When I decided to go on a vegan diet I didn’t know what a whole new world would open to me. I had been gradually transitioning to a vegetarian/pescatarian eating pattern for a few years before I went completely vegan, so it wasn’t a complete change for me – but there were certainly lots of discoveries, experiments, and research on how to thrive on a plant-based diet.
When I started researching about plant-based eating I found that there was a bit of confusion when it comes to the differences between the labels and concepts of plant-based, vegetarian, vegan, or flexitarian. So I decided to write this post to clear a bit of this confusion around these concepts, but most importantly, to encourage you to focus on eating more plants instead of focusing on the labels.
Plant-Based Eating
Plant-based is a way of eating in which your food comes mainly from plants, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, tubers, legumes, nuts and seeds. In general, a plant-based diet avoids animal products such as meat, dairy, eggs, and honey but it varies depending on how much of these products someone would still choose to maintain in their eating routine.
If you are considering switching to or experimenting with plant-based eating, you don’t need to cut off all animal products at once, especially If these are the main part of your meals at the moment. Try not to get overwhelmed by everything you wish to avoid, but instead start experimenting with more whole foods by adding different veggies and fruits to your plate. This concept is called Crowding out and it is one of the best strategies for a sustainable and gentle diet change.
Be gentle to yourself as changing eating patterns is a journey, not a destination.
Types of plant-based eating
Vegan
Someone who abstains from eating all animal products – meat, poultry, fish, egg, dairy, honey.
Vegetarian
Someone who abstains from eating meat, poultry and fish, but still eats dairy, eggs and honey.
Pescatarian
Someone who abstains from meat and poultry, but still eats fish, seafood, dairy, and eggs.
Flexitarian
Someone who eats predominantly plant-based foods with occasional aminal products.
Remember to focus on eating more plants instead of focusing on the labels.
Benefits of plant-based eating
A plant-based diet is naturally rich in a range of compounds that contribute to optimal health, including fibre, essential micronutrients, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and polyphenols. Besides, a plant-based diet is poor in cholesterol and saturated fat which have been shown to be associated with cardiovascular disorders when consumed in large quantities.
Recent studies have shown that a diet rich in whole foods coming from plants have a wide range of health benefits including the ones listed below:
- Prevention of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, stroke and heart disease
- Helps reduce cholesterol and blood pressure levels
- Improves our gut microbiota due to the diversity of plant foods eaten and their high fibre content
- Helps lose and maintain weight
- High in antioxidants which helps neutralise free radicals and cell damage
- High in anti-inflamatory compunds which helps fight inflammation and reduce overall body inflammatotion reducing the risk of certain diseases to develop
- Boosts energy levels and keeps us full for longer due to their high fibre content
There are definitely so many benefits in adopting a more plant-based diet, however, it is important to know how to thrive on this eating routine so that we can make sure we are fulling our body with a balanced diet rich in macronutrients, essential vitamins and minerals in order to get the benefits of the plant foods we are eating.
If you feel like starting experimenting with plant-based eating, stay tuned for the next blog posts! I’m working on a lot of content and tools that might help you through this journey!
Thanks for being here,
Paula
Disclaimer:
No content on this website should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified health practitioner.
Paula Aguina | Nutrition 