·
The
leading cause of death and the number one cause of shortening life expectancy
in the U.S. is heart disease. As your heart ages, there can be a build- up of
gunk in your arteries and your arteries themselves can become harder (see heart aging for more information). This causes
your blood
pressure to rise and your heart to work
harder, leaving you at risk for heart disease. Vegetarians (whole foods
vegetarians) have some of the best arteries around because eating healthy
vegetables avoids bad fats and other unhealthy foods.
·
People
who eat lots of vegetables take in lots of antioxidants. Antioxidants help your
body repair some of the damage caused by aging. The more plants you eat (and
the greater variety) the more raw materials your bod has to make repairs. Read
more on antioxidants and their evil counterpart, free radicals.
·
Finally,
vegetables simply fill you up with very few calories (if prepared without
creams, butter or cheese). A healthy vegetarian diet should help maintain or
lose weight. A healthy weight is tied to a longer life expectancy.
So be
more like a vegetarian to increase your life expectancy and live healthier.
