4 minute read
BENEFITS OF A PLANT-BASED DIET
Written by: Annmarie Leach - Plant-based Chef, Yummy Mummies
We were all told when we were kids,”Eat your veggies!” This was in- stilled in me from a very young age but permanently engraved in my mind during my early teens when my mother was diagnosed with hypertension and the family diet changed for us all.
Eating healthy immediately became our number one priority and Mum, being a single parent with three young children, knew that this would be a financial challenge. With her focus now shifted to not only improving her own health but ours as well, she set about sourcing affordable local ground provisions to incorporate into the meals she thoughtfully prepared.
Local fruit of all kinds quickly became a staple part of our new diet and thinking back to those days, I can’t honestly recall any of my siblings or myself ever lazing around the house. We were always energetic and exuberant throughout the day, high-spirited even in completing our respective chores. Despite the initial scare, Mum’s health vastly improved from simply choosing the right foods to boost her immune system and strengthen her overall well-being. It was heartening for all three of us to watch our Mum greet each new day once again with her infectious smile and renewed vigor. Little did I know how this life changing experience would serve me only too well in my endeavor to offer you the opportunity to live an enriched life, especially in the face of this COVID-19 Pandemic that continues to threaten our very existence.
Yummy Mummies is a plant based wellness and catering business offering plant-based meal prep, health coaching and specific menu recommendations to cater for your next yoga retreat or special occasion. I am very passionate when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle and encouraging others to do the same. The advantages and disadvantages of raw vs. cooked, along with the many herbs that many of us know so little about, is something that has always intrigued me.
I ask myself...why did we wait until this Pandemic to suddenly turn to turmeric and ginger as a protective barrier for our defense system? Simply put, we were panicking and rushed for the first healthy thing we vaguely remembered our grandparents telling us about!
I keep preaching; “It isn’t about blind conversion, it’s about knowledge and balance.” With many of my clients wanting to transition into plant-based diets, I always focus on the mental aspect of the process. You actually have to mentally check-in!
Research shows that a diet high in plant-sourced foods lowers the risk of cancer, high cholesterol, diabetes and other serious health conditions.
The more knowledge you have, the more manageable transitioning will be.
If your focus is true health and you actually give your mind and body time to transition, you will start to feel the benefits from the plant-based diet.
Animal products, laced with hormones, cause serious damage especially to women.. A carnivorous diet puts a toll on our immune system and the entire digestion process.
Hormone imbalance, in women, has been linked to various cancers (e.g.: cervical, breast, ovarian).
Isn’t it time we start putting the health of ourselves and family first?
I am often asked, “How do you get your protein?”
I ask them,”Where do you get your fibre?” Fibre is one of the most missed nutrients in the modern day diet.
Incorporating more fibre-rich foods and less meat into one or two of your meals a day is all you need to do to start your journey. We will learn that protein is found in most plants, nuts and seeds so many of us aren’t deficient in protein at all.
TO BEGIN:
If you typically have three meals daily portioned with animal protein, You would start by replacing one of those meals with a fully plant-based one.
EXAMPLE A:
Typical: White rice, Stir fry chicken with trio peppers and steamed broccoli (fibre)
Replacement: Brown rice and peas (fibre and complete protein), water sautéed trio peppers (red, yellow, green), steamed broccoli (fibre). The typical meal of animal based protein, peppers and broccoli has 24g protein, 20g (cholesterol forming) saturated fat, 4g fibre along with all the hormones and antibiotics fed to the animal through its feed or injections.
Replacement meal has 20g protein,15g (unsaturated) fat and 8g fibre from the combination of brown rice, peas and vegetables.
Starting to get the picture?
EXAMPLE B:
If you usually have fried eggs (mucus and inflammation forming dairy products) for breakfast, try replacing this with 80% locally sourced vegetables and fruit in a smoothie along with nuts, seeds and/or spices.
SMOOTHIE, 4 DAYS A WEEK:
Day 1: turmeric, mango, oat/almond milk, flaxseeds, oats.
Day 2: banana, spirulina, pineapple, oats, oatmilk, nutmeg, flaxseed.
Day 3: blueberries, beets, hemp seeds, oat milk, cashews, cinnamon.
Day 4: watermelon, cucumber, basil, spinach, ginger, coconut water, oats.
Supporting our agricultural system is more important now than ever.
Making a conscious effort to purchase 80-90% local vegetables and fruit will help build the businesses of our farmers and give the country an opportunity to be self sufficient especially in a time of crisis.
And just like that, with an increased intake of water combined with exercise, meditation and more plant-based foods in our diet, us Moms and Dads can find the balance in our super busy, hectic lives to not only look after everyone else’s needs but also do something positive for ourselves.
