7 Amazing benefits of dropping meat from your diet

Lots of people are turning to plant sources of food for the sake of the planet or for animal welfare issues or simply for the sake of their own health. How many reasons would you need to not eat meat?

Regardless of whatever are your ethical or religious beliefs, it is recommended you cut down your consumption of animal product to enjoy long and healthy life. Plant based source of food is healthier since it delivers beneficial nutrients and fewer harmful components.

Here are some benefits you will experience outright when you eat a vegetarian or vegan diet.

Weight maintenance

According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, adding 250 grams of meat or poultry to your diet daily could lead to five pounds weight gain over the period of five years. Red meat contains fat that are harder to digest and leads to weight gain.

You live a longer life

Several studies have linked vegetarian living with longer life. According to a study conducted at the Harvard Medical School revealed that cutting red meat from diet can prolong your life by 20 percent.

 Colon Cancer

Studies from around the world suggest that meat consumption is linked to increased risk of colon cancer. People who consume red meat or processed meat get colon cancer 30 to 40 percent more often than those who don’t according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Lower cholesterol levels

Animal food sources such as red meat are among the largest sources of saturated fats in our diet. Cutting pork, lamb, poultry, beef from your diet can significantly reduce your risk of developing heart disease and certain type of cancers. However on the other hand when you include plenty from fruits and vegetables in your diet you ensure good health for yourself, for example just ½ a cup of broccoli or melon will lower your risk of heart disease by 4 percent and stroke by 6 percent.

Lower blood pressure

Cutting down meat from your diet also leads to healthier blood pressure and lowers your risk of heart disease and stroke. Processed meat like sausages, bacon, burgers and burritos are the major sources of sodium in an average U.S. diet.

Cardiovascular health

Red meat increases risk of cardiovascular problems and accelerates hardening of arteries. Two or more daily servings of red meat per day can increases of risk of heart disease by 30%.

You will reduce animal cruelty

Millions of poultry and lamb are slaughtered each year. The majority of which are raised in factory farms. By adopting vegan or vegetarian life style you contribute to promoting animal welfare and the reduction of cruelty to animals raised in factory farms.

The photo I used with this post is just a little humour. But my point is some animals are natural carnivores and they seem to perform better with red meat in their diet.  If they lived in the wild they would hunt down and eat read meat.  Humans on the other hand don’t. We can make different choices.  We can choose better health.

There are lots of reasons to add more plant sources of food into our diet.  I have only touched on a few here.  Whatever your reason is, it can only help to promote your overall health and wellbeing.

If you have questions that haven't been answered above, Contact The Wellbeing Clinic Here