What is a Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet?

A whole food plant-based diet focuses on consuming foods that promote good health; whole, minimally processed food from plants. This includes fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, legumes and small quantities of nuts and seeds.

The term ‘plant-based’ really means plants only. Therefore, no animal products including chicken, beef, fish, eggs and dairy. The term ‘whole’ refers to consuming foods as close to their natural form as possible with minimal changes to their nutrient composition. This excludes foods including oils and refined flour products (e.g. white bread and olive oil), where both have had their fibre and many other nutrients removed.

While this way of eating may sound restrictive for some people, many report consuming a wider variety of foods on a whole food plant-based diet compared to their previous omnivore diet. 

Why whole foods plant-based? 

A whole food plant-based diet benefits several health conditions. It can manage, treat and even reverse many lifestyle-related chronic diseases including heart disease and type 2 diabetes. It is also a powerful way to stimulate weight loss. Let’s look at the reasons behind this:

Heart disease

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Australia and most Western countries[1]. Most of us will have a relative or friend who has experienced heart disease. Heart disease refers to conditions that involve narrowed or blocked blood vessels that can lead to a heart attack, angina (chest pain) or stroke. Other heart conditions including those that affect your heart’s muscle, valves or rhythm are forms of heart disease. Many studies have proven that heart disease can be prevented and, in most cases, even reversed! A well-known study lead by Caldwell B Esselstyn showed coronary artery disease was reversible in most patients following a whole food, plant-based diet, without the use of statin drugs (cholesterol lowering medication)[2][3].

Type 2 diabetes

A high fat diet can cause fat particles to build up in our cells, interfering with insulin’s ability to move glucose from the bloodstream to inside our cells. This results in an increase in blood glucose levels and can lead to type 2 diabetes. A whole food, plant-based diet is low in fat, allowing insulin to function properly. In a study lead by Dr Neal Barnard, a low fat, plant-based diet was shown to control blood glucose more effectively than the American Diabetes Association guidelines, which limited calories and carbohydrates[4].

Weight loss

A whole food plant-based diet can help you lose weight and keep it off. Whole, plant foods are lower calorie density and high in fibre and water, which helps fill you up without adding extra calories. However, nuts and seeds are very calorie dense and therefore, if eaten in large quantities can lead to weight gain. Oils (including coconut and olive oil) are the most calorie dense food. Even in small quantities, they add calories to your meal without having an impact on satiety (physical feeling of fullness). The reason a whole food plant-based diet helps with long term, sustainable weight loss is because it does not result in constant hunger or rely on extraordinary will power. The low-calorie density allows you to eat when you are hungry until you feel full and satisfied. 

Other benefits of a whole food, plant-based diet include:

-improved cholesterol

-improved blood pressure

-Clearer skin

-decreased risk of cancer

-keep your brain strong

-strengthen your immune defences

-live better and longer

Whole food plant-based vs plant-based vs vegan

Both vegan and plant-based diets have made headlines for their health benefits. Vegan diets eliminate all animal products, including meat, fish, eggs, dairy and honey. People choose to follow a vegan diet for ethical, environmental and health reasons. However, while there are health benefits to being vegan, there are some pitfalls to avoid. Just because something is vegan, it does not mean it is healthy. For example, a vegan diet can include highly processed, nutrient poor foods including potato chips and coca cola.

A plant-based diet is a diet consisting either mostly of plants or entirely of plant-based foods. Therefore, some animal products and processed foods including plant-based oils may choose to be included.

While whole food plant-based diets focus on eating whole plant foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes, wholegrains, some nuts and seeds) and excludes animal products and keeps processed foods to a minimum to avoid changes to the nutrient composition. 

References:

[1] AIWH. (2021). Leading causes of death. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/life-expectancy-death/deaths-in-australia/contents/leading-causes-of-death

[2] Esselstyn Jr, C. B., Ellis, S. G., Medendorp, S. V., & Crowe, T. D. (1995). A strategy to arrest and reverse coronary artery disease: a 5-year longitudinal study of a single physician's practice. Journal of Family Practice, 41(6), 560-568.

[3] Esselstyn, C. B. (2017). A plant-based diet and coronary artery disease: a mandate for effective therapy. Journal of geriatric cardiology: JGC, 14(5), 317.

[4] Barnard, N. D., Cohen, J., Jenkins, D. J., Turner-McGrievy, G., Gloede, L., Jaster, B., ... & Talpers, S. (2006). A low-fat vegan diet improves glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in a randomized clinical trial in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes care, 29(8), 1777-1783.