12 benefits to eating a plant based diet

1. Lower Blood Pressure Most people living a plant-based diet automatically have lower blood pressure due to a higher intake of potassium-rich foods. Potassium helps lower blood pressure that leads to stress and anxiety. Most all whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and all fruits and vegetables contain high amounts of potassium and Vitamin B6 (which also helps lower blood pressure). Meat and most all animal foods contain little to no potassium and actually raise blood pressure and cholesterol.

2. Lower Cholesterol Speaking of lower cholesterol, it’s one of the main benefits you’ll receive from embracing plant-based foods. Most people don’t know that plants contain NO cholesterol, even saturated sources like coconut and cacao. While you should balance your fat intake no matter if you’re vegan or not, a plant-based diet is one of the simplest ways to lower cholesterol. Consider this: one egg has twice the amount of cholesterol as a fast food hamburger and fish contains almost or even more cholesterol than meat or poultry, depending on the type you eat. Plant foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and seeds can actually lower rates of cholesterol and heart disease. For more on taking care of your cholesterol, check out these great tips to take care of your cholesterol on a vegan diet.

3. Better Blood Sugar The number one way to fight high blood sugar is to eat more fiber. Its slows down absorption of sugars in the blood stream and as a result can help improve how hungry you are all day long, not to mention balance your cortisol levels that cause stress. Animal foods have been found to raise blood sugar, despite the myth that they help fight it.

4. Lower Rates of Cancer A low fat, whole foods plant-based diet is the number one way to improve your chances at avoiding cancer risks (while also avoiding smoking and alcohol, of course). Animal foods have been linked to cancer, especially colon and breast cancer.

5. Weight Loss If you’re consuming a whole foods, plant-based diet (especially one that’s low in fat and processed sugars), you’re going to lose weight. A food high in raw, clean whole foods may improve your chances at losing weight even more, even though cooked foods may help with nutrient absorption. Weight loss naturally occurs when you consume more fiber, vitamins, and minerals than you do animal fats and proteins.

Kathy Freston, vegan wellness expert, says that within two weeks of a plant-based diet, most people lose five pounds without going hungry or feeling deprived. You’ll also likely also experience less constipation and better sleep on a plant-based diet, along with less inflammation and lower risks of diabetes

6. Better Digestion Let’s start with the obvious – your digestion is going to ROCK on a vegan diet, no kidding. Plant-based foods are basically fiber, water, healthy fats, and plant-based protein. There’s nothing in those foods (unless you choose highly processed versions) that cause your digestion to slow down or take a stand-still. Just keep in mind that the added intake of fiber should be embraced with caution. Take it slow and chew your food very well, which also enhances the digestion process. For those who consume a lot of milk, cheese, and meat, this is one of the best changes you can make for healing chronic constipation, gas, bloating, stomach inflammation, and heartburn.

7. Happier Outlook Eating in a way that promotes life naturally makes you happier. You’ll have a lighter outlook on life and just generally feel happier all the way around. This is a change many people don’t expect, yet one I hear the most about from everyone who takes on the challenge.

8. Better Blood Sugar Dr. Neal Barnard is a huge advocate of a low-fat, vegan diet for healing and managing diabetes. Mainly because a plant-based diet slows down blood sugar, yet still allows insulin to do its job within the cells. Most people find they don’t suffer low blood sugar, hypoglycemia, or any other symptoms of diabetes within a week of a plant-based diet. Learn how to reap the benefits of a plant-based diet for your blood sugar and learn more about managing diabetes at the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine.

9. Pretty Skin Your skin will look incredible after a week on a plant-based diet. Nutritious plant foods are rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, antioxidants, water, chlorophyll, and vitamin E, which all do amazing things for your skin. Some of the best bets are apples, oranges, berries, greens, broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, avocados, lemons, beets, squash, and tomatoes.

10. More Energy Animal foods are extremely hard to digest. When the digestive system becomes overwhelmed, it sucks all the energy right out of you. Eating a plant-based diet is a great way to enhance your energy since digestion is naturally easier and certain plant-based foods contain energizing properties. Just be aware of portion size since eating extremely large meals can also be taxing on your system. Check out our recipes section, which is filled with yummy options to choose from.

11. Less Inflammation Have join pain? Eat more plants! Plant-based foods lower inflammation. Especially those rich in omega-3 fats like chia and flax, along with leafy greens that contain chlorophyll which relieves inflammation. Eating a plant-based diet increases alkalinity in the body to calm inflammation. A diet high in animal foods promotes acidity which can lead to everything from arthritis to gout to chronic stomach inflammation.

12. Better Sleep A plant-based diet is incredibly beneficial for your sleep health. Even though you’ll likely have endless amounts of energy throughout the day, you’ll likely feel more calm and find it easier to nod off to sleep. Plus, certain foods like bananas, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cashew butter, peanut butter, avocados, kale, almonds, walnuts, spinach, and squash all contain vitamin B6, trytophan, and magnesium, which ensure a healthy sleep cycle. Kale, Swiss chard, fortified almond or soy milk, and dried figs are also richer in calcium than dairy milk (which has been said to actually leach calcium from the body).