Don’t Wait for a Crisis
Patients often come to us in a moment of crisis, they’re in pain and they need to feel better. And while we always address the patients, pain situation immediately, we also like to take a more holistic approach to treat their overall well-being. Preventing an injury or debilitating illness is always the best solution, and one of the best places to start looking for long-term answers is in a patient’s nutrition and diet.
Obviously, no one diet is right for everyone. We all have different physiologies, meaning that what works for one person may or may not work for someone else. Some people can lose weight with a low-carb diet but not a low-fat diet, while others may need a more balanced approach.
One thing is certain, though. Eating nutritiously (whether it’s low-carb, low-fat, or somewhere in between) is essential; not only to losing weight but to ensuring an overall healthy lifestyle.
March is National Nutrition Month, which makes it the perfect time to think about how you can eat more nutritiously. Created and promoted by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, National Nutrition Month focuses on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.
One way to ensure you eat more nutritiously is to make the move to a plant-based diet. For some of us, that may be a real challenge, but we believe it’s one worth taking on. Here are four reasons why we believe you should give a plant-based diet a shot.
Reduce Inflammation
According to the NIH, inflammation is the underlying cause of a number of diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and chronic pain diseases. Studies have shown that people with diets that use fruits and vegetables as the main source of nutrients have an inverse risk of inflammation.
Reduce Risk of Disease
Shakthi Health & Wellness discussed this in a Gut Check blog post not too long ago, plant-based diets tend to be healthier because they reduce bacteria and enzymes in the body that can cause diseases. This includes reducing your risk of heart attacks, diabetes, high blood pressure, and more common but deadly diseases.
Lose Weight
The reason why a plant-based diet can help you lose weight is simple. Vegetables and fruits are generally lower in calories and it takes your body more energy to break them down than it does highly processed food.
Build Lean Muscle
Along with losing weight, building lean muscle is a great way to be fit and healthy. And plant-based diets can help promote lean muscle as well, or better than diets with meat. The plant world has a wide variety of beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts and seeds, all packed with a powerful dose of not just protein, but the nutrients the body needs to transform that protein into usable muscle.
If you’re considering switching to a plant-based diet but you’re not sure where to start, we can help. Schedule an appointment with one of our specialists today by clicking the link or please call Pain and Spine Specialists in Maryland at 301-703-8767, in Pennsylvania at 724-603-3560, or in Virginia 540-433-1905 to make an appointment or use the form on our site to send us a message.