Plant-Based Diet


A plant-based diet, is a diet consisting primarily of foods derived from plants; but also includes fungi and bacteria. This is often referred to as veganism and could be referred to as vegetarianism, if this particular term had not been corrupted to include various animal products and bi-products.

Many people choose a strict plant-based diet, for ethical reasons; because they do not believe that the use of animal products or bi-products is an ethically acceptable behavior. They may also choose this diet for health reasons, due to the many benefits a well balanced plant-based diet can confer.

Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet


A plant-based diet, properly balanced and supplemented, can be highly beneficial to one's overall health and well being. This kind of diet can also be valuable for individuals overcoming serious health conditions.


Nutrition in a Plant-Based Diet


As with any diet, a plant based diet has certain nutritional considerations, which are critical to understand, if you wish to avoid certain diseases, deficiencies or excesses. Many, though not all, of these issues are present in most diets, to some extent. It is indeed possible to be unhealthy with just about any diet, if the correct balance of foods is not eaten.

For instance, someone could conceivably drink soda and potato chips and other plant-based junk food items and be considered a vegan. Indeed, there are many people who do indeed eat this diet, without thoroughly evaluating their nutritional needs and may end up experiencing problems later in life, if not in the present, due to deficiencies that gradually cause the body problems.

On the other hand, there are people who eat a mostly-raw, plant-based diet, and are in excellent shape, often executing great feats of physical prowess.

Areas to Consider Supplementing


If one is unsure of where they stand and haven't thoroughly evaluated their nutrition, they should consider talking with a nutritionist and supplementing the following, either through select foods, or through dietary supplements:

Foods to Avoid or Minimize


Just because a food is plant-based, of course doesn't make it necessarily healthy. In fact, some of the most unhealthy foods are derived from plants, many are derived from plants and then heavily processed with chemicals.

Releated Resources


There are many great resources, including books, websites and videos, to help educate people about the benefits, challenges and cautions, to consider when eating a completely plant-based diet.

Websites (General)


Websites (Recipe)


Videos



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