As a personal health coach in London, I often recommend that my clients try to introduce more plant-based foods into their diet. Diets that are focused on beans, wholegrains, seeds, vegetables, fruits and nuts can help to boost immunity, maintain a healthy bodyweight and live a healthier lifestyle.
Here are just a few benefits of switching to a plant-based diet.
Less Inflammation
In my capacity as a personal health coach in London, I often have to explain inflammation to my clients. Inflammation occurs in the body when the white blood cells fight off invaders such as pathogens, allergies or irritations. If someone’s inflammatory response is too active, chronic disorders like heart problems and type II diabetes can be the result.
Exercise and diet can have a major impact on inflammation. Smoking, obesity, poor sleep and an unhealthy diet all cause more inflammation, but the nutrients in vegetables and fruits can reduce it. This is why a plant-based diet can be so helpful to your overall wellness.
Lower Carbon Footprint
Plant-based diets can help us to reduce our own individual carbon footprint. Animal protein requires a hundred times more water than grain protein, while the production process for oat milk results in 80% less greenhouse gas emissions.
Lower Risks Of Dementia And Cognitive Impairments
It has been discovered that there is a clear correlation between consuming more vegetables and fruits and a lower chance of dementia and cognitive impairment. This is because plant-based diets are rich in vitamins, folate and antioxidants, all of which have cognitive benefits.
Better Gut Health
Vegan and vegetarian diets help to promote a mix of good gut bacteria that can help overall wellbeing and health. When you have a healthy gut microbiome your metabolism will function more effectively, your immune system will be stronger and your bowel movements will be healthier.
Better Athletic Performance
More professional athletes than ever before have started to eat a diet that is plant-based and rich in wholefoods in order to reach their best possible level of performance.
Heart-healthy foods such as vegetables, whole fruits, nuts and legumes are a good choice to improve your athleticism while the immune support and anti-inflammatory benefits that plant-based diets can bring all help to improve performance while exercising and participating in sports.
As a personal trainer in Mayfair, this is something that is especially interesting to me.
Less Pain From Arthritis
High-fibre, low-fat diets have been shown to help reduce inflammation and this means that plant-based diets work very well for people who suffer from inflammatory forms of arthritis. People suffering from osteoarthritis who switch to a plant-based wholefoods diet experience a considerable drop in their pain level and improvement in their motor function within just 2 weeks of making the change.
These are just some of the benefits that switching to a plant-based diet can bring. Not only can it improve your health and wellness, but it can also help the planet too – something that’s important for all of us.
