4 Plant-Based Ways to Improve Your Health and Fitness
There is no need to go into the many health benefits that can be associated with going plant-based.
This past year I eliminated most animal sources from my diet and I honestly have NEVER felt better .
Maybe you are considering a transition yourself….
Did you know that most of the world's medicines are (and have always been) derived from plants?
This fact is of special significance to vegans because it provides an opportunity to combine food with medicine for maximum results.
Fueling Your Workouts
The pre-workout meal can be a great time to load up on things that will fuel your body and enhance your results. Potassium is great for this purpose, as it has been shown to increase nerve and muscle activity. Bananas are probably your best and easiest source. Tea with ginseng is also a tried-and-true way to get energy from a natural source.
2. Building Lean Muscle
A high level of protein is essential for muscle-building, which means that vegetarians are limited in our choices. However, there are plenty of high-protein foods that do not come from animals, such as beans or soybeans, and cottage cheese and yogurt if you consumes dairy. Look into non dairy yogurts and cheeses now too!
3. Detoxing
When you need to flush toxins from your body for any reason, a vegan diet can be of help, as long as the right plants are used. Perhaps the most common plant detox is done with cranberries and/or cranberry juice. On the more challenging end is as well as the Master Cleanse being on the more challenging end involving lemon water and cayenne….. Meat and many other animal based products are heavy in fat and protein and this can be very hard on your digestion. If you feel sluggish and tired try focusing on eating more leafy greens and whole grains as you eliminates and cleanse off of
When it comes to serious drug/alcohol detox, we must give you a word of caution: While detoxing is an important part of drug and alcohol recovery, at-home cleanses can be dangerous. Withdrawal symptoms from some substances including heroin and other opioids can be deadly, so it is recommended that this kind of detox only be done under the supervision of a medical professional.
4. Strengthening Your Immune System
The best dietary measure you can take to strengthen your immune system is to load up on vitamin C. Vitamin C is one of nature's best antioxidants, and all antioxidants have a positive effect on the immune system. This is pretty easy for a vegan since most of the best sources of vitamin C are foods like oranges, grapefruits, pineapple, kiwi, peppers, broccoli, and strawberries.
Several other nutrients are known to boost the immune system, including carotenoids (found in carrots and kale), vitamin E (found in many nuts and seeds), zinc (found in cashews, and beans), and omega-3 fatty acids (found in flax and walnuts).
As you can see, food and medicine are often the same, even with no effort from us. By consciously directing this natural fact, we can achieve a level of health that is optimal with a minimum of adjustment. When people live in harmony with nature's plan, they tend to need very little medicine outside of their diet.
Combining nutrition and fitness is a pathway to success. For guidance on that path, let Jessi Fit Pilates help!