We often get the question what is the difference between being a vegan and being plant-based? A vegan diet does not include any animal products, while a plant based diet emphasizes plants (majority of the plate/meals are vegetable based) but still includes meat, fish, eggs and poultry. A plant-based diet might include a few days or meals in a row that do not include any animal products, and then a piece of fish, steak, eggs or yogurt without that feeling of "breaking the diet." Let's talk about the benefits of a leaning towards a plant based diet today.
Fiber is the most important thing for your digestion. It is essential to your gut microbiome, which is connected to everything from your skin to your mood, as well as blood-sugar levels, weight loss, and cholesterol levels. The only way to consume fiber is through food that comes from plants.
The best thing that you can do for your gut is feed it good bacteria with a wide variety of organic (thus no harmful pesticides) vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains. The microbes in your gut thrive off fiber from different plants, so variety is key. The more you add to your plate the better! The goal should be to eat 30 different varieties of plants throughout the week. Try different herbs, grains and seeds and watch your plant count increase as you add more to your plate.
We follow a plant based diet. We eat meat, but we do it thoughtfully. Our steak is grass fed, grass finished, our chicken is certified organic and our fish is sustainable. Our eggs come from free range chickens. These mindful decisions ensure that we are getting the most from our animal products, without damaging our body burden with hormones and toxins fed to animals that are unregulated.
We are all about adding to your diet instead of cutting back, and going more plant based is no exception. Instead of cutting back on how much animal product you eat, try adding an extra serving of vegetables to your plate and eating that first, or adding a spoonful of hemp seeds to your avocado toast instead of an egg! Your body will thank you.
