Veggies for the Win
FIVE REASONS TO CHOOSE A PLANT-BASED LIFESTYLE by Kiki Powers, MS, CNC
M
any of us have come across the term “plant-based eating”. Perhaps the regimen was recommended to us by a medical or nutritional professional. We may have read about it in a magazine or seen a documentary on the subject. Scientists
around the globe have studied this lifestyle choice, and persuasive evidence is mounting that eating a preponderance of foods from plant sources has health merits. Te concept is attributed to T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., the Jacob Gould Schurman
professor emeritus of nutritional biochemistry at Cornell University. Based on his extensive research, he has advocated a low-fat, whole food, plant-based diet since the 1980s, and his commentary appears in Forks Over Knives, an influential 2011 documentary on the subject that is still worth viewing. Americans love their cheeseburgers and french fries, and breaking a habit that we
thoroughly enjoy might be challenging at first. But we need not completely ban such delights from our menu, so long as our plates are brimming with vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, beans, healthy oils, nuts and seeds most of the time. Gradually transitioning to a whole food, plant-based, low-fat diet is the winning formula for positive change and long-term compliance. Here are five compelling reasons to make this promising dietary shiſt.
Cost-Effective Disease Prevention As so many Americans struggle with chronic health issues, including obesity, diabetes and heart disease, physicians are hard-pressed to find the right combination of treatments to help their patients lead healthier lives. At the same time, healthcare costs continue to skyrocket. In 2020, health spending rose to $4.1 trillion, or $12,530 per capita, according to the American Medical Association. In a 2013 article published in Te Permanente Journal, California physicians surveyed
leading research and case studies and found that plant-based diets offer patients a low- risk, cost-effective intervention to regulate weight, blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Tey also asserted that such eating regimens could reduce the number of medications patients would have to take for chronic disease, and that physicians should recommend such diets to all of their patients, especially those suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease or obesity.
20 Central Florida
www.NACFL.com Besides saving money on drugs and
medical procedures, a plant-based menu has never been easier or more affordable. According to recent data conducted by the UK nonprofit Veganuary, plant-based meals eaten at home cost 40 percent less than meat- or fish-based meals and take one-third less time to prepare. “Te most powerful tool I discovered
while in practice for both preventing and treating chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and arthritis was the implementation of a plant-based nutritional plan to a patient’s life,” says Ted Crawford, a board-certified family physician featured in two inspiring documentaries about the life-changing benefits of a plant-based diet: Eating You Alive and PlantWise.
Flavor, Freshness and Flavonoids Te latest food trend is a “burger” made entirely of plants. Te race is on to see which one looks and tastes closest to a juicy, all-beef patty. Whether it’s mushrooms posing as “steak” or wheat-based seitan kneaded into “chicken”, recipes catering to carnivores have their audience. For some, these tasty alternatives may offer a path toward becoming a vegetarian or vegan.
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