Plant Power for Chronic Disease – The Science of Plant Power (Part 1)
🌿 The Link Between Lifestyle Medicine and Plant-Based Eating
Lifestyle medicine is a powerful way to make sustainable changes that improve our health and prevent chronic diseases. Instead of simply treating symptoms, it focuses on addressing the root causes of health problems. Understanding the components of lifestyle medicine can help us take practice steps towards a healthy and balanced life.
According to the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM), six key pillars to support (2):
- Nutrition
- Stress management
- Sleep
- Physical activity
- Social connection
- Avoiding risky substances
Among these, nutrition plays a powerful role in disease prevention. The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) suggests eating a whole-food, plant-based diet to boost your health and prevent illness (1,2).
🌱 What Is a Balanced Plant-Based Diet?
A plant-based diet focuses on foods that come primarily from plants, including:
🥜 Nuts and seeds
🌱 Beans, peas, and lentils
🥖 Whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, and oats
🫒 Healthy oils like olive or canola oil
🍎 Fruits and vegetables in a variety of colours
This approach doesn’t mean eliminating all animal products—it simply emphasizes eating plant-based foods more often.
💪 Why Try a Plant-Based Diet?
Adopting a plant-based lifestyle can help:
- Prevent or manage diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity
- Support a healthy gut
- Strengthen your immune system
- Reduce inflammation throughout your body
A well-planned plant-based diet is packed with fibre, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that nourish and protect your body (1,2).
🌾 Fibre Facts
Fibre plays a key role in preventing and managing diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. It helps regulate blood sugar, improves digestive health, and keeps you feeling fuller for longer (3,4).
There are two main types of fibre found in plant foods – soluble and insoluble, which are both important for health. Soluble fibre, found in oats, legumes, and fruits, helps lower cholesterol and balance blood sugar (1,3).
🥦 Best Way to Get More Fibre
Choose whole or minimally processed foods—they naturally contain more fibre!
💡 Aim for 25–35 grams per day (5)!
❤️ Fibre for Your Heart
Eating 10–15g of soluble fibre daily (1) may help lower:
🔻 Triglycerides
🔻 Total cholesterol
🔻 “Bad” LDL cholesterol
Putting it Into Practice
- Start small! Consider trying a plant-based meal a few times a week or swap meat for lentils in your favourite recipe.
- Think of it as adding in more plants, rather than taking foods away. Every little step adds up in helping your body prevent disease from the inside out
- If your are new to our space, My Viva Plan is a lifestyle medicine tool for managing chronic disease. Learn more about the program HERE
🌱 Interested in learning more about Plant Power?
Let’s chat! Book your free discovery call today with Roshni, Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator and find out how a plant-based diet can help you feel your best. Click the link here to book a discovery call today!
👉 In our Part 2, we’ll explore how gut health, antioxidants, and key nutrients play a crucial role in a balanced plant-based diet.
References
- Kushner RF, Sorensen KW. Lifestyle medicine: The future of chronic disease management. Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes. 2013;20(5):389-395.
- American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Home. Accessed March 12, 2025. https://www.lifestylemedicine.org
- Ghavami, A., Ziaei, R., Talebi, S., Barghchi, H., Nattagh-Eshtivani, E., Moradi, S., Rahbarinejad, P., Mohammadi, H., Ghasemi-Tehrani, H., Marx, W., & Askari, G. (2023). Soluble fiber supplementation and serum lipid profile: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Advances in Nutrition, 14(3), 465-474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advnut.2023.01.005
- Health Canada. Considerations for vegetarian diets. Government of Canada. Updated May 3, 2022. Accessed April 15, 2025.
- Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada. (n.d.). Fibre and whole grains. Retrieved November 4, 2025, from: https://www.heartandstroke.ca/healthy-living/healthy-eating/fibre-and-whole-grains
About the Author
Roshni Kaur Gill
I’ve always been captivated by the powerful role nutrition plays in disease prevention and management—especially after my personal journey with celiac disease, which taught me early on that food isn’t just fuel; it’s medicine. This experience sparked my passion for exploring how what we eat can shape our health at every stage of life. I’m passionate about guiding clients to take a proactive approach in managing their health.
With a background in primary care and lifestyle medicine, my goal is to help you understand the factors affecting your health and work with you to create a personalized prevention plan and health toolkit. Together, we’ll explore key areas like sleep, stress, physical activity, nutrition, and family history to see how they influence your well-being. Your health toolkit will be a set of individual strategies, habits, and resources designed to bring your prevention plan to life. Whether you’re focused on reducing your risk for diabetes or optimizing your health before and during pregnancy, I’m here to provide the skills and knowledge you need to take control of your health and feel your best!