Meat has always been synonymous with good food for almost all of us. However, we no longer deny the damaging impact of meat culture on our planet, our health and of course health and wellbeing of animals. Now, after numerous researches, it’s getting popular that cutting back on meat can have positive effects on health and overall wellbeing. Limiting meat consumption brings a variety of benefits that range from better gut health to sustainable and healthy weight loss. Less consumption of meat has been linked with overall improved health and reduced risk of developing various chronic diseases. Onlymyhealth editorial team spoke to Nutritionist Ruchi Sharma, Founder Eat Fit Repeat, about the benefits of meatless diet.
Benefits of meatless diet
There are many reasons as to why one should go meatless and eat vegetarian foods. According to Nutritionist Ruchi, here are the 5 main benefits of meatless diet:
1. Effective weight management
No or limited consumption of meat has been associated with effective weight management. Recent researches proved that vegetarian meal plans are twice as effective as meat-driven diet when it comes to sustainable and effective weight loss. Cutting back on meat and meat products have directly been linked with consumption of fewer calories and less fat which leads to healthy weight loss. Limiting meat intake is directly related to increasing plant based diet which increases the intake of a lot of beneficial compounds such as antioxidants, dietary fiber and a number of micronutrients. So, go meatless if you are on your way to lose undesired pounds you have always been worried about.
2. Decreased risk of CVD
It is stated by a number of researches that there is a close association between consumption of saturated fats mostly derived from meat and meat products and an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Limiting the intake of meat driven products such as fatty cuts of red meat, sausages, bacon hot dogs etc can drastically reduce the risk of developing heart related diseases. However, replacing sources of saturated fats with unsaturated fats such as avocados, olive oil, and walnuts can help increase the intake of dietary fiber which directly impacts blood cholesterol levels and eventually reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, going meatless can help protect your heart.
3. Improved gut health
Your gut health is determinant of your overall health. Diet that omits meat mostly relies on increased intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes and other plant based foods that are loaded with dietary fiber and antioxidants. Fiber helps feed the good bacterial content in human gut that is linked with production of anti-inflammatory and immune supporting compounds in the body. However, increased consumption of meat driven fats and proteins are found to be related with production of less healthy or harmful bacteria that negatively impact the metabolic activities and play a role in developing heart disease.
4. Overall health and well-being
The list of all the good things that happen to your body when you stop eating meat is endless. Going meatless will not only help reduce the risk for CVD and weight loss but also it helps lower the blood cholesterol, improve digestion, help with skin and hair health, and decrease the risk of various cancers. And there’s no point of getting worried about protein intake as there are a huge number of plant based sources of protein that are as good if not better than meat and animal driven products. So, get all these mentioned benefits at the cost of meat and meat products.
Also reaqd: Plant-Based Diet: Know The Importance Of Natural Plant Food Sources By This Nutritionist
5. Reduced animal cruelty
Indeed humane practices are part of the meat industry but it does not mean that we should treat animals as a commodity instead of living beings. Animals raised for slaughter made to live in deplorable conditions with very restricted movement in their enclosures. Chicken and turkeys are genetically modified in order to yield bigger meat cuts which causes them to barely be able to stand. The calves are taken away from their mothers before even weaning. This is how meat culture adds to animal cruelty and this all happens because we are not ready to reduce our meat intake. Therefore, go meatless if you really want to protect animals and yourself.
Image credits: Freepik
