This Is How A Plant-Based Diet Can Completely Change Your Day-To-Day Mood
After making it through a sizable chunk of my young adulthood whereI basically flipped from one unhealthy diet to the next, I began working with a holistic therapist to gain a better relationship with food.
She helped me explore the benefits of eating in a way that strengthensboth my mind and my body.
I found myself gravitating toward plant-based diets, and the ways they can benefit both your physical and mental health.
It turns out, a plant-based diet really is about so much more than just spinach and kale.
First of all, if we're talking specifics, a plant-based diet actually includes nuts, whole grains, legumes, fruits, and even coffee in addition to the greenvegetables your mom force-fed you when you were little.
Essentially, a plant-based diet is all about getting the most of your daily nutrients and proteins from plants, rather than meat, eggs, or processed and refined foods like flour and oil.
And, as you could imagine, the physical benefits of a plant-based diet are practically endless:lower BMI, blood pressure, and cholesterol levelsare only a taste of what can be expected from some green-eating.
But studies also show that a plant-baseddiet can boost your overall mood and productivityby increasing antioxidants, regulating blood sugar, and increasing mood-enhancing nutrients.
It's pretty simple, really: When the physicalbody is able to function better, feel better, too.
Elite Daily spoke with Dr. Jamie Koufman, director of the Voice Institute, expert in respiratory reflux, and author ofDr. Koufman's Acid Reflux Diet: With 111 All New Recipes Including Vegan & Gluten-Freeabout how a plant-based diet alters your moods, as well as other important bodily processes.
She beganher research with a focus on acid reflux, but found that a person's diet affected, well, pretty much everything:
It's good for diabetes, good for reflux, and probably good for most of the common diseases and epidemics, from sleep apnea tosinus disease to allergies.All of these epidemics have to do with our food supply.
Dr. Koufman very candidly notes that a lot of this has to do with how the agriculture and foodbusinesses have changed in the US and now include lots and of hybridized and genetically modified foods, as well as toxic preservatives.
As it stands now, America has very few governmentregulations as to how foods and the animals that food are treated.
She adds,
A plant-based diet is not only a healthier diet.
A meat-based diet canactually be dangerous and disease-causing.
And processed food is poison. It couldn't be worse. It's filled with unpronounceable chemical food additives.
Koufman believes the next generation will see a huge rise in plant-based diets, and she suggests trying a two-week vegan or vegetarian detox, and tracking your changes in physical and mental health to see the results for yourself.
Since making a change to follow a mostly vegan diet herself, she's noted more than just a fewmarked changes in her ability to focus.
Remember, if you're thinking about making a switch like this, there's no need to go totally plant-based anti-processed-foods overnight.
Even just incremental changes in your diet can lead to serious improvements of your day-to-day mood levels and productivity.
Read more: http://elitedaily.com/wellness/plant-based-diet-can-completely-change-day-day-mood/2009718/