For the past 5 years, I have been enjoying renewed health and increased vibrance by maintaining a plant-based diet. Many persons have asked me for tips on eating healthily and often shared their desire to cut back on eating certain foods. But, what exactly does a plant-based diet look like? How can you start improving your well-being by consciously choosing the foods you eat? Well, I’ve put some thought into it and settled on four guidelines that I know every one can follow without feeling deprived or missing out on the mouth confetti (food that tastes so good it throws a party on your tongue).
Fill Your Plate With Plants
We need to eat more plants. By plants, I mean fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. These are the foods that heal, grow and sustain our bodies, because they supply us with fibre, vitamins, protein, minerals and complex carbohydrates. The more plants we eat, the more energised we are and better able to fight off disease.
Eat More Leaves
Many people eat a lot of plant foods, but not enough dark-green leafy vegetables. One doctor says, “Greens are the secret weapon to fight almost all diseases. Add greens to everything!” Another doctor encourages his patients with heart disease to eat leafy greens at least 6 times a day. This is why green smoothies are essential to health and wellness.
Eat Real, Whole Foods
The biggest mistake some vegetarians and vegans make as they switch from eating a meat-heavy diet, is replacing it with lots of ultra-processed foods. Real nourishment and vitality can only be found in whole (natural or minimally processed) foods. So, instead of eating pineapple-flavoured soft drinks, enjoy a bowl of fresh pineapple slices; or a package of corn curls snack, try having some boiled corn. Choose home-made over factory-processed.
Drink More Water
This is a personal struggle for me. But, I know that water is life! High performance athletes often drink up to 6 litres a day. But, we shouldn’t drink less than a 2.5 to 3 litres a day if we hope to avoid dehydration (which is more common than you think). So keep drinking until your urine is colourless or a light yellow.
Those are my four guidelines for feeding my body right! I’m sure you can eat for vibrant health, too. Please share which of these eating rules you’ll be adopting today?
