Since the COVID19 started killing people, millions of people across the world, started reconsidering their diet quite often. Nowadays, even the meat eaters also don’t mind eating vegan food once in a while. Generally, people have this pre-conceived notion that vegans don’t get enough protein and other nutrition. But they must know that there are lot of whole plant based food options where you get the similar amount of protein, vitamins, magnesium, zinc, potassium and other nutrition what we get from meat or other animal proteins.
What is plant based diet?
Simply defining, plant based diet is a diet when the consumer is eating all the food items coming from plants and not from animals in any form. Its involves less processed food and helps in losing weight. Its a great diet for maintaining mental and physical well being as well. Plant based diet is also known for strengthening immunity in a short span of time. People who find it difficult to control their sugar/sweet intake, they must try plant based diet. The natural sweetness from the fruits and plant milk/plat curd can easily satisfy your sweet tooth.
Benefits of plant based diet
If you are planning to give the plant based diet a try, then you must know the following benefits of the plant based diet:
1. Plant based diet itself is a diet which can help you in detoxifying your system. When we consume herbs over night soaked in water and drink the very next day, we do it to detoxify or cleanse our system. We don’t add any food items coming from animals. We add the simple whole herbs coming from plants.
2. Plant based or vegan diet is highly beneficial for people suffering from hypertension, diabetes, heart issues, kidney issues and many more. This diet was very helpful in some of the auto-immune diseases as well.
3. Many experts found that animal protein can lead to cognitive decline, like, forgetfulness, confusion with decision making, memory loss too. In many studies, it was found that Alzheimer’s is one of those disorders which was aggravated due to their lifestyle.
4. So many varieties of food items are available in plant based diet. You can eat vegetables, fruits, lentils, legumes, rice, breads and plant milk. If you can be little creative with your diet then you can have varieties of food almost every single day.
5. The plant eaters should not get upset with not having meat. There are many brands, which is coming up with plant based meat and fish nowadays. Plant meat are made from mushrooms, soy, gluten and jackfruit. If you have a sweet tooth, then varieties of vegan chocolates, tiramisu and desserts are available. Some of the cookies and desserts are super easy to bake/cook at home. Some desserts are so simple that you don’t even need to cook it.
6. While cooking meat, fish, eggs one uses lot of water and fuel. Since its a tough meat and needs to be cooked through it becomes time consuming. Whereas, plant based food takes less time to cook and saves water and fuel a lot.
Myths about plant based diet
Just like every other concept on earth, people have some misconceptions about plant based diet too. Here are some of the myths I came across while turning vegan:
1. Turning a complete vegan (plant based eater) is tough, rather next to impossible.
2. The vegans don’t get enough protein and other various nutrition from the plant based diet.
3. People think, being vegan means restricting oneself from eating. But instead of focusing on the food you cannot eat, you should rather focus on the food you are allowed to eat. Be grateful for the food with a positive mindset, you can easily manifest a healthy lifestyle for yourself and your family.
4. People also think that plant based diet is very expensive, which is again a big myth. Vegetables, lentils and legumes are cheaper in the market compared to meat and some varieties of fishes. If you will purchase lamb, chicken, beef or pork, they don’t come cheap. Seafood are expensive than the plant based food any given day.
5. For ages humans have been eating animals and they think plant based food don’t have any health benefits. Vegan diet is nowadays very popular in maintaining diabetes, thyroid, heart issues and many other chronic diseases. Myths will always be myths until you keep them aside and try the plant based diet on your own.
Why the numbers of vegan restaurants are increasing?
As per the recent research by United Nations, 31% of the carbon emission is produced by humans through their food habits. Food production processes like, food processing, food transport and waste are majorly responsible for increasing the carbon emission. While cooking meat, eggs or fishes, we need to use lot of water and fuel, that’s also adding a lot into the carbon emission. Let’s not forget that, plant based food is very easy to digest and it rarely gives you acidity or any type of indigestion unless you are allergic to a particular food item. The above mentioned reasons, benefits and myths are something to be considered and don’t throw them away. Hopefully, after reading this post some of you might try eating plant based food. I just want to convey my gracefulness to the vegan diet practitioners.