A Plant-Based Diet Could Be Good for Your Body and Soul

• For people struggling with exhaustion, frequent hunger pangs, as well as a penchant for deep fried, processed foods, and meat analogues that have led to weight gain, turning to a plant-based diet could play a key role in alleviating their woes. 
• The key components of a plant-based diet are meals consisting mainly of grains and vegetables, which can be extremely beneficial for health and wellness. A healthy plant-based diet means eating fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and healthy fats in moderation. 
• A healthy plant-based meal should consist of 50% vegetables, 25% proteins in the form of soya, grains, or nuts, and 25% carbohydrates in the form of unrefined rice, bread, or noodles. Additionally, healthy fats should also be consumed sparingly throughout the day, such as those found in olive oil, castor seed oil, and rice bran oil. 

Plant-based diets are one of many choices available to people looking to cut meat out of their diets. Plant-based meals are exactly what they sound like, meals consisting mainly of vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, and grain oils. 

The key concept of a plant-based diet is having vegetables as the main ingredient of every meal. However, maintaining a healthy plant-based diet that supports and strengthens the body means selecting a diverse range of vegetables, fruits, grains, proteins, and healthy fats in moderation. 

There are several studies that indicate that a plant-based diet is effective in reducing inflammation, as well as offering a level of prevention against Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, and other conditions caused by inflammation and physical deterioration. Indeed, there are more people than ever suffering the effects of inflammation due to the prevalence of communicable diseases over recent years, with research showing that adherence to a plant-based diet can help reduce chronic inflammation occurrence. 

A healthy plant-based meal should consist of 50% vegetables, 25% proteins in the form of soya, grains, or nuts, and 25% carbohydrates in the form of unrefined rice, bread, or noodles. Additionally, healthy fats should also be consumed sparingly throughout the day, such as those found in olive oil, castor seed oil, and rice bran oil. 

Those who enjoy meat analogues should read the product label carefully to check how much fat and sodium it contains as these products must undergo various processes in order to achieve a flavor similar to a meat-based alternative. This often means adding an unhealthy amount of fat and salt, which could pose a danger to health in the long run. 

All of the above mean cutting out meat from a diet, although their key concepts differ from one another. Vegetarianism, for instance, is often chosen due to a reluctance to see animals come to harm, meaning that meat, meat products, and pungent smelling vegetables, such as garlic and chives, are avoided. Vegetarians tend to season food only slightly and are strict in their adherence to this diet, especially during vegetarian festival periods. 

Other types of vegetarians, on the other hand, will avoid meat but may eat certain animal products, such as milk, eggs, and honey. 

Veganism is a stricter version of vegetarianism, chosen by those who are steadfast in their desire not to see animals harmed in any way whatsoever. This means not only avoiding food products made from animals, but also any other products made using any such animal derivatives, including those made with fur. 

Plant-based diets are mostly selected for health reasons due to the benefits provided by vegetables, fruits, nuts, and grains that have only undergone minimal refinement. However, this diet also requires carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals in suitable amounts due to the lack of meat consumed. However, those adhering to this diet are able to source some proteins from certain animal meat, such as fish. 

Studies have found that vegetarian diets can be extremely beneficial to health as they can reduce inflammation, as well as lower the risk of heart disease. However, an effective plant-based diet does not only mean avoiding meat consumption as there are a range of other considerations, as follows: 

• Focusing on eating plenty of fresh or ‘whole’ foods 
• Avoiding foods that are heavily seasoned to the extent that being plant-based becomes obsolete, especially with regard to chemicals or preservatives 
• Eating a diverse range of vegetables 
• Only eating healthy meats, such as fish 
• Adhering to these key principles of a plant-based diet can be healthy enough for lifelong use. 
• Nevertheless, research should be conducted into healthy sources of protein, such as quinoa, green vegetables, nuts, grains, soya, mushroom, and tempeh, as well as looking into healthy sources of carbohydrates, including sweet potato, carrot, and brown rice. 
• Vegetables selected should be grown free from the use of pesticides 
• Soya milk, almond milk, or oat milk can help the body get the calcium it requires 
• Nuts, fruits, fruit juices, or fruit smoothies can act as snacks between meals 
• Avoid unnecessary carbohydrates, deep fried products, and processed foods 
• Those who adhere to a plant-based diet for 6 months and find that their hair begins to fall out or their skin looks blemished and dry should make a medical appointment to undergo testing for vitamin and mineral deficiencies 
• Make plans to cook your own meals with high quality ingredients and seasoning 

More and more medical staff and world-renowned athletes are turning to plant-based diets than ever before due to the results of studies into its health benefits. 

As we near the annual vegetarian festival period, those struggling with exhaustion, frequent hunger pangs, as well as a penchant for deep fried, processed foods, and meat analogues that have led to weight gain may wish to consider a plant-based diet that could help provide the health boost they require. Indeed, this form of diet has several long-term benefits and can be a lifelong solution as long as extensive research is conducted into the best types of meals to consume when adhering to such a regime. 

Nonetheless, our fast-paced lives can often make it difficult to consume plant-based meals on the go, which is why careful planning is required to ensure this diet is successful, especially as the vegetarian festival period draws ever closer.