan. This weight loss is sustainable, because it comes from natural, healthy eating. While some meal plans, such as the keto diet, rely on 100 percent commitment in order to see results, plant-based diets allow for more flexibility so that carbs and starches can be consumed in healthy moderation. A great benefit of plant-based diets is that calorie-counting is discouraged as well.

Rather than preoccupy oneself with numbers, this diet focuses on portion control and eating balanced, healthy foods that are in their most natural forms. That means cutting out processed and refined foods and sugars, eating regularly, snaking when hungry, and sticking to a colorful plate of food for every meal. The result in long-term and sustainable weight loss, as well as an overall boost in health. It’s key to focus on portion control rather than restriction, while it is equally essential to consume enough healthy fats for adequate satiation.

Overall Benefits

There is in fact confirmed health benefits of eating a whole-foods, plant-based diet. This diet is likely linked to a wide variety of health benefits and bodily improvements. People who eat plant-based diets are shown to have a lesser risk of developing heart disease later in life, as compared to regular animal-derived protein eaters.

For people who want to reduce their impact on the Earth and be more conscious of living creatures without entirely giving up meat, flexitarian diets are also an option. They incorporate the benefits of a plant-based diet, while also allowing the flexibility to consume animal products, including meat, sparingly. Therefore, it is not necessary to entirely give up meat and animal products in order to reap the benefits of plant-based diets.

Merely limiting the amount of meat and dairy products you consume each week will have a significant impact on the Earth. Consuming excess amounts of meat has a devastating effect on the Earth and all aspects of the environment. The meat industry leads to the usage of a tremendous amount of fossil fuels and costs the Earth a staggering amount of natural resource loss each year. Limit your negative impact on the Earth by reducing your meat intake to one to two days a week, and learn how to focus more meals around plant protein.