4 Incredible Ways Plant-based Living Is Better For The World

 

I talk about many ways that plant-based eating is better for people. It promotes overall physical health, mental health, and strength, as well as love and self-worth. I have written about how eating plant-based can be inexpensive, fun, and good for your brain, appearance, and aging. But I can’t stress enough how the benefits of plant-based living go above and beyond what you see on an individual level.

 

If you’re looking for more reasons to change to a plant-based lifestyle, or if you need a toolbelt full of points to help you convince your household to change with you, consider all of the ways that plant-based eating is better than eating animal products. Some of them will surprise you!

 

Here are four incredible ways that plant-based living is better for the world.

 

 

Eating seasonal foods supports local farmers. When you go to the farm market in your area and support local organic farmers, your money is going directly to your neighbors. These are people who live in your region, share schools with your kids, and drive on the same roads as you. Unlike buying packaged goods that are made somewhere else or coming from another country entirely, and your money is going to their corporate office in who-knows-where, this method of buying food is totally different. Plus, scientists have begun to see a link between seasonal foods and your health, possibly because you’re getting a nice balance of foods and you’re getting fresher foods, on top of eating a diet that we’ve likely evolved to benefit from.

 

Animal products require huge amounts of water. The amount of water that is used to raise livestock is astronomical. Picture this: to produce one kilogram of tomatoes, it takes about 180 liters of water. Pumpkins, potatoes, and cucumbers are about 250 liters. One kilogram of lettuce is 130 liters of water. But what about meat? Just one kilogram of beef requires 15,500 liters of water! That is astronomical! Not to mention other negative factors for meat production, like the land required and how it’s used, antibiotics, and waste created.

 

 

Plant-based foods have a smaller carbon footprint. The water usage aspect is huge, but the whole story of the carbon footprint of your food doesn’t end there. If you look up common carbon footprint charts (like this one at Green Eatz) you will see that meat, cheese, and eggs have the highest carbon footprints. For instance, the carbon output for one kilogram of lamb is like driving a car 91 miles! Beef is somewhat less at the carbon output of driving a car 63 miles. At the bottom of the list, the foods that have the lowest carbon footprint, are fruit, most vegetables, beans, and rice (about 2–6 miles). These have the carbon output of driving just a couple miles. Lentils, one of the healthiest and most versatile plant-based foods have the carbon output of driving just 2 miles! You could produce over 45-times as much lentils as lamb for the same carbon output.

 

Your plant-based lifestyle helps reduce healthcare costs for you and your community. Just think of it: what if your entire community changed to PlantFire eating? How many people would lose weight and actually rid themselves of their chronic diseases? How much of healthcare costs and medical professionals’ time is spent on things like diabetes and heart disease that can often be eliminated with proper diet and exercise? I’m not saying that no one would ever need a doctor, but when people care for themselves and their families, live a lifestyle that promotes a healthy weight, strong heart, muscles, and bones—wow. I can’t imagine what would happen if an entire community changed like this. But on a small scale, that’s what you can do for your household, and the benefits are so clear.

 

If you’re working on switching to a plant-based lifestyle, here are some reasons to be excited for your change and help get your family on board!

• Plant-based eating is better for your health: mental, physical, and spiritual.
• Animal products are harsh for the environment and require much more resources than plants do.
• You can feel at peace knowing that no animals were harmed in the making of your meal.
• Plant-based eating will improve your appearance, increase your longevity, and fuel your passions!

 

P.S. I would love to hear from you. Just shoot me an email at vanessa@vanessachamberlin.com if you have any questions, thoughts or ideas that you want to share with me! =)

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