VEGAN COOKBOOK

Boost Your Immune System

The vitamins and minerals, phytochemicals, and antioxidants in plants help to keep cells healthy and the body in balance so that your immune system can perform at its best. Plants certainly contain powerfully essential nutrients that you cannot get from other foods.

“Plants give your body what it needs to help fight off infection,” says Andrea Murray, MD Anderson, health education specialist. “A plant-based diet strengthens your immune system to protect you against germs and microorganisms.” A healthy immune system is essential for reducing your risk for cancer because it can recognize and attack mutations in cells before they can progress to disease.

Reduce Inflammation

Plants’ essential nutrients work to resolve inflammation in your body. The same tiny phytochemicals and antioxidants that boost your immune system also go around your body, neutralizing toxins from pollution, processed food, bacteria, viruses, and more.

“Antioxidants in plants grab all these so-called free radicals that can throw your body off balance,” says Dr. Murray. “To reduce inflammation, it’s important to eat plant-based and to listen to your body’s signals for how foods work for you.” If you suffer from inflammation over a long period, it can damage your body’s cells and tissue. Inflammation has also been linked to cancer and arthritis. A diet devoid of animal products may be the best way to protect you because it takes away the triggers to these diseases.

Achieve and Maintain a Healthy Weight

Achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight for your frame is a very important way to reduce your risk for cancer because obesity triggers inflammation and hormonal imbalance in the body. When you exceed your healthiest weight, your risk is much higher for many different types of cancer, including colorectal, postmenopausal breast, uterine, esophageal, kidney, and pancreatic cancers. If you are mostly eating plant-based foods and reducing or eliminating animal products, you are eliminating many of the foods that lead to weight gain! Combine that lifestyle with exercise and you are on a healthy path toward weight loss!

Increase Fiber

Fiber is present in all plant foods that are not highly processed foods and is what makes up the structure of the plant. You access a whole host of benefits if you eat more of it. For example, eating a plant-based diet improves the health of your gut, so you are better able to absorb the nutrients from the food that support your immune system and reduce inflammation. In addition, fiber can lower cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar, and it’s great for good bowel management. Finally, fiber is very important for reducing your cancer risk, especially for the third most common cancer, colorectal cancer.

The benefits of eating mostly plants are not limited to reducing your cancer risk. A plant-based diet also has been shown to reduce your risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and some mental health illnesses. I have successfully managed my diabetes and high cholesterol solely with a plant-based diet and exercise since I cannot take diabetes medications because of pancreas issues. (See My Story)

Save Our Planet

According to a report from the United Nations Environment Program states that a worldwide transfer to a plant-based diet could reduce mortality and greenhouse gases caused by food production by 10% and 70%, respectively, by 2050. The report went on to say “animal products, both meat, and dairy, in general, require more resources and cause higher emissions than plant-based alternatives.” The World Health Organization states that “Reducing livestock herds would also reduce emissions of methane, which is the second-largest contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide.” A plant-based focus not only helps the individual but the world as a whole!

Commonly Used Animal-Based Ingredients In Our Food