Food For Thought......

As I sit down to write this I've got some snacks at the ready - a banana, muffin and coffee.

You're probably thinking oh no, somebody else telling me what I can and can't eat. My aim here is definitely not that. Nobody likes being told what to eat or not eat! Also I'm not a certified nutritionist (not yet anyway!!). But I am passionate about health and living a vibrant life.

But I wasn't always like that! I'll be honest - during my twenties and thirties I didn't think too much about what I ate. I was maintaining my weight and exercising pretty regularly. When I had my kids at 39 and 40 (yup, older mom here!!) I started to think more about what we were eating as a family. I wanted my kids to grow up healthy and eating lots of fruit and veg. That worked great until my son decided the only fruit he likes is strawberries ha ha!!

Generally however we did pretty well, not perfect - but who is? But during the last year (which was also the last year of my 40's) I've been thinking much more about food and nutrition. I think this is because I have become more aware of what the long term effects are of what we eat - particularly meat and dairy.

Now this isn't going to be an article to tell you to go vegan, I like to consider my diet as plant based whole foods. But more and more science is telling us that the traditional North American diet which is loaded with fat, salt and sugar leads to obesity, risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and a whole host of other chronic diseases.

To me, it's not rocket science - eat what you like in moderation, more calories out than calories in. I don't believe in calorie or food type restricted diets. In my experience as soon as you deny yourself something you crave it! It's about making healthy choices - isn't that what we try and teach our kids? Sure have a cookie - just not the whole jar, have a glass of wine - just not the whole bottle!!. It's all about balance.

What I really want to share with you is how amazing good food really is and what it can do for you. It's really a no brainer!

It’s Good for Your Gut

Did you know that your digestive system is home to about 100 trillion bacteria - both good and bad? And a healthy gut has a major impact on our overall health.

In fact, the latest research suggests that certain healthy gut bacteria is linked to lower susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis and could possibly offer a treatment or prevent inflammation that contributes to fatty plaque build-up in arteries.

In addition, plants are loaded with fiber and antioxidants that can protect your cells from damage.

It Supports Your Immune System

All those healthy gut bacteria are good for your immune system too! Plant foods are filled with nutrients that can help strengthen your immune system. Just a few of the many helpful vitamins and minerals found abundantly in fruits and vegetables are Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Zinc and Vitamin A.

It Helps Lower Inflammation

And, back to the gut again! The gut is involved in managing inflammatory properties, and plants have fiber, polyphenols and phytonutrients that all help with reducing inflammation.

Your body naturally forms free radicals. These are highly unstable molecules that can cause oxidative stress, a process that leads to cell damage such as when you exercise, digest food, smoke or are exposed to sunlight or air pollution.

This oxidative stress is believed to play a role in a variety of diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and even eye disease like age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. Antioxidants (found in fruit and vegetables) can delay or prevent some types of cell damage.

It Helps You Maintain a Healthy Weight

A diet with lots of fruits and vegetables can help you either lose weight, or maintain weight - largely due to the high fiber content which leaves you feeling full for longer. Research has also shown that a plant based, low fat diet can increase your metabolism, meaning you're burning more calories when you are resting!

It Keeps Your Heart Healthy

A plant based diet helps your heart in a number of ways. Firstly more soluble fibre (from fruits and veggies) can lower your cholesterol. A plant based diet is also rich in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats that protect your heart against disease.

Studies have also shown that people with a plant rich diet have lower blood pressure and are less likely to develop Type 2 Diabetes than people who eat less fruits and veg.

You'll Have More Energy

An increase in nourishing carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants (found in a plant based diet) as well as reducing the amount of saturated fat and heavy animal proteins can leave you feeling lighter, more energetic and happier.

It's better for the planet

It's long been recognized that our planet can not support current levels of meat and dairy production indefinitely. Meat production contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and pollution. Forests are being cleared to make way for raising animals for mass meat production and the entire meat production process requires huge amounts of water. Meat production requires resources for producing food for the animals and raising them and then processing the meat.

By comparison, plant production requires much less water, and does not emit the same levels of greenhouse gases or pollution.

You'll look younger

What you put in your body directly affects your skin. A plant based diet is rich in the vitamins and nutrients our skin needs, so a nice side effect of eating more fruit and veggies is better looking skin!

I hope this article has given you some food for thought (every pun intended!!). Even just one small change can have a positive impact on your health. Maybe try making one or two meals a week plant based. You'll soon love the benefits!