Most people associate diets with a good way of getting down a pants size. But a plant strong diet can do so much more than just make you look better on the outside. For people suffering from chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, the focus of a diet is not so much to cut calories, but make every calorie count. Zero calorie soda? While it won’t add to your waistline, it can detract from your overall health. Plant strong eating? Every bite benefits your body, keeping it well supplied with an army of nutrients that can slow down or even reverse the onslaught of chronic illness.
A lot of research has been done on the health benefits of plant-based diets. Study after study1 shows that people who eat a plant strong diet have far lower incidences of chronic heart disease, diabetes, and even some forms of cancer. The American Institute for Cancer Research2 emphasizes the importance of vitamin rich fruits and vegetables in a healthy diet. It recommends that 2/3 of your meal should be devoted to fruit and vegetable consumption as part of your strategy to reduce your risk of cancer.
A plant-based diet is also an effective way to manage diabetes.3 A study4 found that diabetics following a plant strong diet were able to reduce the amounts of medication they were taking to keep their diabetes in check. The blood sugar levels of many of the participants even dropped to a normal range within months.
On the heart disease front, another study5 showed that people who ate plant strong diets significantly dropped their risk of repeat heart attacks.
It should be noted that plant strong doesn’t automatically equal vegetarian. A study6 done in 2013 noted that while “…most of these [vegetarian] diets are defined by what they exclude, the plant-based diet is defined by what it includes.” To be sure, a plant strong diet means significantly limiting your meat intake, but the focus is on the nutrients you are receiving. Sticking with a plant-based diet means you make sure what you eat is unprocessed, maximizing the amount of nutrients available to your body.
When you follow a plant strong diet, you are actively crafting your body into becoming its strongest and most disease resistant self. A beach body is just an added perk.
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