Plant Based Foods List

Plant Based Foods List

With all the positive attention on natural whole food diets in recent years, it’s no wonder that many people are considering incorporating plant-based foods in their diet.

Besides the possible moral and ethical objections, a plant-based diet can actually be very beneficial to your overall health and well-being.

Here’s why…

Benefits of a Plant Based Diet

First, a plant based diet can help you avoid some of the harmful hormones, preservatives and other ingredients found in meats and meat by-products (like milk and eggs). Some meat or dairy based dietary options are high in bad fats and cholesterol, which can contribute to obesity and poor cardiovascular health. Many also have a lot of fillers and preservatives added to them, including sodium, which can lead to high blood pressure over time.

Some meats and meat by-products are also altered with growth hormones and steroids, making them potentially disruptive to your own hormone levels. What’s worse, these products may contain antibiotics that can lead to complications for health and wellness.

But there are benefits beyond those associated with reducing your meat and dairy intake. A plant-based diet is rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, all of which are important nutritional components that contribute to physical health, mental health, energy, and even weight loss.

Potential Risks of a Plant Based Diet

Although there are a lot of health benefits of adopting a plant based diet, a meal plan composed exclusively of vegetables and plant-based foods does making getting one important nutrient difficult. You probably guessed it – protein!

Plant-based proteins are hard to come by, and even when you do get it right, the type of protein is much simpler than the protein found in meat. Meat contains a greater variety of amino acids (the building blocks of protein and muscle), which means it more effectively contributes to lean muscle growth, tissue regeneration, and overall support of biological processes.