I'm sure you've heard the term "Plant-Based Diet" being thrown around a lot these days and wondered if this is just the latest diet and nutrition trend? Over the last few years, kosher juice bars and eateries serving plant-based food have been popping up all over the tri-state area and are packed!
While this idea might be new to the frum community at large, this way of living isn't new. The article I posted yesterday, reprinted with permission from Binah Magazine, discusses the benefits of a mostly plant-based diet. It is packed with information and I highly encourage you to read the whole article through. Here are some highlights:
The good bacteria that live inside our bodies make up our microbiome. We have microbiomes in our gut, mouth, skin, eyes, lungs, and other places, working hard to keep us healthy.
A plant-based diet, which emphasizes high fiber and water content foods, leads to optimal gut health. A healthy gut helps control digestion, benefits your immune system, controls weight gain, keeps your blood sugar and cholesterol levels low, and improves brain health and moods.
Moving away from the high fat, sugar-laden, low fiber foods that we have become used to can reduce our cravings and improve our microbiome, leading to better overall health.
A plant-based diet is one of the six pillars of Dr. Mann's "lifestyle medicine." The six pillars are:
a healthy plant-based diet
physical activity
stress reduction
sleep health
social connections
avoidance of risky substances such as tobacco and alcohol
Plant-based eating, has been around for more than 2 decades, consistently proving that it reduces your risk of and can possibly cure many chronic illnesses and helps people slim down to their ideal weight without feeling hungry.
Eating plant-based does not mean you can never eat meat! It means that your meals are mostly plants with the focus on vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. And the best part is they are delicious and completely satisfying!
Although as a whole we are still warming up to this idea, and it's definitely a big change for many who are used to eating eggs for breakfast, tuna fish for lunch, and chicken for dinner, I encourage my clients to begin by having one plant-based meal a day and go from there. Once they see how much is available for them to eat, how full they are, how much better they feel, and how much they really enjoy the food, they start to increase the number of meals per week that are plant-based and BH, they see real results!
What are your thoughts on plant-based eating? Is this completely new to you? Have you ever tried it? Is this idea something that interests you and you'd like to hear more about?
Tell me in the comments below or email me at rivkahealthyliving@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you and how I can help.
Stay tuned for my upcoming posts about the benefits of plant-based eating and how to get started.