Many studies have shown that people who are on a plant-based diet have significantly improved their health and well-being compared to those who are not. Plant-based diet focuses on eating foods that are primarily from plants. This includes not only fruits and vegetables, but also nuts, seeds, oils, whole grain, legumes, and beans. A plant-based diet does not mean to never include meat or dairy. Rather, the diet should consist of more proportions of food from plant sources. A vegetarian diet come in different forms depending on the version that works best for a particular person. A ‘semi-vegetarian,’ for example, includes eggs, dairy foods, and occasionally meat, poultry, and seafood; a ‘pescatarian’ includes eggs, dairy food, fish, and seafood, but no meat or poultry; ‘vegetarians,’ sometimes known as “lacto-ovo vegetarian,” includes all plant-based diets, eggs and dairy but no meat, fish, poultry, and seafood; and ‘vegans,’ do not eat meat or seafood or any food sourced from animals.
The most interesting version among all these different forms of vegetarians are the vegans. Based on many systematic reviews, vegans, or people who are strictly eating plant-based food, have shown a great reduction of visceral fats. This type of body fat wraps around our abdominal organs and mainly found near our stomach, liver, and intestines. Visceral fats are different from the ‘belly’ or subcutaneous fats. Normally, visceral fats should only make up 10% of the total body fat; but an excess of visceral fats can lead to many serious health problems including cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, increase risk of prostate, breast and colorectal cancer and other metabolic syndrome. A recent study revealed that a person who transitions to becoming a vegan will reduce their visceral fats significantly in just eight weeks!
If your or someone you know wants to learn more about becoming a vegetarian, visit the VegTO at www.veg.ca. VegTO is Toronto’s go-to resource for all things vegan. Their mission is to inspire people to choose a healthier, greener, more compassionate lifestyle. They also run many programs and initiatives, like hosting annual Veg Food Fest, educational programs, and community events.