How you eat is connected to sustainability
What does “plant-based” mean? It seems to be the newest marketing term in the past few years. The term plant-based means that you prioritize incorporating as many plant-derived ingredients into your eating habits. This includes foods such as fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains and more.
Restaurants all over the world are changing up menus to give more options for plant-based eaters, vegetarians, vegans and other dietary restrictions. Many corporations are also realizing that if its products are “plant-based” it will be more sustainable.
Many sponsored athletes are making a public shift to focusing on plant-based diets. Arnold Schwarzenegger maintains a vegan-focused diet. He was featured in a documentary, The Game Changers, that will change your entire view on meat in minutes.
Eating plant-based does not mean you are vegetarian or vegan, but just that you prioritize plants being the majority of your diet. More and more people are seeing the value in cutting meat, or even dairy products, out of their lives as well.
In the infographic I created about eating plant-based I talk mainly about the effects eating meat or other animals products have on our environment, our bodies, as well as animals.
I myself have been vegetarian for over a year now. Honestly, my inspiration was that meat felt too expensive when I was on my own in college for the first time. Then I realized how much healthier and better I felt when I started cutting out meat entirely and prioritizing plants. Like I mention in my infographic, meat is not a requirement for nourishing our bodies. Eating plant-based can improve your blood pressure, reduce allergies and improve digestion as well as a number of other health benefits.
Recently I have learned more about the impacts that the production of meat and dairy has on our environment. My infographic touches on how much the meat process pollutes the environment. There is also a drastic difference between the amount of resources needed to produce plants versus meat.
Take a look for yourself. Food is meant to be fuel for your body and not restrictive. But, never be afraid to try something new; it could change your whole life as well as others.