Written by Alena – Featured Guest Blogger from Nutriciously.com
Over the past years, the term ‘vegan’ has gained a lot of popularity as well as critique. Simply avoiding animal-based products doesn’t automatically mean living in perfect health. People who become vegan for ethical reasons often continue to eat potato chips, refined sugar, chocolate, processed food and soda – all of which we know isn’t the best choice.
So being on a ‘vegan’ diet isn’t enough when it comes to our health and especially carrying out a positive message. Nobody wants to see a malnourished and tired person – it’s simply not very inspiring and doesn’t do much for the vegan movement.
That’s why I like to refer to our way of eating as ‘plant-based whole food’. It implies that most of what we eat is unprocessed, such as whole fruit, vegetables, potatoes, quinoa, beans or nuts. Living this way (or even moving closer to this lifestyle) offers an array of amazing health benefits, alongside the avoidance of suffering for animals, starving people and the planet.
1. Preventing chronic disease
The number one killers in the western world are heart disease, stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and cancer – still, people are so afraid of homicides but still eating their burgers and fries. By cutting out animal products and highly refined plant-foods, you can prevent and even reverse a plethora of disease, inflammation, anxiety, depression, diabetes, and much more! After having surveyed over 6,500 people from over 65 countries, The China Study remains the largest and most comprehensive study of nutrition – proving that a plant-based diet prolongs lives. Especially cancer rates are so much lower in countries where people don’t really eat any animal products at all. Dairy products naturally contains hormones that can cause breast and prostate cancer. Meat is linked to constipation since it’s very hard to digest (our bodies aren’t really made to be consuming animals), causing a lot of acidity and setting you up for disease – especially colon cancer, for that matter.
2. Get glowing & slim
Not only does a plant-based diet keep you in an alkaline and health-promoting state, your whole body will thank you for that by giving you a beautiful appearance on the outside. Skin problems related to acne or rashes are often related to the consumption of animal products as well as white sugar. Eating a lot of greens, vegetables and whole grains on their other hands clears all of your pores and gives you a radiant look. We’ve also experienced stronger hair and nails ever since we made the switch a couple of years ago. The best part was that losing weight became effortless – whole plant foods contain a lot of fiber and water which fill you up a lot sooner than meat, oil, or refined sugar does. On top of that, they offer a whole array of micro nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients, which nourish your body on a cellular level and decrease cravings. Your blood sugar will stabilize, you naturally consume less calories while eating tasty meals – it won’t feel like deprivation at all! Most people can achieve a weight loss of around five pounds within the first 2 weeks of eating a plant-based diet without ever going hungry.
About the Author:
Alena is a food lover and health enthusiast from Germany who spends most of her time studying, writing, playing and meditating. Having read every book imaginable on healthy living, she is excited about spreading this powerful message and reaching out. When she’s not in the kitchen creating awesome meals, she likes to travel, make music or enjoy the world outside. Together with her partner, she created nutriciously where she loves to help other people to thrive on a healthy plant-based, whole food diet full of raw foods and constantly puts out new content. You can check out their free course on transitioning to a high raw food diet, get the free recipe ebook and follow them on social media via Facebook, Pinterest, GooglePlus or Twitter.