«Nutrition is the master key to human health»
– Dr T.Colin Campbell PHD
A whole foods, plant based diet (WFPBD) can help you live a longer, healthier life. Decades of research has clearly shown that a WFPBD is the optimal diet for humans and can have a significant impact on our health by offsetting and reversing a range of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and neurological diseases.
A balanced WFPBD is naturally low in calories and saturated fat (leading to easier management of weight therefore offsetting heart disease),with the additional benefits of being high in fibre, antioxidants and phytochemicals. A diet high in fibre promotes toxin elimination and helps make one feel fuller for longer. Removing animal products from ones diet also lowers intake of “bad” cholesterol.
Complex carbohydrates from plants are our main source of energy and are easy to digest. Antioxidants from fruits and vegetables help strengthen our immune system and maintain healthy cells in our body which are just some of the ways in which a WFPBD may help offset or even reverse chronic disease. In contrast, consuming animal products which are high in saturated fat, cholesterol and growth hormones can accelerate diseases such as heart disease and hormonal types of cancer. For further information, take a look at the following links from one of the world’s leading doctors in nutrition, Michael Greger M.D.: Cancer Heart Disease. These links highlight just some of the wide body of research supporting the effect of a WFPBD against chronic disease.
Well, it really is quite straightforward! Simply stick to whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds and keep your diet as “whole” as possible, staying away from foods that are processed/refined and have added fats and sugars. You can get all the nutrients you need on WFPBD, but think about B12! It’s very important to make sure you are getting enough B12 through fortified plant based food products, but mainly through a supplement which is easy to get hold of at a pharmacy.
There is a common misconception that humans need a large amount of dietary protein and it is amazing how often vegans are asked where they get their protein from! The simple answer is, plant-based foods can provide all the protein we need. Generally we need approximately 40-70 grams of protein per day and green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds are packed with protein. A wide body of research shows that consuming large amounts of animal protein not only compromises ones health due to their high levels of cholesterol and saturated fat, but also the growth hormones and heme iron in animal products are carcinogenic and may cause a range of different cancers.
If we set aside the environment, climate, our health and resource use, we come across the individuals who are directly and immediately affected by our diet. The animals, whose integrity and lives are directly affected by our daily and irrational decisions on whether we declare them as friends or as goods.
Our food choices are responsible for about one third of the negative environmental impact we cause. In no other area of our lives can we do more to limit the damage on our environment than by switching to a plant-based, organic and regional diet.