Many people wonder how to eat meatless, or at least how to eat less meat. Did you know that, ideally, three-quarters of our plate should be filled with fruits and plants?
But these days, vegetables take a backseat to meat. The average American eats almost 300 lbs of meat a year! When meat is the center of the meal, it’s easy to lose focus on the other potentially-amazing foods on your plate. Consequently, we began to lose focus on the importance of fresh vegetables and fruits.
Planning a meatless meal for one day a week doesn’t have to be about becoming a vegetarian permanently...it can simply re-acquaint you with the other important and delicious delights your palate is missing out on.
According to an article on Medscape Today, "Polyphenols in fruits, soybean, vegetables, herbs, roots, and leaves act as bioactive components related with prevention of cancer, heart diseases and diabetes." So not only do you reduce saturated fat, but you also increase your consumption of nutrients proven to fight for you if you go vegetarian one day a week.
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Here are 6 good reasons why:
1. YOUR WAISTLINE
Eating less meat and more grains, beans, fruits and veggies means you’ll be consuming fewer calories, less cholesterol, saturated fat and higher amounts of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. That can add up to many health benefits.
On average, people who eat less meat are leaner, less apt to gain weight than those who eat the most meat, less prone to colorectal cancer, and suffer from fewer heart problems. People who eat less meat or no meat at all have significantly less body weight indices.
2. BETTER SEX
Yes! Remember when Popeye would each spinach and make him strong? Well, there are veggies that can keep you strong in the bedroom too.
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Sometimes, meats can weigh us down, make us sluggish, and have even been tied to erectile dysfunction. So, keep it
veggie and all of your friends will be green with envy of your sex life.
3. EXERCISES YOUR SELF DISCIPLINE
Eating meat every day at every meal is done more out of habit than necessity. Few things feel better or stronger than taking control of our impulses and controlling our desires.
What it all boils down to is balance and moderation. Although moderation never sounds exciting, the benefits to your health, your waistline, and your wallet can be very exciting indeed.
4. MORE CREATIVE MENUS
Once meat is removed as the centerpiece of every menu, it’s amazing how many exciting ways you can find to fix vegetables and fruits. From baked apples to grilled pineapples or curried rice and beans, flex your creativity and treat your taste buds to something different.
5. YOUR OVERALL HEALTH
Eating less red meat is known to help reduce the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer. Studies have also shown that a diet rich in fruits, grains and vegetables greatly reduce heart disease and diabetes.
6. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
Save 84,000 gallons of water in one year. The water needs of livestock are far more tremendous than those of vegetables or grains. Up to 2500 gallons go into a single pound of ground beef as opposed to soy tofu for example, which requires 220 gallons of water per pound.
The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization estimates the meat industry generates nearly one-fifth of the man-made greenhouse gas emissions that are accelerating climate change worldwide as our annual worldwide demand for meat continues to grow. Reining in meat consumption once a week might help to slow this trend.
RELATED: 9 Benefits of A Plant-Based Diet
Ready to go veggie?
Here's HOW to do it right in three easy steps:
1.) Commit to eating less meat.
One thing is certain: There are times when your new diet will be inconvenient. Parties, travel, dinner with friends, going out to eat. If you want to get through these without slipping up, you’d better be committed.
2.) Start small and do it gradually.
Sometimes a shocking change is exactly what you need to zap you out of your old habits. But for me, going completely vegetarian or vegan all at once probably would have been too much—phasing out meat gave my taste buds time to adjust.
3.) Plan meals.
A wise man or woman once said, “If you’re failing to plan, you’re planning to fail.” In this case, that couldn’t be more accurate. You need to find recipes and plan meals that can stand alone, and that are designed to be meatless.
Visit the BlackDoctor.org Colon Cancer center for more articles and tips.
