More people are adopting a vegan lifestyle because of its immense health benefits. Some individuals take up the plant-based diet for lifestyle purposes, while others do it for animals and the environment.
In Nairobi, the vegetarian diet is gaining momentum each day. For many years, Kenya’s capital has made all types of animal meat on the roadside. A pattern, which is notable in most estates, to the joy of most people.
On the side of the streets, vendors sell hot-dog style sausages and smokies. Butchers, on the other hand, make delicious mutura – a sausage made from tripe and filled with ground beef. In Nairobi’s Lang’ata area, you will find the Carnivore restaurant famous for serving camel, crocodile, and roasted ostrich meat.
However, times have changed. According to Deutsche Welle, a German publication, a community of 200 people has adopted a one-hundred percent plant-based diet. The community-based at the capital’s Majengo slums boasts of adopting a “one-hundred-percent animal cruelty-free lifestyle.”
Before sitting down for a meal together, they beat drums. The community spends most of its time farming, living, praying together, and sparing animals’ lives. According to them, avoiding animal products is out of respect.
Benefits of adopting a vegan lifestyle
Weight loss
As compared to individuals on a regular diet, those following a plant-based diet enjoy a lower body mass index (BMI).
Research proves vegan diets can quickly lose weight as compared to pesco-vegetarian, semi-vegetarian, and omnivorous. Moreover, they gain enough macronutrients.
Because most dairy products and meats contain high-fat levels, eliminating these meals helps shed extra weight.
However, it’s worth noting that indulging so much in plant-based processed foods contributes to weight gain.
Lowers the risk of cancer
A study conducted recently indicates that shifting to a vegan diet decreases cancer risk by 15%. The research further suggests that plant foods contain high levels of phytochemicals, vitamins, and fiber, which shield against cancer.
Research also states that red meat contains a carcinogenic substance that causes pancreatic, prostate, and colorectal cancer.
Improved health
People who adopt a vegan diet are likely to have a healthier heart.
Large-scale research conducted in 2019 links a reduction in animal food and an increase in the plant-based diet with a lower death toll due to heart disease in adults.
Animal products, including butter, cheese, and meat, contain a lot of saturated fats. Eating meals that contain these fats continuously increases the risk of stroke and heart disease.
When you embark on a vegan-diet, seek the advice of a professional who supports and understands your goals. A nutritionist will also guide you on how to structure your meals.
Hold yourself accountable before putting anything in your body; this will go a long way towards improving your health journey.
