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by Laurice Wardini

Plant-based diets are given a bad reputation for lacking in essential nutrients such as protein and vitamins. This is often over-exaggerated. Not only is it simple to get all of your protein and nutrients, but you can unlock all kinds of health benefits when following a healthy 100% plant-based diet!

Are you a fitness guru who needs extra protein and nutrients? A plant-based diet can still help you thrive!

Healthy Plant-Based Eating

As with any diet, you can eat either healthily or unhealthily. If you’re filling your plate with empty carbs and sweets, you’re bound to incur a vitamin deficiency or other issues. This won’t let you reap all of the incredible benefits of a plant-based diet! 

Healthy plant-based eating entails a very limited amount of empty carbs like bread, pasta, and sugars. Instead, fill your plate with vegetables, legumes, and other nutrient-dense foods. Get creative!

Why Should You Follow a Plant-Based Diet For Fitness?

 

1. You’ll discover a significant boost in energy levels.

When you eat healthily on a 100% plant-based diet, your energy levels will skyrocket. There are no dense animal-based foods like dairy and meat to weigh you down! Your body will love the lightweight nutrition it’s getting. 

 

2. Plant-based protein is easy to get and healthier than animal protein. 

Many forms of animal-based protein are filled with cholesterol and clog your arteries. This leads to heart disease and cancer. On the other hand, plant-based protein is completely healthy and won’t harm your long-term health. 

The idea that plant-based protein is hard to get is a complete myth. There are a number of tasty vegan staples that are filled with protein, plus delicious plant-based protein powders that contain a generous amount. 

 

3. You can easily gain muscle on a plant-based diet.

Even if you’re a bodybuilder trying to gain muscle, you can easily do so on a 100% plant-based diet since protein is readily available. You just need to make sure you’re measuring foods and getting enough protein! 

 

4. It can help you recover quicker in-between workouts.

A plant-based diet rich in foods with nitric oxide helps improve blood flow, which helps you recover from workouts quicker. Nitric oxide is found in beets, leafy greens, and other plant foods!

 

5. Your body’s digestion/gut health will improve.

Animal-based foods are terrible for gut health. When you eat a healthy, 100% plant-based diet that involves a wealth of foods high in fiber like vegetables and legumes, your gut health will jump for joy! 

 

6. Improved immune system.

Your immune system will thank you on a plant-based diet. Fruits and vegetables boost the immune system. 

 

7. A 100% plant-based diet alkalizes the body.

This ties a bit into gut health and the immune system. An alkaline body should be everyone’s goal! 


When you eat primarily acidic foods like meat and dairy, your body will become more acidic and pH levels will drop. If your pH levels get too low, your body can become an ideal environment for diseases like cancer over a long period of time.  

 

8. You’re much less likely to get heart disease, cancer, or diabetes. 

It’s no secret that an abundance of red meat, dairy, and other animal-derived foods have been linked to cancer. A plant-based diet is a great way to completely avoid this risk! It’s also shown that a healthy vegan diet has lower risks of diabetes. 

 

9. Plant-based diets are linked to lower levels of stress.

Although this isn’t a direct outcome of eating a plant-based diet, eating healthier is definitely linked to lower levels of stress and better moods. You are what you eat! 

 

10. Your skin will glow!

A healthy, 100% plant-based diet has shown to heal skin issues and cause a glow. Since they tend to be high in fiber and lower in saturated fat, improved insulin function and glucagon production occurs. In turn, your sugar metabolism is better controlled, which is a suspected cause of acne. 

Many people try to improve their acne for years, only to find that all it took was cutting out meat and dairy. 

 

Plant-Based Sources of Protein & Nutrients

It’s possible to miss out on certain nutrients that you’re unaware of when transitioning to a 100% plant-based diet

Vitamin B12: A shortage in this vitamin can make you feel low in energy and sluggish. This is one of the only vitamins that can’t be provided by plants, so you’ll need to get a supplement or look for fortified foods in grocery stores.

Iron: Deficiency in iron is one of the most common incidents for plant-based individuals. There are plenty of delicious plant-based sources of iron that you should ensure to add into your diet! Plus, our protein powder recommendation below contains nearly half your iron needs. 

Omega-3: There are a few vegan foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids, including hemp seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, and walnuts. You can also find supplements derived from algae.  

Protein: This is arguably the biggest myth of vegan diets. It’s extremely easy to get protein as long as you eat right. There are plant-based burgers, tofu, tempeh, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, and even tasty protein powders that make it incredibly simple to hit your daily needs. Many of these products are made into creative foods as well, such as chickpea pasta.

 

Protein Powder Recommendation

Ground-Based Superfood Protein is an excellent choice for a plant-based protein powder. Two scoops contain 110 calories and 20g of protein! Not only that, but it’s made with a wealth of superfoods to add nutrients and minerals to your diet. 

This all-in-one shake adds nearly half of your daily iron needs, plus a boost of vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and fiber. 

Ground-Based protein is organic, gluten-free, soy-free, contains no artificial colors or dyes, and tastes delicious. 

It comes in unflavored, vanilla, or chocolate flavors – each is naturally flavored, plus they’re sweetened with monk fruit and stevia. You can purchase one large jug, jug bundles that are a better deal, or even single-serving packets to try out a few flavors. 

 

Bottom Line

With all of these benefits, a 100% plant-based diet can make it easier to reach your goals and help you feel great on your fitness journey. There are a wealth of nutrient-dense foods, supplements, and delicious protein powders readily available that make it easy to stay healthy (and eat mouthwatering foods) on a plant-based diet.

 

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Laurice Wardini
Laurice Wardini

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