What is a whole food plant based (WFPB) diet? Very simply, it consists of eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. It eliminates all meat, dairy, and eggs from the diet. The aim of this way of eating is to minimize the harmful effects that food can have on us long term, and maximize health.
Find your way around:
What do you mean everything I’ve been eating is unhealthy???
Foods are neither healthy or unhealthy. They simply supply our bodies with various nutrients in different packages. A food may contain a large amount of a nutrient (i.e. protein), but may also come with a high amount of saturated fat and cholesterol, neither of which are beneficial for long-term health.
Why avoid animal products all together?
It all comes down to the packages (do I say that word too much?) that various foods contain. Animal foods come with saturated fat, cholesterol, and very little fiber. Plant foods come with very low saturated fat, zero cholesterol, and high amounts of fiber. They also contain a plethora of chemical compounds (micronutrients) that help our bodies fight disease and even slow the aging process! Pretty cool right?
Why have I not heard of this before?
This information has been recognized in the scientific community for over 30 years. However, through a concerted effort the meat and dairy industries poured hundreds of millions of dollars into scientific research. This effort was to create doubt in the mind of the public. There is no disagreement among (honest) scientists that fruits and vegetables are healthy for you. However spreading doubt that meat and dairy products can be part of a healthy diet is what the industry needs to keep consumers confused and continuing to buy their product.
More on this topic in our post: Dietary guidelines and those who created them
How can I learn more?
Part of the purpose of this blog is to go into detail of different aspects of nutrition, and how we can all establish a health promoting environment inside our bodies. An WFPB diet allows our bodies their greatest chance for repair and healing. Keep a look out for upcoming posts on these topics as we will try to break down the science into an easily understandable format.
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