Plant-Based Diet

    What is a plant-based diet? Is it just a fashionable new term for a "vegan (严格素食主义者)"? While there is no set definition, a plant-based way of eating focuses on consuming plant-sourced wholefoods (全天然食物) that are least processed in their original form, for example whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. These are full of vitamins, minerals, and provide an abundance of nutrients for your body. Following a plant-based lifestyle doesn't necessarily mean fully avoiding animal products like a vegan. For plant-based eaters, animal proteins can happily fit in with the lifestyle, yet they play more of a supporting role. Overall, "plant-based" is more of a broad and flexible way of thinking about nutrition rather than a rigid diet. With a plant-based diet, the focus is on simple, nutritious wholefoods.

    Why people start following a plant-based diet? One of the main reasons is the health benefits. Now, more so than ever, research is showing how eating more plants and less meat can positively affect health. Particularly, a plant-based lifestyle has been linked to heart health. In a study of more than 10, 000 adults published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, it was shown that those who followed a more plant-based diet had a 16 percent lower risk of having cardiovascular (心血管的) disease and a 32 percent lower risk of dying of cardiovascular disease.

    A plant-based lifestyle can also help to promote weight loss and help to maintain your goal weight. Weight loss commonly occurs because the diet consists of foods that are full of fiber and have a high-water content, which easily make you feel full up.

    Another major reason to jump at the plant-based eating train is the external (外界的，外部的) benefits. Plant-based foods are loaded with vitamins, which help brighten your skin. One of the plant-based all-star vitamins is vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant. A large number of fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C. They assist in smoothing lines, and reducing wrinkles.