Also, educate yourself before posting this drivel lmao
The Plant Based Diet
There are several reasons a person might want to become vegetarian, some believe avoiding meat is healthier, others that it is better for the environment, and others for religious or animal rights beliefs. Whatever the reason is, the plant based diet is basically an eating plan that contains food only or mostly coming from plants. Some plant based eaters still eat meat; just much less than the average person. Other plant-based eaters avoid meat all together but eat fish, dairy products, and eggs. Other plant-based eaters avoid all meat and fish and only eat dairy and eggs from animals. Finally, vegans eat only foods from plants, avoiding all animal products including dairy and eggs.
As it stands right now, around 2% of the population follows a plant-based diet(with 1% following a vegan lifestyle). Plant-based diets are currently gaining a lot of momentum because of media exposure and more folks eating less meat in favor of more plant-based foods. The reason people are eating plant-based diets is because it can improve our health. Around 70% of Americans are suffering from ailments associated with dietary intake. This can be improved by following a diet high in plant foods. Plant-based diets can provide higher amounts of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, antioxidants, essential fatty acids, and much more. By eating a plant-based diet one usually ends up eating less food high in sugar and fat from the diet. That means that by eating a plant-based diet you end up getting more of the healthy stuff than the unhealthy stuff.
Besides health a lot folk believe that eating fewer animal products is good for the environment and for the population. A study by the UN found that raising animals for food generates more greenhouse gases than all cars and trucks in the world combined. Another study found that people in developed countries should limit meat intake to around 3 ounces per person per day to reduce global warming. Additionally, livestock produce an estimated 13 billion tons of waste every year, some believe that this waste creates a lot of pollution problems. Numbers show that producing one pound of beef of beef uses approximately 2500 gallons of water. Traditional western diet has been shown to require an average of 4,200 gallons of water input per day. On the other hand, plant based diets require 300 gallons of water per day. For these reasons people choose to consume plant-based diets or consume less animal products. Diets aren't the only way to avoid consuming too much fresh water, so it's important to consider other things before just jumping on a plant-based diet because of everything you read here.
Lastly, producers of animals use almost 75% of annual grain harvest to feed farm animals. Some people believe that we're prioritizing feeding animals over ourselves because around 800 million people worldwide are going hungry. The solution to this would be to only eat free-range, grass-fed meat, then we could avoid this problem and not avoid eating meat. As you can see there are many reasons people follow plant-based diets; a lot of them are based on sound environmental or health logic. While these reasons may be compelling, it's important to consider all your health options before buying into the avoidance of animal products all together.
Whatever reasons one might have to follow a plant-based diet it's important to understand that plant-based eating carries important physiological implications. When choose a plant-based diet, many people plan their intake based on what they're eliminating. As a result, it's more difficult to get adequate amounts of certain dietary products, like protein and other vitamins and minerals. For this reason many people following a plant-based diet should consult with a nutrition expert before making such a drastic change.
The following is a list of common nutrient deficiencies found in plant-based dieters:
Vitamin B12 - Supplementation with this vitamin is necessary for those avoiding animal products because this is only found in reliable amounts in animal products. Calcium - A calcium supplement might be helpful because while calcium is plenty in green vegetables, nuts, calcium fortified non-dairy drinks, legumes and nuts, eating them in large quantities can hinder the absorption process. - Another thing to note; many plant-based diets rely on soy foods for protein, a large intake of soy-based foods can compromise thyroid function, especially if iodine intake is not sufficient. If iodized salt or sea salt is not used, protein supplementation is critical. Omega-3 fatty acids - Plant-based eaters are commonly deficient in this fatty acid, therefore it is important to consume omega-3 ric foods like flax, hemp, walnuts, canola, seaweed, perilla, salba etc. This is very important to prevent chronic disease and improve body composition. Vitamin D - This is found in very few foods. Only fortified food products will provide any vitamin D for those eating a plant-based diet. In this case, getting a lot of sun light is important, one might consider taking a vitamin D supplement if they are consuming a plant-based diet.
Here's an article I wrote for my fitness page about nutrition and plant based diets. Next time you tell someone to educate themselves you might want to take your own advice.
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In this world, is the destiny of man controlled by some transcendental entity or law? Is it like the hand of God hovering above?