Discover the 5 Benefits Of The Vegan Diet + Facts And Precautions.
Vegans choose to avoid eating all animal products for a combination of reasons, which generally include better health, weight loss or maintenance, protection against chronic diseases, and even a positive effect on the world around them. Those are just a few of the benefits of the vegan diet.
In contrast, each year the average American consumes more than 200 pounds of meat and poultry, which is about three times the world average.
Additionally, the average adult living in North America consumes 607 pounds of milk, cheese, and other dairy products each year, plus about 79 pounds of fat annually (including some from low-quality animal products), a whopping 22 pounds. more than what you consumed in the 1980s.
One of the biggest problems we face today is that mass production of factory-farmed products often fails to take into account the welfare of either the animals involved or us, the consumers.
Another major player in this equation is the environment, as a large body of research now shows how much-industrialized dairy and livestock production seriously affects the ecosystem.
For example, these industries appear to be responsible for a quarter or more of total greenhouse gas emissions that are linked to alarming climate change.
It is clear that many adults (and children too) living in western industrialized countries tend to eat too much-packaged food, often too many animal products and, to top it all off, generally too little plant food.
Processed foods of all kinds, including low-quality meats and dairy products, are now produced in an increasingly mechanized way that makes them more stable, economical, and convenient than ever before.
Add in synthetic flavor enhancers, lots of sodium, and added sugar too, and you’ve got products that tend to be very tasty, calorie-dense, and easy to overindulge.
Following a vegan diet is one way to avoid the dangers of conventional meat and dairy. So what do vegans eat? What are the benefits of the vegan diet and how can you follow it? We’ll see.
Health Benefits of the vegan diet
1.- You will probably lose weight
Cross-sectional studies of vegetable consumers (vegetarians and vegans) have shown that on average they have a relatively low BMI, especially vegans.
If you change your diet to favor plants and unprocessed foods, it is very likely (although not guaranteed) that you will consume fewer calories than you did when you ate the standard American diet high in sugar, refined carbohydrates, dairy products, and low-fat meat. quality.
More than a quarter of the calories in many Americans’ diets come from highly processed and harmful carbohydrates such as sodas and sweetened grain products, while another quarter comes from animal products.
Plants have fewer calories than their weight; in other words, they have a lower caloric density and are also denser in nutrients.
They are also high-fiber and filling foods, which can help you control your food and calorie intake more easily.
2.- Improved intestinal health
Health markers like your weight, body composition, blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol depend on many variables: physical activity, age, body composition, time of day, stress, sex, hormones, and of course, your diet.
All of these factors also influence the health of your gut, which in turn determines many processes in your body beyond digestive health.
Consuming a plant-based diet can make it easier to get enough prebiotics and probiotics to maintain a healthy gut environment.
The “good bacteria” that make up a person’s healthy microbiome need fiber from plant foods along with probiotics to flourish.
Recent studies have revealed the roles that microbes in the gut play in numerous aspects of health, from burning calories to keeping us mentally sharp.
One report states that the vegan gut profile appears to be unique in several characteristics, including a reduced abundance of pathobionts and a greater abundance of protective species.
Reduced levels of inflammation may be the key characteristic that links the vegan gut microbiota with protective health effects.
3.- Higher intake of antioxidants and enzymes
Vegans tend to eat a lot of fresh produce, often raw. This can provide many protective antioxidants that fight free radical damage and also increase the content of vital enzymes.
When cooked at a certain temperature, the enzymes found in food are destabilized.
Enzymes are important because they are needed to break food down into smaller nutritional units that the body can handle.
While the pancreas and other cells produce enzymes in the body, raw foods provide more enzymes for the body to use.
On a diet of purely cooked foods, the pancreas and other organs are overworked, because there is no external source of enzymes, and as a result, they are depleted.
Eating a variety of vegetables and including raw foods can help reverse this process.
4.- Protection against metabolic syndrome
When done the right way, a healthy vegan diet can help keep you protected from risk factors for metabolic syndromes, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and insulin resistance.
However, it is important to note that not all vegan diets will have this benefit; The quality of carbohydrates in someone’s diet (processed or not) and overall nutrient intake are determining factors.
Hypoglycemia is a blood sugar condition that occurs when there is an imbalance between glucose and insulin levels.
If you consume “simple sugars” (processed carbohydrates) that cause your glucose and insulin levels to rise rapidly, the sudden drop in blood sugar that occurs leaves you hungry and sometimes dizzy and anxious.
Eating an unhealthy diet high in sugar, low in fiber, and high in inflamed or processed foods means that your glucose levels rise and fall rapidly, and possibly your insulin levels are too high and continue to rise, setting the stage. for diabetes. A poor diet also affects your blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides.
Consuming more whole foods and plant foods as part of a vegan diet can help reduce inflammation, facilitate hormonal balance, and prevent this from happening. But again, not all vegan diets will guarantee it.
5.- Less impact on the environment
Agriculture, forestry, and other land use account for 24 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions each year, mainly due to growing crops and livestock along with deforestation (cutting down forests to make more land for livestock ).
This estimate does not even include the CO 2 that ecosystems remove from the atmosphere each year in other ways related to the livestock industry, such as through the processing and transport of animal products, or the impact that deforestation has on organic matter.
It also does not reflect the serious problems of toxic waste runoff from factory farms, causing chemicals and pollution to reach the water supply.
Additionally, concerns such as hormones and antibiotics used in the dairy and livestock industries impacting both the ecosystem and the food supply are considerations.
There are multiple environmental benefits to consuming less farm animal products and rather buying sustainable grass-fed products. Some people are motivated enough to cut all animal products from their diets for these reasons.
Precautions When Going For Vegan Diet
At the end of the day, each of us reacts to eating a little differently in a certain way. It’s important to pay attention to how dietary changes affect you and make changes based on what is healthier, rather than just following how someone tells you to eat.
I consume about 70 percent raw plant-based foods, but also 30 percent high-quality animal foods, such as organic grass-fed beef, pastured dairy, wild fish (wild salmon is my favorite), and range organic poultry and eggs.
I tried various diets, including vegetarian, vegan, and pescetarian, and found that I feel better following this relationship.
I call this relationship the healing food diet and have also found this to have the best results with my patients.
Here’s the new and updated Healing Food Shopping List so you can have an extensive food guide to follow.
The bottom line: always pay attention to your own » biofeedback «, monitoring how you feel as you make changes to your diet.
Also focus on factors beyond your weight: for example, your energy levels, mental well-being, sleep, libido, skin health, digestion, and cognition/concentration.
Frequently asked questions about the benefits of a vegan diet
Among the most frequent questions that consumers ask about the benefits of a vegan diet, we can highlight the following:
What is a vegan diet?
Vegans are vegetarians who take things one step further, avoiding all animal products in their diets.
Many vegans commit to eating more plant foods, especially fruits and vegetables, along with 100 percent whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
In addition to committing to eating fewer animal products, most also work to limit ultra-processed foods, such as white carbs and excess sugar (even though they are technically vegan).
There are several variations and definitions when it comes to vegetarianism. Here are the most common:
• Vegan: refrain from ALL animal products and eat only plant-based foods (NO meat, fish, eggs, or dairy).
• Vegetarian: The diet consists of plant-based foods and includes eggs and dairy products.
• Pescetarian: The diet includes vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, beans, eggs, dairy products, and fish (no poultry, beef, or red meat).
• Vegan Raw: A raw food diet consists of foods raw (usually all vegans) that have not been heated to more than 46º C or 115 degrees F.
When you decide to follow a raw vegan diet, you can eat only limited foods, which can make it difficult to maintain in the long term.
What do vegans eat?
Fruits and/or vegetables tend to appear in almost all vegan meals. For example, for breakfast instead of eating bacon and eggs, someone on a sensitive vegan diet might have oatmeal, fruit, nuts, coconut milk, and seeds.
For lunch, it can be rice and beans with salad. Throughout the day, vegans can eat nuts, raw vegetables and hummus, and more fruit. And for dinner, foods like tofu or beans, grains, sweet potatoes, and more veggies are common.
Depending on the exact type of plant-based diet someone follows, vegans/vegetarians typically eat:
• All kinds of fruits and vegetables, including some that are raw
• Cabbages
• Nuts and seeds
• Roots and tubers (pumpkin included)
• Fresh herbs and spices
• Seaweed
• Sprouted grains
• Soaked legumes and beans
• Fresh vegetable and fruit juices
• Cold-pressed oils like coconut oil or olive oil
• Nut kinds of butter
• Nut milk
• Raw olives and avocado for healthy fats
• Fermented foods like miso and kimchi
• Pure maple syrup
• Dried fruits and vegetables
• Vinegar and food that has been cured with vinegar
• Raw cocoa / dark chocolate
Keep in mind that if you are a raw vegan, some of these foods are even more limited. Foods that are allowed in limited quantities on a vegan diet are those that have not been heated to more than 115º F.
What do vegans avoid eating?
Vegans do not eat meat, fish, eggs, or dairy products. They may also not consume honey or products made with any kind of animal-derived ingredients such as gelatin.
Despite excluding meat, dairy, eggs, and fish, not all vegan diets are alike as you can avoid animal foods and still consume many unhealthy ingredients such as white bread, refined oils, and a lot of sugar.
A healthy vegan diet is largely made up of unprocessed plants. Depending on the reasons someone chooses to go vegan, that person may go to great lengths to avoid all animal products, junk food, and also hyper-processed carbohydrates or packaged vegan products made to be dairy or meat alternatives.
Can you eat bread as a vegan?
This depends on whether you only eat raw vegan foods or avoid gluten (a protein found in wheat).
Those who are raw vegans or gluten-free vegans do not consume grains or other foods made with wheat flour.
However, it is more common for vegans to include cooked wheat and other grains in their diets for more variety. In this case, yes, vegans eat bread.
Final thoughts on the benefits of a vegan diet
• A vegan diet excludes ALL products of animal origin, focusing instead on foods of plant origin.
Meat, fish, eggs, or dairy are NOT included in a vegan diet, while all types of fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, grains, and herbs/spices are.
• The benefits of a vegan diet can include weight control, heart health, reduced risk of metabolic syndrome, high antioxidant intake, and better gut health.
• Risks associated with vegan diets, however, include low intake of certain nutrients such as B vitamins, iron, calcium, and omega-3s, along with low protein intake and potentially weakness/fatigue.
• Make sure you listen to your body and eat a complete and balanced diet without processed foods, regardless of whether you are on a vegan diet or not.
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