What’s a Plant-Based diet?

Simply put, a plant-based diet is a diet that is primarily focused around plants. Pretty straight forward right? On a plant-based diet, you should be including tons of greens, vegetables, and fruit but also, beans, legumes, starchy carbs like potatoes, all types of grains, seeds, nuts, herbs, and healthy overt fats like avocado and coconut. Being “plant-based” doesn’t necessarily mean you are a “vegan” or even a “vegetarian”. But it does mean that you are eating a diet that is predominantly based around whole, plant-based foods.

Have you heard of the “Blue Zones”? The Blue Zones are a term coined by the author, Dan Buettner. These are areas around the world where people tend to live longer than average. One of the elements found in every Blue Zone is a diet that is rich in whole, plant-based foods. Think of the long-touted, universally accepted as “healthy”, Mediterranean diet. This is a diet focused primarily on fresh local vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and healthy fats. Yes, animal protein is consumed on the Mediterranean diet but it tends to be in smaller quantities.

The indigenous Okinawan’s are also famous for their longevity as well as their diet rich in locally grown plants like the famous Imu ( the bright purple, Okinawan Sweet Potato), rice-based congees, high water vegetables like bitter melon, fermented foods like tofu and miso, and a variety of sea vegetables. Over 90% of the traditional Okinawan diet revolves around whole, plant-based foods with less than 3% coming from fish, meat, dairy, and eggs. Beans and legumes are also an important staple of the Okinawan diet ( as well as in all the Blue Zones ). Beans and legumes not only add plant-based proteins but are high in fiber. They are also delicious. So make sure you include them.

As for veganism, animal products are not necessary on a well-varied, plant-based diet. Plants will offer almost all the necessary carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and vitamins that the human body needs to thrive. The one exception is B-12 for vegans. A plant-based source of Omega 3 oil and collagen is also often recommended.

Plant-based diets are also incredibly high in phytonutrients, fiber, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory foods. They can help protect our bodies from so many avoidable diseases from type 2 diabetes to heart disease. They can help with better digestion ( thanks to the increase in fiber ) and assist in rebuilding one’s microbiome. Especially with the added help of natural pre-biotics and pro-biotics. If you are interested in re-establishing a healthy micro-biome ( because it’s probably taken a beating over the years from antibiotic use, over the counter medications, alcohol consumption, and/or eating a diet high in processed foods ) then I highly recommend seeing a qualified Naturopathic Physician for guidance. I did this, and whoa…did I learn a lot!

Plant-based diets are trending these days and after much research and my personal experience, it’s easy to see why. Eat plants foods in their whole form as much as possible. Try removing as much processed, packaged, and overly seasoned foods ( added sugars, salts and oils ) as you can. Eat seasonally, go to your local farmer’s markets, and support small plant-based businesses. With some planning and discipline, you’ll be well on your way to a plant-based lifestyle and most definitely too overall better health.