As more and more people are adopting healthy lifestyles with the recent diets comprising whole foods and plants, it is essential to have a complete understanding of the two and how they are different from each other. One of the most vital differences is the focus on products not tested on animals..
What is it like to go vegan?
People who decide to follow a vegan diet don’t eat any animal-based products whatsoever. So, all foods such as meat, eggs, dairy, as well as animal-sourced products like honey and gelatin are avoided. Generally, vegans adopt the concept as a lifestyle choice and not just a diet. This is the biggest difference between veganism and a plant-based lifestyle. For instance, vegans don’t just eliminate animal products from their diet but they also don’t use other animal-derived products like leather, beeswax, etc. Veganism is more like a way of living and, therefore, even when it comes to beauty products and cosmetics, they use products not tested on animals. They believe in excluding all forms of exploitation and cruelty of animals. Now, a vegan diet does not necessarily mean healthy eating habits. A lot of vegan foods are highly processed and contain lots of sugar and carbohydrates.
What is a plant-based lifestyle?
A plant-based diet is one that focuses on foods derived from plants. This is similar to a vegan diet since both exclude the use of animal products altogether. However, an interesting thing to note here is that those who choose a plant-based lifestyle also avoid overly refined and processed foods, keeping nutritional and environmental reasons in mind. They base their diet on foods like fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and legumes. These are natural substances and, therefore, ideal for those focusing on a plant-based routine.
The Health Benefits
Both vegan and plant-based lifestyle is associated with several health benefits. The reason to go vegan might also involve certain ethics and environmental concerns but a plant-based lifestyle can be adopted only for the purpose of its health benefits.
Aplant-based lifestylereduces the risk of heat-related illnesses since all animal protein is swapped with plant protein. It also reduces the chances of diabetes by improving blood glucose levels.
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