Science Says A Whole Food Plant Based Diet Provides The Best Foods To Eat
The latest 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services lists plant foods as being the most nutrient dense and healthiest foods to consume, which would make a whole food plant-based diet the best diet to eat. The guide hasn’t been officially released yet and should be available in January 2016.
A whole food plant based diet is cholesterol-free and the consumption of this diet reduces the chance of developing heart disease. Eggs are the top contributor of cholesterol in the American diet at 24.6%. Chicken is next in line at 12.5%, followed by beef at 11%, cheese at 4.2%, and pork at 3.9%.
Don’t think about shifting to eating more cheese (dairy) to avoid cholesterol because its consumption is a major contributor to the production of excessively harmful mucus in the body, and pork consumption is the number one cause of epilepsy.
The consumption of high amounts of saturated fat the linked to obesity and a host of chronic diseases. The top offenders of saturated fat are dairy at 8.5%, pizza 5/9%, grain-based desserts 5.8%, dairy desserts 5.6%, and chicken at 5.5%. The lowest offenders are vegetables, fruits, seeds, whole grains, legumes, mushrooms, and herbs.
Though most scientific literature and health organizations link saturated fats to heart disease, some argue trans-fats (a form of saturated fat) are the real culprits and not all saturated fat. The top offenders of trans-fat in the American diet comes from processed grain-based foods at 40%, animal products 21%, margarine 17%, french fries 8%, and potato/corn chips and pop-corn at 5%. The lowest contributors of trans-fat to the diet are vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, whole grains, legumes, mushrooms, and herbs.
Excessive salt in the diet is a leading cause of hypertension. The top offenders of added salt to the diet are bread at 73.%, chicken 6.8%, pizza 6.3%, pasta 5.1%, and cold cut meat products at 4.5%. The lowest contributors of salt to the diet are vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, whole grains, legumes, mushrooms, and herbs.
Added sugar in the diet increases the risk of dying form heart disease. The top offenders of added sugar in the diet are soda at 36.6%, grain-based desserts 11.7%, fruit-flavored drinks 11.5%, dairy desserts 6.4%, and candy at 6.2%. The lowest contributors of added processes sugar to the diet are vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, whole grains, legumes, mushrooms, and herbs.
A whole food plant-based diet generally lacks the disease promoting components pathogens and toxins found in meat, dairy, processed meats, and processed foods. While generally lacking these disease promoting components, it is loaded with phytonutrients that specially protect against a wide range of diseases including cancer.
A well-rounded whole food plant-based diet is also a nutrient dense diet that provides the body with all natural building blocks to help keep or return it back to a state of homeostasis.
You can find the best health supporting, non-hybrid, alkaline plant foods to consume on this nutritional guide based on the Dr Sebi food list.
