How to Decrease Your Risk of Preventable Diseases

It’s not a short term diet. It’s a long term lifestyle change.

AI’m reading another great book about the benefits of eating plant based.  I remember growing up & driving my mom crazy because I wanted to eat peppers & spring mix..then being told they cost too much.  But guys, if you buy REAL food it’s really not more expensive & our grocery bill going down.  Keep in mind though, a bag of potato chips labelled “vegan” doesn’t make it healthy or mean you should eat it! That’s still processed & fried, so we all need to remember to learn to read labels.

Since Stella was born, I have been trying to phase meat & dairy out of our lives (and she’s almost five!) We all know fruits  and veggies are great for us, but doesn’t it sound like sorcery when we say it could reverse heart disease or type II diabetes? 

For centuries, reports & studies have shown the health benefits of eating plant based while avoiding meat & dairy.  I’m not saying “go vegan today”, but we definitely don’t need any dairy or the amount of meat recommended by the USDA.  Let’s face it, no one is lobbying for fruits and vegetables even with their well known health benefits. 

Benefits of going plant based:
-Weight Loss 

• One group of researchers suggested that vegetarians more easily keep off weight than their meat eating counterparts. 
• Vegetarians are also eating more nutrient dense foods
• Instead of having children predicting to not outlive their parents, vegetarian children are leaner than their non-vegetarian peers.

-Decrease type II diabetes

• Low fat, plant based foods have been suspected to not only help prevent, but possibly reverse, insulin sensitivity.
• Healthier eating habits also showed a greater improvement in glycemic and lipid control than the American Diabetes Association’s diet. 
• More than 100 mil live with diabetes or preDM. 7th leading COD in 2015. predicted that 1 in 3 Americans will have type II diabetes by 2050. Type II diabetes is preventable, studies dating back a century show increase fat intake increases Type II Diabetes risk.

-Heart Disease

• Remember everyone saying how great olive oil must have been because people eating a Mediterranean diet has lower levels of heart disease? It wasn’t because the oil, it was because they mainly ate plant foods with small amounts of fish.
• Vegetarians also have lower systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressures. This means your blood vessels and heart aren’t working as hard so they aren’t going to be worn out as quickly.
• 1/2 Americans have hypertension. Hypertension increases the risk for heart disease and stroke, the 2nd leading cause of death in the US. Meat causes increased inflammation in human cells, including blood vessels.  Fruits & vegetables lead people to have a lower blood pressure.  
• Egg consumption also causes plaque buildup and one study suggests that those with a risk of heart disease should avoid regular egg consumption as it was as bad as smoking 5 cigarettes a day.

If there’s one thing I cannot emphasize enough, it’s that cows don’t magically make protein and calcium.  They get it from plants like you can!  Yes it takes more food, but when you’re eating healthfully you can afford (& need) to eat more.  It’s also not all salads, we make burritos, sushi bowls, spaghetti, chili, pancakes, and more with plant foods. There are some great vegan recipes on the internet.

 Also, I’m not a RD, I’ve always been super passionate about food. If you have a chronic disease, make sure to keep your practitioner up to date on your plans as your medications can need adjusted. 

So what did you think of this blog post? Do you aim to eat a plant based diet? Let me know! Have an epic Tuesday friends!