At www.thebodycamp.com, 80% of our delicious nutrition that we serve to 20 guests every week, is plant based. We include protein from chicken, fish, eggs and a little goats milk dairy (better than cows milk). We also replace cow’s milk with nut milks. This is because we believe being as close as you can to natural food, natural exercise and close to nature is what life is all about! Here are 10 reasons why a mainly plant based diet and getting closer to nature works.

1. Reduced risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

By eating a plant-based diet, we can reduce the risk of clogging up the arteries and capillaries within the body. Animal products and processed foods can be rich in saturated fat and cholesterol  – which are a major contributor to both heart disease and diabetes. A plant-based diet typically allows the body to eliminate fats that store themselves not only on the outside of the body but around the organs and within your cardiovascular system.

 2. “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

Hippocrates famous quote is even more relevant today, with the rise of diet related illnesses. Living food is medicine for the body and is proven to contribute towards lower rates of cancer, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, strokes and even Alzheimers.

3. Stay in shape easily.

The body is able to break down and use plant-based food in the correct way because it is designed to break it down and use it properly for energy. It  does not have to work as hard as it does to break down red meat and processed food.

4. Showing kindness to fellow earthlings.

Eating an 80% plant-based food, reduces the amount of meat and dairy on your plate. When you buy meat and fish, make sure that you know it’s origins – that the animal has had a good life and death, that it is organic and hasn’t been pumped full of growth hormones and antibiotics, and that fish is from a sustainable source. Modern factory farming methods are not conducive to happy and healthy animals.

5. Incredible new foods and dishes to experience.

There are over 20,000 species of edible plants in the world. This opens up a whole new world of different healthy foods and exciting recipes.

6. Improve your body fat and still get enough protein.

Meat and diary are difficult for the body to digest – they can take up much of your energy and can leave you tired. For those worried about lack of protein – look at these facts; Rice is 8% protein, corn 11% protein, oatmeal 15% protein, beans 27% protein and for example, mixing beans and rice together provides a  “complete” protein” for your meal. Plant protein comes from a lower fat source than animal protein, therefore you will be low in body fat all year and look great!

7. Plants are 80% water.

This means they give you a more hydrated body, which in turn keeps your skin looking young and fresh. People at the end of a week at The Body Camp say they feel and look younger, fresher and more vibrant. This can be because they are typically eating foods that eliminate more slowly and don’t contain as high a water content as a predominantly plant based diet.

9. Become happier!

When you don’t eat animal foods, you don’t ingest stress hormones the animals produce before they are killed. People who eat a predominantly plant based diet report less anxiety, depression, anger and fatigue. Higher levels of antioxidants and phyto nutrients in plant based foods can elevate the mood and also give the feel good factor, plus fight of illnesses and diseases often associated with the western diet of high sugar, salts and saturated fats.When you combine more plant based food with daily exercise, lower body fat levels will also begin to appear as a cool side effect!

10. Be kind to the planet.

If the world embraced a higher plant-based diet, thus reducing animal agriculture, this would have positive benefits for the planet by reducing the impact of climate change, rainforest destruction and pollution, whilst saving water and other precious resources.

For more information, we recommend watching the movie “Earthlings” and “Food Choices” especially if you are seriously considering eating a plant based diet. Maybe you could visit us at The Body Camp, to feel for yourself the benefits of an 80% plant based diet. We include cookery demonstrations so that you can continue what you have learnt when you return home. We also have a Cook Book that you can buy

https://thebodycamp.com/body-camp-cook-book/ for some inspiration.

Rick Parcell
Strategic Intervention Coach