In a study with 22 pairs of identical twins, Stanford Medicine researchers and their colleagues have found that a vegan diet improves cardiovascular health in as little as eight weeks.
Although it’s well-known that eating less meat improves cardiovascular health, diet studies are often hampered by factors such as genetic differences, upbringing and lifestyle choices. By studying identical twins, however, the researchers were able to control for genetics and limit the other factors, as the twins grew up in the same households and reported similar lifestyles.
“Not only did this study provide a groundbreaking way to assert that a vegan diet is healthier than the conventional omnivore diet, but the twins were also a riot to work with,” said Christopher Gardner, Ph.D., the Rehnborg Farquhar Professor and a professor of medicine. “They dressed the same, they talked the same and they had a banter between them that you could have only if you spent an inordinate amount of time together.”
I think it’s important to remember that this does not mean that you should immediately go vegan or you will perish. Rather, consider how you might simply reduce the amount of meat you eat and what other more healthy substitutions you might be able to make in you diet. The researchers speculated that some of the relevant factors were a reduction in saturated fat, an increase in dietary fiber, and a net reduction in calories. Plants are generally low in saturated fat, low in calories, and high in fiber, so that tracks pretty cleanly.
So, going forward, you might consider ways you can inch your diet more in that direction. Dietary changes need to be relatively slow and steady or you’ll never adhere to them, and even if you don’t want to make large changes, there are still positive things you can do. Swap chips for lightly salted popcorn. Replace soda with sparkling water (perhaps with some artificial sweetener if you really need it). Swap out beef for lean pork, or better yet, chicken. When frying, consider olive oil instead of butter.
You don’t need to let the perfect be the enemy of the good here. Just look at your diet and see if there are any low-effort changes you can make that might still have a large impact. There’s almost certainly more than you think.
Regarding olive oil, I also like avocado oil. You can fry it a bit hotter without it burning, and has a milder flavor. Also get a good oil sprayer like [this ](http://www.EVO.com/ 18 Ounce Reusable Oil Sprayer https://a.co/d/8TT1b54) one and you can use it on bread instead of butter.
Reduce is a great way to put it. You don’t need an entire oversized piece of chicken breast to round out your meal. I remember reading about a Chinese man who came over here being astonished that one person eats the amount of meat he expected to be for the entire family. Think of it less about the volume of meat you are intending, but rather the space wasted that could have fit more vegetables that give you necessary vitamins. Also, vegetables don’t have to taste bad. Try a few recipes that are more complicated than “stick in microwave and press on” and you can get them pretty delicious. Lightly fry them in a pan with garlic and put the lid on after to let the heat finish cooking the inside. Or look up other recipes. We cling to the large meat and maybe large serving of potatoes with a small veggie portion because that is what we know. But there is better.
That’s a huge point re: vegetable preparation. I used to be horrendously picky growing up, and while I’ve improved quite a lot, vegetables were still a bit of a weak spot for me. But roasted veggies in an air fryer has completely changed the game for me. Brussels sprouts with some olive oil, whatever spice mix I like, and topped with a bit of grated Parmesan is absolutely delightful.
It actually pains me that there are people who eat them boiled with no seasoning.