- NM
What Can You Expect From Adopting A Plant Based Diet?

You Strengthen Your Heart & Lower Cholesterol
Sixty years ago, the cause of heart disease was contributed to aging
without a clear link to lifestyle factors. Today, research is now
defining heart disease to be linked to diet and lifestyle. Though we need cholesterol for healthy bodily processes like hormone production, too much cholesterol may lead to heart disease. Since our bodies naturally produce cholesterol on their own, exogenous cholesterol found in meat and dairy tend to raise our bad cholesterol. In 2004, the INTERHEART study, found factors such as diet, exercise and smoking accounted for over 90% of the risk of having a heart attack. What’s the best way to avoid this? Limiting saturated fats, avoiding transfat, and lowering the intake of cholesterol, exclusively found in animals products, abstaining from smoking and working in physical activity.
You Will Have No Issues Getting Your Protein & Keeping Muscle
According to the Institute of Medicine’s protein requirements, 0.8 grams are needed per kilogram of bodyweight. This means and adult who weighs roughly 68 kilograms will require 54 grams daily.
Examples of high protein plant foods:
Tofu- 25g per cup
Oats- 5-6g per ½ cup (dry weight)
Ezekial bread- 11g per 100g or 4-5g per slice
Chickpeas- 20g per cup (cooked)
Split peas- 25g per cup (cooked)
Lentils- 27g per cup (cooked)
Kidney beans- 24g per cup (cooked)
Black bean pasta- 46g per 100g (dry weight)
Spinach- 14g per 500g
Broccoli- 14g per 500g
Cauliflower- 10g per 500g
Mushrooms- 15g per 500g
Potato- 10g per 500g
Kale- 16g per 500g
Green peas- 8g per cup
Almonds- 10.5g per 50g
Hemp seed- 18g per 50g
Plantbased protein powders 17g-25g per scoop'
Say Goodbye to Inflammation & Bloating
Consuming the fiber in plant based foods yields a short chain fatty acid, butyrate, which elects anti-inflammatory activities by positively affecting immune cell migration, adhesion & cytokine
expression all while aiding healthy digestion. Since our gut constantly changes due to the bacteria inside, what we eat is a direct component to the level of inflammation in our body. Since meat and
dairy contain little to no fiber to feed our healthy bacteria, eating fiber rich plant foods is the key to a healthy gut with minimal bloating and inflammation. Animal proteins also tend to have higher
concentrations of sulphur amino acids that will metabolize to acid-generating metabolites, causing the PH level of the body to lower. To neutralize the acid load in the body, essential nutrients
like calcium are used. Your body will steal nutrients from anywhere needed, including bones and organs. Alkaline plant foods such as spinach, lemons and almonds keep our body oxygen rich and healthy while balancing the bodies PH naturally.
References
Arora T, Sharma R, Frost G. Propionate. Anti-obesity and satiety
enhancing factor? Appetite. 2011 Apr;56(2):511-5.
Tonstad S, Butler T, Yan R, Fraser GE. Type of Vegetarian Diet, Body
Weight, and Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2009
May;32(5):791-6.
Scharlau D, Borowicki A, Habermann N, Hofmann T, Klenow S, Miene C,
Munjal U, Stein K, Glei M. Mechanisms of primary cancer prevention by
butyrate and other products formed during gut flora-mediated
fermentation of dietary fibre. Mutat Res. 2009 Jul-Aug;682(1):39-53.
Hippe B, Zwielehner J, Liszt K, Lassl C, Unger F, Haslberger
AG.Quantification of butyryl CoA:acetate CoA-transferase genes reveals
different butyrate production capacity in individuals according to
diet and age. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2011 Mar;316(2):130-5.
Meijer K, de Vos P, Priebe MG. Butyrate and other short-chain fatty
acids as modulators of immunity: what relevance for health? Curr Opin
Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2010 Nov;13(6):715-21.
J Stamler. Low risk--and the "No more than 50%" myth/dogma." Arch
Intern Med. 2007 Mar 26;167(6):537-9.
S Yusuf, S Hawken, S Ounpuu, T Dans, A Avezum, F Lanas, M McQueen, A
Budaj, P Pais, J Varigos, L Lisheng; INTERHEART Study Investigators.
Effect of potentially modifiable risk factors associated with
myocardial infarction in 52 countries (the INTERHEART study):
case-control study. Lancet. 2004 Sep 11-17;364(9438):937-52.
Meinertz H, Nilausen K, Faergeman O. Effects of dietary proteins on
plasma lipoprotein levels in normal subjects: interaction with dietary
cholesterol. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 1990 Oct; 36 Suppl
2:S157-64.
Samman S, Kurowska EM, Khosla P, Carroll KK. Effects of dietary
protein on composition and metabolism of plasma lipoproteins in
rabbits. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 1990 Oct; 36 Suppl 2:S95-9.
Hansson GK. Inflammation, atherosclerosis, and coronary artery
disease. N Engl J Med. 2005 Apr 21; 352(16