No one diet is right for everyone.
While we are discussing a plant-based diet in this article, we know that all have different physiologies, meaning that what works for one person may or may not work for someone else. Some people can lose weight with a low-carb diet but not a low-fat diet, while others may need a different approach it’s important to find something that works for you.
One thing is certain, though. Eating nutrient-dense meals (regardless of whether they’re low-carb, low-fat, or somewhere in between) is essential not only to losing weight but to ensuring an overall healthy lifestyle.
And March is National Nutrition Month, making it the perfect time to think about how you can eat more nutritiously. Created and promoted by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, National Nutrition Month focuses on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.
At Shakthi, we believe that good nutrition is the foundation for a healthy body and mind. Nutrition is how the body uses food for growth and maintenance. The positive impact of eating a whole food diet high in nutrients can directly influence your quality of life. When you begin to look at making changes in your nutritional intake, whole foods are favored over processed, refined foods.
One way to ensure you eat more nutritiously is to make the move to a plant-based diet. For some of us, that may be a real challenge, but we believe it’s one worth taking on. Here are four reasons why we believe you should give a plant-based diet a shot.
Reduce Inflammation
According to the NIH, inflammation is the underlying cause of a number of diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and chronic pain diseases. And studies have shown that people with diets that use fruits and vegetables as the main source of nutrients have an inverse risk of inflammation.
Reduce Risk of Disease
We discussed this in our Gut Check blog post not too long ago, but plant-based diets tend to be healthier because they reduce bacteria and enzymes in the body that can cause diseases. This includes reducing your risk of heart attacks, diabetes, high blood pressure, and more common but deadly diseases.
Build Lean Muscle
Related to losing weight, building lean muscle is a great way to be fit and healthy. And plant-based diets can help promote lean muscle as well or even better than diets with meat. The plant world has a wide variety beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts and seeds, all packed with a powerful dose of not only protein but the nutrients the body needs to transform that protein into usable muscle.
Lose Weight
For some people, switching to a plant-based diet can help you lose weight: Generally speaking, vegetables and fruits are lower in calorie and it takes your body more energy to break them down than it does highly processed food. That said, this doesn’t hold true for everyone, and so it’s best to look at weight loss as an added bonus of switching diets, rather than a goal of that diet.
At Shakthi, we work closely with you to help restore good nutrition and diet in your life. We won’t just give you a list of things to do and send you on your way. Through careful testing and study, we’ll identify the best nutrition plan for your individualized needs and desired outcome.
We teach our patients what good nutrition is and how it can affect their lives for the better. We have a nutritionist on staff to help teach our patients how to prepare food with maximum health benefits. We offer a variety of health, wellness and nutrition classes on-site for our patients convenience.
If you’re considering switching to a plant-based diet but you’re not sure where to start, we can help. Schedule an appointment with our nutritionist today and start down the road to healthier eating and living!
Let us help you feel what’s it is like to be well.