Benefits and Reflection: Being on a Plant-Based Diet

When I say diet, people tend to freak out. I run a fitness blog also and "diet" is such a bad word in the fit community. However, people fail to see that everybody has a diet, whether it be healthy or not, you  have a diet. Anyway, I have incorporated a plant-based diet at the end of March and have seen nothing but amazing things. This is something I am super passionate about and I love talking to people about it! Comment about your experiences, comments, concerns, or questions!

Note: I will be putting together a transitioning guide to a plant-based diet in hopes on getting my family on board. If it goes well, Michael and I will be selling the guide. This would include an ebook and possibly a workbook. It will include our research, movies to watch, recipes to try, and more. Please comment if you are interested!

What is a plant-based diet?
A plant-based diet incorporates only eating things that come from plants. This includes mostly fruit, veggies, legumes, grains, beans, seeds, etc. There are three categories: vegan (no meat, eggs, milk, cheese, dairy), lacto-vegetarian (no meat or eggs, dairy is fine), and lacto-ovo-vegetarian (no meat, but eggs and dairy is okay). I personally think vegan is plant-based because eggs and dairy do not come from a plant. However, it is better than the alternative!

Benefits

• energy (you have more energy throughout the day)
• less breakouts (usually the month after you start you break out a ton because it is your body's way of filtering the bad stuff. Then your face is clear. I believe that breakouts are directly linked to food)
• high in fiber (I mean, you eat basically fruits and veggies)
• high in nutrients and vitamins
• saving so many lives (It takes more food to feed animals. This food can go to people.)
• lowering your carbon footprint (Global warming is real and "animal protein contributes50% more greenhouse gases" than transportation)
• you become more compassionate (see reflection below)
• you save money (Meat is expensive, period.)
• lose weight (I was not trying to lose weight when I started and I lost 20lbs.)

But where do you get your protein? What if I don't get enough iron? Is this bad for my health?
This is far from bad. Before I started I had high cholesterol. When I got my blood test back recently, not only my cholesterol had decreased by a lot, but I am getting enough nutrients in every aspect.
Of course, before starting, consult your doctor. We are not nutritionists, doctors, or professionals. This is just my findings and research.

"The China Study, a 20-year comprehensive study of nutrition conducted by Cornell and Oxford Universities and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, describes how the typical standard american diet, which has become very high in animal protein and unhealthy fats and low in fiber, promotes substantially more chronic disease and obesity than a more plant-based, whole-foods diet. The study further illustrates the fact that much of the world lives on a plant-based diet, consuming only small amounts of animal protein due to cost and availability, with much less chronic disease and obesity than the United States." (source)

My Reflection
I started doing this for the health benefits. As time went by, I learned more and more about what is happening to the animals and how it contributes to destroying Mother Earth. It had turned me into a more loving and compassionate person. Sometimes it becomes difficult and I want to stop, but I think about that there is only good that comes to it. The only negative aspect of this diet is what your friends think. I have found many people very closed minded to my lifestyle change. I challenge you to educate yourself and educate others on what you have found on eating plant-based and loving the world and others around you.

What those famous vegans say!

“I’ve also been on a pretty strict plant-based diet for 4 months now – feeling stronger, fitter, healthier and more productive. I ride longer distances on my bike, can do more pull-ups than ever, and my brain seems to have a larger capacity for new projects, problem solving, songwriting, and fielding random questions. My health and strength make me a better performer and all that combined gives me more confidence to go out in the world and shine my light. It also makes me a lot better in bed. Just sayin…” (Jason Mraz, singer)



“When I was 23, 24, I used to have a really bad runny nose, mucus, tons of acne, reddishness all over. A woman on a bus I took looked at me and said I was lactose intolerant. (She said), ‘Stop dairy for three days, and all this is going to go away.’ I stopped dairy, and sure enough it was gone three days later, never to return except when I get dairy accidentally.” (Woody Harrelson, Hunger Games, actor)

Want to see more famous vegans? Check it out!

Have you tried a plant-based diet before? What were experiences? What are your concerns on starting? 

This post is written by Karel.
Adapted from: 
awomenshealth.com 
MindBodyGreen 
One Vegan Meal pic (this is not the original source, if you know where the original source is, please let me know so I can properly source them!)
Sources of Protein 
Power of Fruits and Veggies pic 
Jason Mraz quote 
Famous Vegans

Note: I will be putting together a transitioning guide to a plant-based diet in hopes on getting my family on board. If it goes well, Michael and I will be selling the guide. This would include an ebook and possibly a workbook. It will include our research, movies to watch, recipes to try, and more. Please comment if you are interested!