Plant based diet goes main stream

Why do we dread eating vegetables?

They’re full of nutrients, flavor, and can fit in any meal. Yet we still cringe and think back to our childhood days whenever someone tells us to “eat your veggies.” We’ve known for a long time now that eating plants is the key to unlocking full health potential, but the world is shocked with the recent study showing that plant based diets can reduce your risk of type two diabetes.

Why is this big news? Well, traditionally risk for type two diabetes is associated with factors relative to physical fitness and demographics and not so much based on how often you eat plants (take this quick test through the CDC if you’re a lil worried).

Yet, what the media is most shocked by, is that eating healthful plants are the key to lowering your risk. This “catch,” though should be the least surprising part of the study as factors such as high triglyceride intake (which is commonly associated with high blood pressure and cholesterol levels) are known to be associated with risk for diabetes (along with a number of other health issues. Sorry America, your french fries and onion rings are not helping adhere to plant based diets. In fact, the recent journal article featuring this info from 9 studies forming a meta-analysis (think big time analysis) showing that those who adhered the most to healthful plant based diets were least at risk. This makes sense as those who eat plant based food, identified as fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and whole grains by the analysis are generally less likely to be overweight.

Let’s be honest, nobody feels fantastic after eating a big ol’ steak anyways. So what does this new analysis mean? You can preach being vegetarian or vegan from the mountain tops, but even little efforts can potentially save your health. Opt for food that is grilled or baked instead of fried. Try incorporating plant based iron sources like spinach and lentils into your meal instead of red meat. A nice rack of ribs is a nice treat, but red meat doesn’t have to be the focus of every meal.

I love meat, I love barbecues, and I love the occasional french fry binge. But I’m learning to really LOVE feeling good eating plants! As researchers are figuring out that constant meat consumption may not be ideal for everyone– do you plan on changing your diet? Are you still going to grill up steaks for dinner tonight? Comment below with your reaction or if you have any cool ideas for meat alternative eating! Feel free to shoot me a message if you wanna know more/have any recommendations, I’m just here to help you learn about your health!