For the past 70 odd years, retirement plans have consisted of a mix of 401(k) and IRAs, and perhaps some financial investments. However, as people are living longer and retiring later, there are more active earth-side years to be accounted for. Quality of life has become its own wealth component — the ability to move freely and actively.
Researchers agree that plant-based eating offers an effective and direct way to invest in health and longevity, staving off cardiometabolic disease. By lowering blood pressure, regulating blood sugar, and lessening the chances of obesity, choosing a plant-rich lifestyle unlocks more years with less underlying health conditions.
In a recent newsletter by Harvard Medical School, doctors call attention to the $50 billion a year that the American healthcare system will spend on heart-disease related illnesses (this is about $300 per person!). 45% of these costs are related to people’s diets so Harvard doctors researched which foods can significantly improve cardiovascular health. The key take-away? The power players are all plants. This article examines the quality-of-life impact plants offer, as well as the financial incentive — two main drivers of happy and productive later-years.
Foods Recommended by Cariodologists
In “The high cost of a poor diet,” cardiologist Dr. Thomas A. Gaziano, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School says that what you are not eating is just as important as what you are eating. Dr. Gaziano recommends absolutely striking out processed meats and sugary drinks.
Food groups that offered the most cardiovascular benefit, include:
- Nuts – Almonds, walnuts, cashews, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds (pepitas), chia seed, flaxseed, sunflower seeds, etc. At least one serving of 2 tablespoons per day.
- Vegetables – Five servings (e.g., one serving is equivalent to 1 cup of dark leafy greens or 1/2 cup of chopped cucumbers, peppers, squash) per day.
- Fruits – Four servings (e.g., one serving is equivalent to one medium orange, apple, or pear or 1/2 cup of grapes, berries, or melon) per day.
- Whole grains – one serving per day (e.g., 1/2 cup of brown rice or oatmeal or a slice of whole-grain bread).
Notably red meat and fish recommendations were no more than one to two servings per week at the most.
Dr. Gaziano and his team say that nuts offer optimal healthy heart benefits — nuts are rich in omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and other essential vitamins and minerals like monounsaturated fats, vitamins B, E and K, calcium, iron, zinc, and more.
Quality of Life Impact
Plant-based essentially means plant-forward consumption with a focus on fruits, vegetables, beans, oils, seeds and nuts, legumes, and whole grains. There are countless physical benefits to embracing a plant-based diet, and the more animal by-products and animal protein are eliminated, the greater the effects. A study from the National Institutes of Health adds even more scientific evidence to the Harvard Medical information, showing that plant diets have the ability – when working in tandem with a healthful lifestyle – to reverse existing atherosclerotic lesions, as well as provide cardiovascular protection. In addition, plant-based eating can lead to even greater performance results by reducing body fat and leading to leaner body composition, facilitating glycogen storage, reducing blood viscosity, increasing tissue oxygenation, reducing oxidative stress, and reducing inflammation.
These findings point to vastly more efficient systems and positive health effects. People that eat plants have qualitatively better performance, rest, recovery, and overall health.
Extra Financial Incentive
First and foremost, following a vegetarian or plant-based diet improves the chances of not suffering from an acute cardiovascular episode. In fact, 84% of the afore-mentioned $50B in annual cardio episode costs can be attributed to acute care scenarios like heart attacks and strokes. Think of how even minor health setbacks, like a cold or flu, can impact daily activity, and it starts to add up how much time and money is thrown at remediating the effects of major disease and illness. Proactive prevention and an investment in health can begin early on with plant-based eating.
In addition, since the beginning of the pandemic, we have seen major supply chain disruptions within the agriculture and food industry, as meat processing plants were impacted. These temporary closure-interruptions caused a hike in retail food prices, led by meat and eggs. The price of products like chicken, pork, and beef rose by an average of 4-12%.
Therefore, plant-based eating offers a compelling financial incentive to reduce costly healthcare pitfalls and get more from the grocery cart with plant-based shopping. The grocery bill that is lowered without the addition of processed meats and animal by-products, the saved health costs, sweetens the invaluable longevity and high quality of life that is yours to enjoy.
Retirement is going to look different for each of us and it is following the trend of becoming more and more individualized as our lives begin to divert from the traditional, linear life path that so many generations tread before us. What can be ascertained is that plant-based eating can be counted on as a qualitative and quantitative investment, offering greater enjoyment, fulfillment, and function as we age.
