Meat Is Overrated

How many of you consider your dream meal to be filet mignon with a side of steak? Do you incorporate meat in (almost) every meal in some way? I know a lot of you are quivering at the very thought of life without poultry, and red meat, however, did you know that there are a multitude of health benefits associated with the vegetarian lifestyle?

Some of you may worry that even if you wanted to go vegetarian, you could not. First of all, let’s just quash the idea that you can’t receive sufficient nutrients or protein intake without animal meat. There are countless replacements such as tofu, and plant protein just to name a few.  If you are, or are trying to be, a competitive or even professional athlete and worry that you will not be able to keep up with the field on a plant-based diet, that is not true either. Our preconceived notions, thanks in part to television, media, and stereotypes, has us picturing a skinny (and let’s be honest, hippy-like) animal rights activist munching on nothing but salads. Check out the article below for a list of just a few of the professional athletes, in all different fields, who follow(ed) vegetarian diets.

Now that your biases have been tossed out the window (go ahead, toss ‘em out the window), we can all learn some great health benefits spurred by the vegetarian diet.

·         Healthy skin: Plant-based foods are heavily loaded with antioxidants and vitamins which contribute to healthier skin.

·         Chemical and hormone-free food: Meats are often are loaded with hormones (such as hormone contributing to that oversized chicken that can’t support its own weight), as well as chemicals and preservatives.

·         Lower blood pressure: Vegetarian diets are generally (naturally) low in sodium, and fats which helps reduce blood pressure.

·         Lower risk of diabetes / lower cholesterol levels: It is very easy to keep steady blood sugar levels when sticking to a vegetarian diet. Also, without unhealthy meats and fats, that takes care of both lowering the risk of diabetes (blood sugar, again) and lowering cholesterol levels!

·         Improved digestion: If you have stomach problems, fruits and vegetables are rich in fiber which help with both taking foods in (digestion), and getting them out J

 

These are just a few of the countless benefits of a vegetarian diet, not even mentioning the obvious weight loss possibility! If you are serious about getting healthy, why not give this a try for a day, a week, or even a month and see how it works for you! Go online and check out some meat substitutions for an easy transition. Don’t forget, Phix is all-natural and VEGAN!

You’re welcome, animals.

Your friends at Phix