(NEW YORK) — Adding more plants to your plate can be both flavorful and favorable when it comes to a beneficial diet.
Dr. Ian Smith, author of Plant Power: Flip Your Plate, Change Your Weight, joined ABC News’ Good Morning America to share how people can harness the benefits of plant-based eating, plus examples of what meals and snacks to make at home.
Smith’s new book is an essential guide “for dieters who want to utilize the benefits of fruits, vegetables, and complex carbs — without eliminating the meat, dairy, fish, and fats they love,” he said.
Plant-based diets have been shown as one option to improve overall health. While some studies have shown that plant-based diets may have associations with certain health benefits, there have been no definitive causal links associated.
Smith outlines the following benefits of plant-based eating:
- Lower your cholesterol and blood pressure
- Reduce risk for heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes
- Help with weight loss
- Increase energy
- Boost your mood
While animal products can serve as a great source of protein, Smith says that people can still get those nutrients in a plant-based diet by eating more beans. This can include black, kidney, white, lima, chickpeas, edamame and more.
Smith’s book also seeks to help people looking to lose weight by sharing a four-week plant-based plan. Each day the book details how to flip one’s diet from 70% meat to 30% meat and 70% plants, which he said leads to natural and pain-free weight loss to keep people full and satisfied.
While the Plant Power plan is not specifically geared to be a weight-loss plan, medical experts believe if a reader follows it closely and pays attention to portion sizes, there’s a chance someone could lose weight.
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