6 Powerful Reasons To Go Plant Based In 2024 – ZestForever

It’s never been a better time to change your life and begin a plant based diet than right now. After the mind-blowingly hot mess of 2020 we are all left reeling from the upheaval and seemingly endless stream of bad news on the T.V.

It’s been a tough one that’s for sure… and a BIG wake up call to use all!

Our world is in desperate need of change, and so are we. These 10 powerful reasons to go plant based in 2024 will hopefully give you the incentive you need to move, to change, and to rethink old conditioned habits that only serve to make matters worse.

What’s the big deal with the plant based diet?

Plants are our natural food, and something that our bodies recognise and can utilise to maximum potential. When we mess with our food, refine, add chemicals, preservatives and additives, we pretty much destroy all nutritional value and our body is left ‘starving’ for nutrients. We might night feel hungry, but our poor bodies are far from satiated.

When we eat something in its natural form, our digestive system is doing a little dance – it loves it! And, the changes that you can see and feel come fast when you start putting whole, nutritious foods in and cutting out the rubbish that keeps you in a perpetual state of under par health. You will feel more energy, less bloated, and have a clearer complexion pretty quickly when you begin a plant based diet, and in the long term more benefits will come.

The Plant Based Revolution – The Statistics

• The predicted growth of the global plant based meat market is expected to grow by a whopping 17% this year, from $3.6 billion in 2020 to $4.2 to 4.2 billion in 2021.
• Vegan egg products are making their way into all global markets with the brand JUST Egg building a $120 facility is Singapore to meet the demands of the Asian market for egg free products, alongside other brands such as Noblegen and Zero Egg which are making their way into the US market this year.
• Just when we thought they couldn’t milk anything else we will now see new plant milks hitting the supermarket shelves, along with new oils and oil blends.
• 2020 has seen the complete reevaluation of our whole food system and it’s practices. We’ve known for years that we need to make big changes and 2021 is set to be revolutionary in this respect. Brands are starting to ditch plastic, carbon labeling is being seen more and more as people demand to know the footprint their purchases leave on the environment, and new regenerative agriculture means that farmers will now be enriching the soil rather than depleting. This comes as governments and non-profit organisations give their support to regenerative agriculture methods to help feed the world’s ever growing population and counteract the effects of climate change.
• Sustainable packaging is set to become a $412.7 billion in 2021 according to this study from NASDAQ.
• About 8% of the world identifies as either vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian or plant based, but this can vary depending on the studies available in different regions.

6 Powerful Reasons To Go Plant Based In 2024

1. HEALTH

If ever there was as good a reason as any to eat more plantfully, it’s your own health! Your health matters greatly, and without it life is just not as good as it should be, right?

Well, a diet high in plant based nutrition ensures you get high doses of all the vitamin, minerals, healthy fats and fiber you need to help keep your body performing optimally, and in turn, being nice to you. Yes, studies show that those fruits, veggies, pulses, nuts and seeds really can help lower risks of certain diseases, especially when you also make the effort to stay fit and active too.

Other health benefits of a plant based diet include:

• ENERGY – Expect more energy in general due to high intake of nutrients and antioxidants, alongside eating less sugar and other junk foods.
• CLARITY – More anti inflammatory foods lead to you being able to think more clearly, have better memory power, and less of that dreaded brain fog that can be embarrassing and inconvenient.
• LOWER STRESS LEVELS – The plant based diet leads to the consumption of more fruits and vegetables and LESS sugar and junk foods, simply because you have less room for them and you don’t crave them like before. Sugar and junk foods (as we all know) do little for your stress levels long term. They are a temporary fix that can leave you feeling frazzled and stuck on that endless sugar train that leaves you drained and sick. Take junk foods out of the equasion and you’ll soon be feeling more Zen.
• WEIGHT LOSS – Eating more nutritious plant foods satiates your body and helps eradicate those junk food cravings that leave you fat, bloated, and feeling like rubbish. Eating a whole foods plant based diet is the best type of plant diet to eat if you wish to lose serious weight and feel seriously good. ‘Whole’ foods means no oils (even so-called healthy oils such as coconut, olive, flax and avocado), and instead eating those oils only in their ‘whole’ form. So, go for the whole olive, the whole coconut, or the whole avocado and you will find it much harder to over eat and over load on empty calories. Same goes for sugars and fruits: eat the whole fruit, rather than just the juice so you also get the fiber, and cut down (ideally out completely) on refined sugars. Even sugars and syrups such as coconut, agave, brown rice syrup, maple, honey, and all those other sweeteners need to be eaten in very small amounts on a whole foods plant base diet.
• BETTER SKIN – Clearer and healthier looking skin is a given with all of those amazing antioxidants going in to nourish it from the inside. Forget all those expensive creams and treatments, the plant based diet leaves no need for them anymore because you will be glowing, radiant, and the envy of all your friends.

2. FITNESS

The plant based diet can heighten your fitness levels, as many plant based athletes are finding out. The plant based diet, due to its high levels of antioxidants and alkaline foods, helps to minimise chronic inflammation in the body, in turn reducing recovery times and allowing for higher intensity training.

You will notice these effects even if you’re not an athlete. Your muscles won’t ache as much after your usual swim, jog, or aerobics session, and you may find that you recover more quickly when you do over-do it.

3. YOUR WALLET

A diet high in plant foods helps you to save money too. Dried and canned pulses are usually dirt cheap and a great protein source. Sure, you can spend you money on more expensive items such as fake meat substitutes (not usually that healthy by the way) and organic produce, but if you’re on a budget then you will find there are many low cost plant based foods to choose from too.

As it stands, you will on average save about $600-700 per year eating this way which, to be fair, could be your annual holiday or holiday spends.

4. THE ENVIRONMENT

The environment is all our concerns no matter who you are or where you live. We all MUST take our carbon footprint into account now before it’s too late, and the plant based diet can have a huge impact on this.

For example, if the whole world went vegan, then it could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to a whopping 70% by the year 2050. And, that’s not to mention the immense health benefits of keeping BMI down and lowering the risk of disease too.

This study by PNAS estimates these health and climate change impacts of a mostly plant based world in all major regions, therefore showing that the cutting out of animal products is pretty much crucial to our survival as a species. Knowing this information, and indeed educating yourself and others, is going to give you yet another incentive to be more mindful of your eating habits.

5. YOUR KIDS

Introducing more healthy plant based foods to your kids at an nearly age will reduce the risk of them becoming too acclimatised to junk foods, thus setting them on the right path for life.

Kids who eat too many junk foods are exposed to risks such as obesity, eczema and asthma, dental cavities through the consumption of too much sugar, and even higher risks of problems in adulthood. Not to mention the risks associated with the lack of nutrients such as Vitamins A, C, magnesium and calcium, all of which a growing child needs to stay healthy and happy.

The foods that parents introduce their children to will have an impact on the rest of their lives, therefore it’s vital to accustom their taste buds to healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, pulses, and healthy fats as early on as possible. You will be shaping the way they perceive food and the way they will eat in their future, therefore ensuring the best chance to stay healthy in adulthood.

6. BECOMING MORE CONSCIOUS

Ok, so hang with me here, but something happens to you on a deeper, spiritual level when you start rebuilding your body from plants instead of other animals. It changes your spirit and connects you to all living things (including the planet) in ways you couldn’t possibly connect before, and this is a very good thing because it makes you a more mindful person in all other aspects of life.

It has to be experienced to be fully understood, but given the fact that your body has completely regenerated itself and renewed all its cells within 7-10 years then it stands to reason that as this process starts happening, you begin to feel different. You are literally what you eat, there’s no two ways about it and your Mumma was right – your whole body is made from the food you eat, and if that’s junk food, then need I say more…

Consider these facts if you don’t believe me:

• YOUR SKIN – Your body’s biggest organ that rejuvenates itself every 2-4 weeks from the food you eat!
• YOUR LIVER – Is your body’s biggest detoxifying and purifying organ that renews itself with new cells every 150-500 days.
• STOMACH AND INTESTINES – The cells that line your stomach and intestines are so battered by stomach acids that they renew themselves every 5 days.
• BONES – Your skeleton is renewing itself constantly, but the whole process takes up to 10 years. However, you will feel the benefits of this renewal as it’s happening, for sure. Don’t forget to eat lots of calcium rich plant foods to help keep those bones growing strong and healthy on a plant based diet.

How to Begin a Plant Based Diet

With all the information and new plant based products on the market these days, there’s literally no reason not make this very important change.

You don’t need to go all in at first, instead try some meat free days every week, experiment with new recipes, and generally get a feel for this amazing lifestyle. You will find the hardest part of your plant based journey is finding new recipes and foods that you like to eat… and hopefully ones that all your family will enjoy too.

Try these Tips

1.  Clear your cupboards of all junk foods, and you will honestly be half way there. Taking temptation out of your way is a proven method to your success. If you can’t remove temptation because of other family members, then at least have your own food cupboard for your healthy options, and hope they will be inspired.
2. Join Facebook Groups (we have a great group associated with ZestForever that you will find under the ‘I would like to learn about’ section of this website) and get chatting with other people in a similar situation to you who wish to change their diet and turn their health around. They can offer advice, and help ease your transition to improve your success rate.
3. Check out all the endless Youtube videos, websites, follow Pinterest boards, and use other online platforms to find new recipes and ideas.
4. Get yourself any equipment you might need to proceed with your plant based diet smoothly. Blenders, juicers, food processors, instant pots and air-fryers are among the most popular kitchen gadgets that are used on the plant diet, but you don’t necessarily need them all. If anything, a blender should be first on your list because you can make delicious sauces, smoothies and nice-cream bowls.
5. Go easy on yourself, and don’t try to make too many changes at once. Build new habits slowly and you are far more likely to succeed. It’s all just a process, and you will learn as you go.
6. Try and get your family on board as much as possible. If you can do this, then you won’t have to make separate meals for yourself thus making life twice as hard. Get the kids to help out by making it fun for them, make faces out of food, hide veggies in stews and soups, use lentils and beans in place of meat in chillis, stews, pies and spag bols. If you’re clever about it they may not even notice.
7. Get used to using herbs and spices to give your food lots of extra flavour, especially when jazzing it up for the family.
8. Batch cook! Batch cooking is the number one way to keep costs down and reduce your time in the kitchen. For instance: soak and batch cook your legumes ready to add to your main dishes, chop and freeze your bananas and other fruits ready to be added straight into smoothies, and whenever you make dishes such as soups, stews, lasagna, chilli or bolognese then always cook a lot and freeze in portions. That way you can just remove your portion in the morning and it will be ready to go by dinner time. It’s so much easier to do this, then just add fresh veggies, rice or pasta on the side.
9.  Try ZestForever’s amazing Kick-Starter Meal Plans and learn lots of new recipes that you will make over and over for a lifetime (there’s some real favorites in here). All nutritionally complete and family friendly, this plan will set you up on a plant based journey that you will never look back from, plus it will teach you about food combining and nutrition.

CONCLUSION

We hope this post has given you the insights you need to make the switch to the ultra planet friendly, plant based diet. This way of eating will will change your life, making you feel better about yourself and the imprint you leave on the environment.

We thank you humbly for visiting ZestForever today. We would love for you to share our page to your friends and other people who you think may be interested in joining the plant based revolution. The more on board, the better the world will become 🙂