The Whole Food Plant Based Lifestyle

Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet Lifestyle

There are many differing viewpoints as to which foods form a balanced diet.   One thing is clear however the health and wellness experts agree that minimising process foods, meat and dairy foods and adopting a whole food, plant-based diet has many health benefits

The benefits include overall health superior wellness and is an effective weight loss stimulator.

What Is a Whole-Foods, Plant-Based Diet?

There is no clear definition of a what constitutes a whole food, plant-based diet (WFPB diet). The WFPB diet is not a diet, it is more of a lifestyle.

This is because plant-based diets can vary depending on the extent a person includes animal products in their diet as part of the WFPB

The principle of a whole-foods, plant-based diet is as follows:

• Emphasizes whole foods and minimises processed foods.
• Limits or avoids animal products including dairy
• Excludes refined foods, like added sugars, white flour, and processed oils
• The lifestyle focuses on plants, including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, seeds, and nuts
• Attention is on quality WFPB foods promoting locally sourced, organic food whenever possible

Often the WFPB lifestyle is confused with vegan or vegetarian diets.  Although they are similar, they are not the same

People who follow vegan diets abstain from consuming any animal products, including dairy, meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and honey. Vegetarians exclude all meat and poultry from their diets, but some vegetarians eat eggs, seafood, or dairy.

The WFPB lifestyle is more actually more flexible where the person eats mostly plants, but some animal products are not off limits for example they may consume the occasional wild meat, fish, eggs or even some seafood

Can a WFPB lifestyle help with weight loss and improve health

According to the NHS 2016 Statistics 29% of the UK population are classed as obese which means they have a body mass index of 30% or more, this is an increase of 92% in ten years.  These shocking statistics are attributed to a classic western lifestyle incorporating meat, dairy, process foods and drinks which include refined sugar, salts, and other refined ingredients.

Unfortunately, such diets facilitate weight gain and can have a lasting impact on health over time

On the other hand, there are many studies to evidence that the whole food plant-based lifestyle (WFPB are beneficial for weight loss and health in general.

The high fibre content of the WFPB lifestyle along with the exclusion of processed foods such as refined bread, pastas, and sugar etc is a great combination for stimulating weight loss and improving overall health.

Studies prove that people changed to a WFPB lifestyle lost significantly more weight with the lifestyle change than dieting providing for the weight loss to be maintained over longer period.

Adopting a WFPB lifestyle not only benefits your weight and appearance, it also lowers your risk and reduces symptoms of certain chronic diseases.  Although all people benefit by adopting to a WFPB lifestyle certainly people with existing illness such as:

• Heart Disease
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Cognitive decline

Adopting a whole food, plant-based lifestyle is good for the environment and the planet

Switching to a plant-based diet not only benefits your health — it can help protect the environment, as well.  People who follow plant-based diets tend to have smaller environmental footprints.

Adopting sustainable eating habits can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption and land used for factory farming, which are all factors in global warming and environmental degradation, furthermore,  reducing the number of animal products in your diet and purchasing local, sustainable produce assists the local economy and reduces reliance on factory farming, which many believe to be an unsustainable method of food production.

Do you find a lifestyle change to whole food plant-based diet attractive?

If this type of lifestyle looks attractive to you and you would like further information you can contact the writer, Anthony Jackson who is a qualified living food and alkaline food nutritionist who not only lives by the WFPB lifestyle, he also supports clients trapped in the conventional UK lifestyle of consumption of meat, dairy, processed foods and drinks with some plant based foods to change their lifestyle to the WFPB lifestyle so they can lose weight and be healthier.

Why not book an initial informal no cost telephone consultation to discuss how Anthony can assist you make the change?