By Cynthia Mitchell
Why not choose a plant-based diet? My diet for the past 13 years has been plant-based, and over the years I have been faced with many comments from friends and family such as…. “I could never do that.” “What do you eat?” “How do you get enough protein?” “So you eat chicken right?” “Are you hungry all the time?”
To answer these mysteries…. I eat food, just like you, minus the animal. Chicken is not a plant, so No, I do not eat chicken. I get all the protein necessary for human existence from plants like spinach, lentils, edamame, quinoa, nuts, beans, avocado…. the list goes on and on.
No, I am not hungry all the time, I am fully satisfied and not lethargic. And you can do it if you WANT to. That last one is the real challenge. WANTING to is the real reason why so many people do not choose a plant-based diet. We have to WANT to. We have to WANT to take care of our bodies. We have to eat like we give a damn about ourselves. Most of us live our lives as if we have another body stored away in the back of our closet that we can just jump into when this body becomes unhealthy. But in reality, we do not. We have ONE body. ONE life. ONE opportunity to feel good in the body we live in.
Let’s face it, our health industry pays no attention to the food industry and the majority of our food industry pays no attention to health. Your health is in your hands.
So let’s briefly look at some of the benefits of choosing a plant-based diet.
Less cholesterol from meat = balanced blood pressure = less pressure in the arteries in your heart = less risk of heart attack.
More fiber from plants = better digestion = happy waistline and tummy. Less saturated fats from meat = less clogged pores = better complexion.
Hormones injected in mass-produced animals = a higher risk of hormone cancers like colon and breast cancer.
And those are only a few benefits of a plant-based diet. I encourage you to do your own research on those facts in more depth.
We have all been told before, read in a magazine, or seen on a billboard why we should eat less meat and more plants. In today’s society, it is impossible to claim negligence with media and technology. There is no excuse other than not WANTING to. So why don’t we WANT to? Have you ever asked yourself? Every time you put food in your mouth you get the opportunity to nourish your body or damage your body.
When your body is hungry it wants nutrients, not calories. Nutrients that can be found in plants. Plants that are grown in nutrient-rich soil from the earth.
Eating well is a form of self-respect. Respecting your body. You know – the only one you have for the next 40-60 years? So why not choose a plant-based diet?