Why is a Plant-Based Nutrition and Lifestyle good for you and your environment?
A plant-based diet and lifestyle offers many benefits, both for your health and the environment.
Here are some reasons why vegetarian and vegan diets, recipes and products have been a mega-trend for a long time.
You reduce your vulnerability to heart disease and diabetes
These two types of diseases are among the most common chronic but preventable diseases in the entire western hemisphere.
It is now undisputed that animal products containing high levels of saturated fats and cholesterol are among the main causes of heart disease and diabetes. These diseases and their effects can be reversed to a considerable extent by changing to a plant-based diet.
Many plants and herbs have a healing effect
Through a plant-based diet you not only promote your health, but also strengthen the self-healing process of your body.
Various studies have found that vegetarians have lower rates of cancer, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, stroke and even Alzheimer’s disease.
Certain herbs and medicinal plants have long been used in alternative medicine to heal diseases and wounds. Foods from the daily kitchen, such as garlic, are considered to be medicinal plants. A change to a plant-based diet with the targeted use of medicinal plants can therefore achieve similar effects to various artificially produced medicines.
A plant-based diet makes it easier to lose weight
Fruits and vegetables have a greater volume than animal foods with a lower calorie density. If you follow some basic rules for healthy cooking, you can eat as much as you want and still lose weight. At the same time, compared to the consumption of animal products, you ingest many times more important nutrients. These support the human metabolism and thus accelerate the weight loss process.
Supported by regular physical activities, a plant-based diet is the easiest way to lose weight healthily and sustainably.
A plant-based diet protects the environment
A large part of the pollution caused by humans comes from the meat industry. Beef production is considered one of the most harmful meat industries. Greenhouse gases are produced during the production of fodder, pastureland is cleared and, in addition, cattle emit climate-damaging methane.
For the production of one kg of beef, about 12 kg of CO2 are produced. If we extrapolate the CO2 emissions that could be saved if everyone were to follow a largely vegetarian diet, we are talking about millions of tons of CO2 that do not enter our atmosphere each year.
So really everyone can contribute to environmental protection by reducing meat consumption.
New variety of tastes through a variety of edible plants
There are more than 20,000 different species of edible plants in the world. Today’s supermarkets offer a wide variety of domestic vegetables and fruits. Vegetarian or even vegan food will never be boring for this reason. Combine this variety of edible foods with the number of well-known spices. All this together results in a very large variety of tastes that simply cannot become boring.
When you try new foods and spices, you also broaden your taste and cultural horizons. With a good cookbook you can immerse yourself in a different cooking culture every day and discover new, healthy dishes.
Conclusion
The reasons given in this article are some of the important aspects why you should at least think about reducing the consumption of animal products and increasing your vegetable diet.
Why not try it out for a few months and see if this healthy and sustainable lifestyle suits you better?
If you stick to this lifestyle in the long term, you will lose weight more easily, live healthier and at the same time be committed to environmental protection. With so many benefits, it’s really worth a try. What do you think?
Top 7 Foods that will Boost your Immune System
There is no better time to start boosting your immune system than the present. There are lots of dangerous viruses like the flu, and recently COVID-19, floating out there so you need to protect yourself. The first step to a better immune system is to start eating the right kinds of food.
Here are some of the immune system boosters that you should get the next time you go grocery shopping:
Citrus Fruits
There is a reason why many people consume a lot of Vitamin C when they have a cold. One of these reasons is that it strengthens the immune system. Citrus fruits are packed with Vitamin C, which is believed to help increase white blood cell production. This, in turn, helps fight off infections.
Some of the best citrus fruits that you can get right now include, but are not limited to, oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits, clementine, and tangerines. Basically, any tart or slightly sour fruit that you can get will have a good amount of vitamin C.
Broccoli
Fruits are not the only foods that contain a good amount of Vitamin C. Some vegetables, notably broccoli, are also packed with vitamin C, along with other nutrients like vitamins A and E. Moreover, this vegetable contains quite a lot of antioxidants and fiber. The best way to enjoy broccoli is to blanch it just enough to get the rawness out but it is even better if you do not cook it at all.
Garlic
The great thing about garlic is that it is used in almost all cuisines. Also, people have known of its ability to fight infections since ancient times. Many medical experts believe that garlic can help lower blood pressure and mitigate the hardening of the arteries. Garlic also contains a lot of compounds that have sulfur, including allicin. These compounds can help bolster the immune system quite a bit.
Ginger
Ginger is another spice that many people turn to when they get sick, and rightly so. This ingredient is a potent anti-inflammatory substance, which means you can use it to treat sore throat, aching joints, and other illnesses due to inflammation. Ginger can also assist in treating nausea and chronic pain. According to recent medical studies, it may also help decrease cholesterol.
Spinach
Spinach is yet another vegetable that is packed full of vitamin C, along with plenty of antioxidants and beta-carotene, which is one of the key nutrients that increase the strength of the immune system, particularly when fighting against infections. Just like broccoli, the best way to enjoy spinach is when it is eaten raw, like in a salad. However, when lightly cooked, spinach releases even more vitamin A.
Yogurt
Do not just eat any yogurt. You need to look for the ones that contain live and active cultures, including Greek yogurt. These are the good bacteria that help stimulate and strengthen the immune system. Yogurt also contains lots of Vitamin D, which regulates the processes of the immune system and naturally bolster the body’s defenses against disease and infection.
Green tea
Green tea contains a lot of flavonoids that are potent antioxidants. Aside from that, this beverage also has copious amounts of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which is another potent antioxidant that can greatly improve the functions of the immune system.
Unlike black tea, green tea is not fermented so it retains most of its natural antioxidants. Furthermore, it is rich in L-theanine, an amino acid that helps in the body’s natural production of the compounds that your T-cells use to fight against infections.
These are only some of the foods that can bolster your immune system. By making these foods a part of your diet, you no longer have to worry too much about all the viruses that are hanging about.
Food FAQ
What is food safety?
Food safety refers to a set of practices and actions that are undertaken at every stage of food processing to ensure that all the food for human consumption is 100% safe and foodborne illnesses are avoided. Businesses that are involved in the food supply chain are normally required to adhere to a mix of local, national and international guidelines, laws and policies.
What is FAO?
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) main role is to help do away with hunger, malnutrition and food insecurity. Food safety is known to play an important role in helping FAO achieve its objectives.
What are the most popular foodborne illnesses?
Foodborne, also referred to as a foodborne disease or food poisoning, is very common but also preventable. Some of the most common foodborne germs include Salmonella, E.coli, Norovirus, Campylobacter and Listeria.
Why produce genetically modified (GM) foods?
The GM foods are normally developed and marketed since there are some perceived benefits either to the consumer or marketer of these foods. The GM is meant to bring greater benefit in terms of nutritional value and durability and in lowering food prices. Most of the GM seed developers have been interested in having their products accepted by producers and this has prompted them to concentrate on innovations that can have direct benefits to farmers.
Improving crop protection is one of the main benefits of developing GM plants. Most of the genetically modified crops that are currently available in the market are geared towards increased crop protection level.
Are GM foods safe?
Various types of GM organisms do include different genes that are inserted in different ways. GM foods and their safety are assessed on a regular basis and it is not advisable to come up with general statements concerning the safety of all the GM foods.
Majority of the GM foods that are currently available in the international market have already passed safe assessments and their chances of presenting risks to human health are very low. There are also no effects on the health of humans that have been shown as a result of consumption of such types of foods.
What is food poisoning?
Food poisoning refers to an illness that is induced by taking beverages or food contaminated with harmful bacteria. With right conditions, there are millions of bacteria that can flourish in everyday and common foods. However, most of the food poisoning forms only last for a short time. There are certain foods infections that can make one feel sick for up to seven days or even more.
Is food hygiene at home important?
Food hygiene in the kitchen is very important and one can easily avoid food poisoning with good food hygiene. Having not experienced any ill effects in the past does not mean that you will never be affected by food poison in future. It is important to note that the elderly, sick and young who usually have weaker immune systems are the ones who are most susceptible to food poisoning.
What does a healthy diet mean?
“Balance” is one word that can be used to refer to a healthy diet. Although many factors are usually used to ensure a balanced diet, taking in enough nutritious food will encourage the promotion of better health. A wide variety of foods guarantees a wide range of minerals, nutrients and vitamins that are important for the body. Whenever one is either taking in too much or too little of certain elements, it can easily result in health issues. This explains why it is important for one to control and moderate their diet. For instance, fats are a necessary component in any diet, however, when they are in excess, it can cause health issues such as cardiovascular issues.
Is there any relationship between healthy eating and calories?
Calories are known to be a source of fuel to the human body. It is important that people refuel their energy supply by taking in food. However, several diets have termed calories as an enemy for ideal weight despite them being an important part of our lives. Any healthy man should target up to 2500 calories a day while their female counterparts should try and take 2000 calories a day to ensure healthy diet unless they are trying to lose weight. High-calorie foods, healthy or unhealthy, will always have high salt, fat or sugar amount. There are healthy foods which are naturally high in calorie levels and are always an important and nutritious component in any healthy diet.
Are foods containing sugar unhealthy?
Although sweet foods can be delicious, eating too much sugar is unhealthy. It is important to distinguish between artificial sugar supplement and natural sugar. For example, fruit contains natural sugar and is an important part of a balanced diet. This is why not all foods containing sugar are unhealthy.
