There is not much mystery about a ‘plant-based diet’ but it may be interesting to ponder for a little on the vastness of what it holds for you.

Whole Foods

Firstly, a plant-based diet recognizes the value of natural, whole foods, not nutrients or calories, as the fundamental unit of nutrition. This is due to the synergistic combination of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals that can only take place with whole foods. Thus it makes good food sense to have moderate amounts of different whole foods in your diet all the time.

This continual switching around of one type of vegetable, whole grain or fruit for another till you have all the different types of phytochemicals well inside your body is very important for ultimate health. Besides, different parts of your body require different plant chemicals to function; thus, a healthy mix of nutrients is essential to good health.

Colors of Natural Foods

Further, a plant-based diet is also about eating the colors. Combining different colors and types of fruits and vegetables is both healthy and appetizing. In fact, colors give clues to the nutrients they contain.

For example, red indicates vitamin A (beta carotene) and vitamin C. Closely following, is yellow, which is a sign of potassium and fiber; while green means it is packed with iron or folic acid. Further, blue and purple colors show the presence of anthocyanins that fight free radicals; and white shines with vitamins and minerals.

Healing Power of Foods

Notably, the healing power of whole foods in a plant-based diet is at your disposal if you care to use it. However, this sort of healing is seldom instantaneous; Nature must be allowed to take its course and there are no health miracles overnight.

Meanwhile, the processed foods in your diet can cancel out all the good work of natural foods in the blink of an eye. What you do and do not eat are all important if you wish to see definite results.

Green Blood of Plants

In a way, a plant-based diet is letting in the sun in your life when you eat leafy greens with a high amount of chlorophyll. In fact, your own red blood thrives on the green blood of plants. So, the more greens you have inside your body, the more oxygen to produce red blood cells for you. Just as the trees depend on the leaves for food, you can make it through life with leafy greens.

Food Preparation

Lastly, a plant-based diet takes into consideration the way foods are prepared or eaten; so you should feed on fresh foods or freshly cooked food. There was a case in which re-heated leftovers were served to a woman in confinement. From that time onward, her health went downhill and she lost all her energy, not being able to hold down any full-time job.

Thus, Wordsworth had been right all along – that there is a close bond between man and nature. And a plant-based diet is the nearest thing though it may not be exactly what the dear poet had in mind. Edible poetry, anyone?