Plant Based Diet: Facts and Myths

There have been several diets that have become mainstream in the past few years. All of them claim to offer weight loss and a way to change your life for the better. One of these popular diets you may have heard of is the plant based diet. This is a diet that has gained a lot of popularity as several famous people preach that this is the best diet idea out there. Is it for you?

What is a Plant Based Diet?

A plant based diet is a diet that is based on foods that are derived from plants. Whoever undertakes this diet is going to be eating those items that come from plants and that is it. They are not allowed to have any animal products.

What Can You Eat on a Plant Based Diet?

With the definition of a plant based diet understood, just what can you eat on a plant based diet? Believe it or not, there are several foods that you are going to be able to eat. You can eat any type of fruit that you want since they are derived from plants. You can eat vegetables like peppers, corn, avocados, lettuce, spinach, peas, beans, and so forth.

You can eat potatoes and beets as well, even though they are root based vegetables. You can eat whole grains like cereals, whole wheat, and even popcorn. You can opt to even find plant based milks to put into your cereals.

Is a Plant Based Diet Healthy?

So, is a plant based diet really that healthy? Those who eat this type of diet are often leaner, since they are not counting calories as much as other people and are still managing their weight since a plant based diet is often lower in calories than other types of diets. In addition, a plant based diet is considered to be better for the environment since you are only eating items that are coming from plants.

With this being said, you do have to make sure that you are getting your protein from another source like tofu before you can consider this a fully healthy diet. You do not want to get to the point that your protein levels suffer, as this can affect your overall health. However, if you were to watch these levels, while ensuring that you are getting all your daily mineral and vitamins with this diet, it is considered a healthy diet that can help you to be healthier and leaner. It can be a great way to lose some weight that you have been trying to lose.

Photo by Chantal Garnier on Unsplash