In case you've missed it, eating plant-based foods is the latest trend taking the food industry by storm. Big players such Tyson, have even joined the trend by investing in businesses that reduce consumption of chicken, beef and pork by replacing it with plant proteins, said business being Beyond Meat .
But what exactly does it mean to eat a plant-based diet? Per Alona Pulde, MD and Matthew Lederman, MD of Fork Over Knives “A whole-food, plant-based diet is centered on whole, unrefined, or minimally refined plants. It’s a diet based on fruits, vegetables, tubers, whole grains, and legumes; and it excludes or minimizes meat (including chicken and fish), dairy products, and eggs, as well as highly refined foods like bleached flour, refined sugar, and oil.”
Per the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health some of the following reasons could be contributing to the trend:
1. Obesity
According to a report conducted in 2009 by Wang and Beysoun a professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, there was a positive association between meat consumption and obesity.
2. Health
Diseases such as Diabetes, Heart Disease and High Blood Pleasure could be reversed by eating a plant-based diet.
3. Mood
Eating a plant-based diet could alter your behavior in a positive way, plus reduce anxiety and mood swings.
4. Planet
Some say, that the dietary transition that has occurred in the last 50 years has not only harmed animals and people, but also the planet. This is due to the release of greenhouse gases in the air. The more meat in demand, the more gases released. Eliminating, or cutting down on the consumption of meat could save the earth from further destruction—hence Plant-Based diet.
5. Physical Benefits
Research indicates that eating a plant-based diet leads to a stronger and more energetic body, which includes: lower BMI’s (body Mass Index), weight loss, energy and healthy skin.
That said, research also shows that it is important to listen to your body. Your body is the greatest indicator that something is not right. The next time you find that your body is not responding well, either by way of digestion or emotional problem, take note of your diet, it could save your life.