6 Reasons to Eat Less Meat and Dairy

There are so many reasons to enjoy a plant-based diet instead of a traditional Western one. Here are just a few reminders to get you fired up about staying the course or making the switch! 

1. A plant-based diet keeps you lean. 

Vegetarians typically weigh less than meat eaters because they consume fewer calories. This is because a vegetarian diet emphasizes eating mostly grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables. By filling up on these nutrient-dense foods, you'll have less room for processed and sugary foods.

2. Eating a plant-based diet helps with digestive disorders. 

Your immune system is primarily in your gut. Therefore it’s extremely important to keep your G.I. healthy. Many people suffer from an allergic reaction to dairy products and experience lactose intolerance. 

Lactose Intolerance usually happens as one gets older but can affect anyone. If you are sensitive to dairy, eating it can cause inflammation of your digestive track and can lead to issues including irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. 

Depending upon the condition, probiotics and increasing your fiber intake will usually help. Meat is harder on your digestive track, due to the time it takes to digest, the fact that it creates more acid secretion in the stomach, and leads to more active enzymes secreted by the pancreas.

If you believe that you have problems with either meat and/or dairy, simply remove them from your diet and see how you feel. 

3. A plant-based diet fights disease. 

When done right, many vegetarian diets are naturally low in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol, which reduces heart-disease. 

4. You'll save money. 

Plant foods tend to be less expensive, which means that you'll save on overall costs… especially if you're fresh and in-season fruits and vegetables!

5. It's better for the world. 

It takes up to ten pounds of grain to produce just one pound of animal flesh. This means that the same amount of crops that feed 100 could possibly feed 1,000 people on a vegetarian diet. So choosing to decrease your meat intake could result in those fields to be used to grow food items. A plant-based diet is also better for the planet because it requires less energy and farmland.

6. You'll live longer and better. 

Vegetarians have been found to enjoy longer, healthier lives when compared to meat eaters. They also have less depression and fewer mood disorders.

 

Whether you decide to cut out meat and dairy altogether or just experiment by adding in a more plant based nutrition plan: your body and the planet will thank you!