Why Are More and More People Consuming Plant-Based Diets?

Beginner’s Guide to starting a Plant-Based Diet

For the past few years, there has been a significant rise in the number of people opting for plant-based meals. It has become more than just a type of a fancy ‘diet’, and with good reason. Avid meat eaters are now slowly transitioning their animal-protein-based meals out, to replace them with green substitutes. Mind you, a plant-based diet is not synonymous with vegetarian/vegan diets. What it implies is, people following this diet consume mostly food that is derived from plant origin ingredients. Of course, its countless benefits have been reinforced by media attention that the transitioned celebrities and athletes garner.

Several movies and documentaries have drawn attention to the health and planetary concerns around diets consisting of frequent or high amounts of animal products. People have been educated through these media forums about how a plant-based diet not only comes with numerous health benefits but also slashes carbon emissions that help save the habitats for endangered species. Diets revolving around meat products have been proven to increase Type-2 diabetes, coronary heart diseases, and other non-communicable diseases that reduce life expectancies across the globe.

Benefits of a plant-based diet:

1. Enhanced nutrition

Plant-based diets have become popular since they are scientifically proven to be more heart and digestion-friendly. This is due to the high amounts of fibers and a ton of vitamins and minerals present in them. What makes these plant-based diets even healthier and more nourishing is that they are generally low in saturated fats and cholesterol which are infamous for negatively affecting our health. Due to the high-fiber, a low saturated fat combination of these natural foods, it aids in losing weight effortlessly. 

Julianna Hever, RD, the author of The Health Span Solution: How and What to Eat to Add Life to Your Years states, “Plant-based diets have been associated with reduced risk of certain cancers, lower blood pressure, cholesterol and hyperglycemia, as well as lower body fat and body mass index.”

2. Limiting our carbon footprint.

We are living in trying times where we are every day witnessing the harsh aftermath of climate-change. Climate-change, which can potentially lead to mass extinction, has been induced to large carbon footprints across the globe. This is due to industrialization and deforestation. The animal husbandry industry is known to have one of the biggest carbon-footprints.

Dana Humes, Ph.D., MPH, RD has stated that shifting away from animal-based foods could not only add up to 49% to the global food supply without expanding croplands but would also significantly reduce carbon emissions and waste byproducts that end up in our oceans and as seafood byproducts. 

Similarly, by reducing our animal-based food consumption, we would reduce our water use at least by half as animal husbandry utilizes more than 50% of freshwater. These reductions would reduce the direct and indirect threats to Earth’s health and habitability for us, and for all wildlife, flora, and fauna.

David Attenborough, the famous BBC broadcaster and a renowned environmentalist has emphasized the importance of shifting to a plant-based diet in order to slow down and reverse climate change in his Netflix documentary- A Life on Our Planet.

Awareness among the masses today has helped promote the importance of plant-based diets and its advocates are increasing with every passing day. By adopting a plant-based diet, you have nothing to lose. However, the upsides are invaluable- an enhanced lifestyle along with long and healthy life, and you can be Earth’s personal savior in your own little way!

What is a whole food plant-based diet?

While starting a plant-based diet, make sure that the foundation of your diet is full of a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, mushrooms, nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices- that is considered a plant-based diet.

In order to avoid any forms of deficiencies, make sure to consume the necessary plant-based supplements in order to get maximum benefits. OZiva’s plant-based products are here to help you on your new diet journey with our naturally formulated, 100% clean, and vegan products. 

Our personal favorite is OZiva’s Organic Plant Protein. This can be your go-to for your plant-based protein needs. Full of essential amino acids, organic quinoa, brown rice, and pea protein,  this supplement is free from gluten, soy, lactose, and sugar, making it perfect for your family’s daily protein needs, irrespective of age.

Plant-Based Recipes to get you started:

You can sneak your protein into your healthy snacks with creative recipes. We recommend checking out our “The Ultimate Plant-Based Cookies to Meet Your Daily Protein Needs” on our blog or even subscribing to your YouTube channel called OZiva TV for many such interesting recipes.

Have you transitioned to a plant-based diet yet? If not, what are you waiting for? 

Optimal health and a sustainable environment await you!