5 Things You Should Know About A Plant Based Diet

How? Fruits and vegetables contain natural vitamins and minerals that fuel our bodies with the good stuff we need to have naturally glowing skin, hair and nails. For example, sweet potatoes contain vitamin C, which boosts collagen and smooths wrinkles. Another example is tomatoes, which have lycopene that helps protect our skin from the sun naturally. High in vitamin B, vitamin C and silicon, cucumbers are THE natural beauty food helping heal and smooth skin. (1)

Balanced nutrition is crucial for a good night’s sleep, and fruits and vegetables deliver the nutrients your body needs. A plant-based diet may lower cortisol levels, which can relax the body and aid in deep sleep. Another thing to remember: when you eat a balanced diet, you’re less likely to experience cravings for things like caffeine and processed sugar, both of which can keep you up at night. (2)

Everybody knows you need a lot of water, but don’t need to drink it all: eat it. Eating foods with high water content can be an easy and enjoyable way to hydrate. Top hydrating foods include watermelon (go figure) and cucumbers. Both taste great on salads and make a terrific snack on their own (we like to munch on chilled cucumbers in the summer—with no need to peel, they’re even easier to eat on the go than a banana). (3)

This is a natural result from getting better and deeper sleep (Reason #2), as well as from a plant based diet. Plants provide our bodies with serotonin, tryptophan, and melatonin, which help regulate mood, sleep and appetite. You can get serotonin from pineapples, plums, kiwi and tomatoes. Bananas, grapes and oats offer up melatonin. Tryptophan can be found in beans and potatoes. Refer to our E-book “Protein-Packed Plants” (include link?) for recipes including all of these fruits and vegetables. (2)