Why Plant-Based?
For me personally...
I have tried several different diets (ways of eating), most of them ordered by a doctor! I have had many issues with my gut/bowels, energy levels, and blood sugar levels. I tried different diets as ways of controlling and improving these.
​
SUGAR FREE
I went added sugar free for 6 months, ordered by my doctor after discovering I have hypoglycemia (I get very low blood sugar very easily and very quickly). This was an eye opening 6 months, and I am so glad I did it. I reintroduced added sugar slowly, and I am still wary about how I consume it. Whole Food Plant-Based does not include processed/ foods high in sugar, and this makes me feel great.
​
DAIRY FREE
I also went dairy free for 6 months, ordered by my doctor. Through this experience, we discovered I have mild lactose intolerance. Plant Based does not include dairy.
​
PALEO
I ate primarily Paleo for the better part of a year. This was not ordered by a doctor. It was out of a personal attempt just to feel better/ have more energy. This was before I really knew how to do my own research. Instead, I just jumped on the Paleo bandwagon. If a lot of people are doing it, it must be healthy right? Wrong. I remember the first time I went out to eat after deciding on the Paleo diet, I ordered a steak, thinking it was one of the healthiest options for me.
I ate meat at about every meal and eggs almost every day for breakfast. At age 23, my doctor said she was concerned about my cholesterol levels. She told me to just watch my diet and eat healthy. I was shocked! I was eating primarily Paleo, what could be healthier? Well, at the time, I was not even aware what cholesterol was. I kept filling up on meat and eggs, not realizing that cholesterol is only found in animal products! This leads to my next reason...
Heart Health
The leading cause of premature death in the United States is heart disease. It took over 600,000 lives in 2017. The second leading cause of death is stroke. Too much cholesterol puts you at risk for both heart disease and stroke. Cholesterol is only found in animal foods. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 80% of deaths from heart disease is caused by preventable factors (like eating foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol...aka animal products). Cholesterol and blood pressure medicine can decrease the risk of heart attack by 20-30%. Healthy habits decrease the risk of heart attack by 90%. So, it's pretty simple to me. If I don't consume animal products, I will not have high cholesterol. If I don't have high cholesterol, my risk for heart attack and stroke is greatly decreased. Eating plant based also decreases risk of high-blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
Cancer Risks
There is a lower overall incidence of cancer in vegetarians than non-vegetarians. One study showed that that meat eaters with a high protein diet (20% of calories from protein), had a 4x increase in cancer death risk than those who ate plant based protein.
Diabetes
91% of Diabetes is attributed to bad health habits and behavior. A plant-based diet is a great treatment avenue and means of prevention of Diabetes. Studies have been done comparing a low fat, plant based diet and conventional diabetic diets (recommended by the American Diabetes Association) and plant-based diet improved average blood sugar levels better than the other diets and it helped patients reduce more diabetic medications. It also helped patients lower cholesterol and lose weight. Large studies have also shown populations with vegan/vegetarian diets have much lower rates of diabetes.
Environmental Impact
The United Nations is urging a global move toward a plant-based diet because of the state of our environment. Animal agriculture produces more greenhouse gasses than all the world's transportation systems combined. It takes 683 gallons of water to produce just 1 gallon of milk. It takes more than 2,400 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef. By going plant-based, you can save over 219,000 gallons of water a year. It takes almost 20 times more land to feed a meat-eater than someone on a plant-based diet. The world produces enough food for all its people, yet a great majority of it goes to feed livestock. It takes up to 10 pounds of grain to produce just 1 pound of meat. Think of how many more people can be fed on 10 pounds of grain over 1 pound of beef. Ecologist David Pimentel of Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences says, “If all the grain currently fed to livestock in the United States were consumed directly by people, the number of people who could be fed would be nearly 800 million."
For My Great Grandkids
I am in this for the long haul, for Willow and Insta (or whatever my grandkids will be named in 60+ years). Right now I have my health, but am lacking in time and money -what 20 something isn't? Someday when we hopefully have time and money, I want to be able to enjoy it! I want go be able to climb a mountain with my kids, play tag with my grandkids, and dance in the kitchen with my great grandkids.
​
In short, the worlds longest living communities, often referred to as "The Blue Zones," live on a primarily plant based diet. Some of these communities do consume animal products and oils in very small amounts, which is why I feel okay eating gouda cheese or ice cream once in a while.
Oh and I LOVE to eat!
Eating plant based means I actually get to eat MORE FOOD! YAY!
There is so much nutritious food that I fuel my body with that I am too full to have room for meat and dairy!
Resources
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND WATCHING FORKS OVER KNIVES - a documentary about eating a whole food plant based diet available on Netflix. This is what caused my husband and I to originally try a plant based diet.
​
https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/plant-based-diets/
​
https://www.forksoverknives.com/articles/
​
https://www.consumerreports.org/diet-plans/plant-based-diet/
​
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-not-to-die-from-cancer/