Dr. Achyuthan Eswar - Mar 27 2020
Plant-Based Diet for Beginners: What and Why?
Iam sure you have all been hearing this phrase, "plant-based food." Some of you may equate it with, "vegan food." While the more particular ones may point out that "veganism is not a dietary choice, plant-based is". However, when we talk about a plant-based diet, we mean a Whole Food Plant Based Diet.
Confused? :) Well, it is simple really.
Veganism is a social justice movement with an aim to change the way we look at and treat animals. It is a movement that is against the commodification of animals in any form - food, clothing, cosmetics, among others. It goes beyond just food being plant-based and the focus is the animals and not human health.
Whole Food Plant Based. After the China Study, Dr. Colin Campbell, coined the term 'Whole Food Plant Based'. Adding the words "Whole Foods" to the term "plant-based diet", which incidentally, he coined 3 years prior, to include the health component in it. The science behind it strengthened and awareness raised with the work of pioneers like Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Dr. Dean Ornish and Dr. Michael Greger, internationally and in India Dr. Achyuthan Eswar, builds his work on the shoulders of these giants. Amongst plant-based foods, consuming whole foods without processing, defined as 'not removing anything good or adding anything bad' to them is what defines a Whole Food Plant Based way of life.
Being both Vegan and Whole Food Plant Based ensures that we take care of ourselves while also being kind to animals.
What exactly does it mean to upgrade to a Whole Food Plant Based lifestyle you may ask, I suggest that you look up www.nutritionscience.in. The magic that whole foods can do to your body is too good to be true. You can actually lead a life with low to no risk of chronic lifestyle disease. Of course, there are other lifestyle factors such as exercise and mental relaxation that goes a long way towards keeping you healthy.
Whole foods from plants have several factors that contribute to the best health.
1. They protect your organs from deteriorating before their time is up. I have been rather ignorant in this area until I learnt otherwise. I used to think consuming organic food was the way to go. But the deeper truth of how processed foods causes blood sugar spikes, oxidative stress and more was apparent to me only quite recently
2. They give your digestive system an easier time. Your stomach and guts are but machines finally. If you cared for them as you care for your vehicle, you will get to do the right thing!
3. They make you stay at your optimum weight. Those who happen to be overweight tend to lose weight, and those who are underweight tend to gain weight. Heavenly isn't it?
4. Your Body takes control of your health! Ah! this you have to experience yourself! I got so flabbergasted by it! Believe me! One month into this way of eating and it would feel like your Body has a Mind of its own! Eating processed food after upgrading to a completely Whole Food Plant Based Lifestyle will result in one or more of the following things:
a) You may vomit it all out even before it touches the inner lining of your stomach
b) You will develop an aversion to the smells that seemed heavenly before!
c) Even if somehow the food does make it to your stomach, it may eject it out as loosies rather too quickly for your comfort! AND, after doing that it will go back to feeling perfectly normal like as though nothing happened!
d) You may develop a fever, cough, cold, bad body odour or skin rashes forcing you to attend to the matter immediately!
5. Your body odour will smell better. Surprising isn't it? This is one of the lovelier side effects of eating unprocessed plant foods! And since it is the habit of sometimes being on fruit or juice fast, we find we begin to smell of the fruits themselves!
6. Your skin will glow! People will ask you what you do for your skin care :)
7. You will look younger. Watch your friends and relatives go gaga over you after a few months, exclaiming, "Whatever did you do? You look years younger!
8. You will feel lighter. This is because you will not want to consume more than how much you can chew without your jaws dropping out! Jokes apart, eating this way keeps you full and light!
9. Fewer doctor bills! None at all in fact, if you watch your other lifestyle habits as well. In fact, if you have any chronic lifestyle diseases, they may start becoming less severe or leave you completely even! Ensure that you keep a check on your parameters and work with your doctor to possibly reduce medication. Many of us have dumbfounded our physicians with the way we picked up our health again in spite of some severe lifestyle diseases we underwent due to earlier foibles! Diabetes, BP are all potentially reversible with this diet.
10. You can make your cake and eat it, too! Literally! Extremely good for your self-esteem to know that you do not have to compromise on health while indulging in delicious food.
Go on then, happily upgrade your eating habits. Simply stick to unprocessed plant foods and follow the recipes on https://nutritionscience.in. Don't forget your Vit B12 and Vit D3 supplements irrespective!
Be Blessed!
Dr. Achyuthan Eswar.
Lifestyle Physician.
Founder, Sampoorna Ahara, India's First Whole Food Plant Based Kitchen.
Founder, Nutrition Science, India's First Whole Food Plant Based School.
