SPOKANE, Wash.—Plant-based dieting has become more and more of a trend for people who want to live a healthy lifestyle.
A plant-based diet cuts out all animal products from a person’s diet.
A bariatric surgeon from Multicare Rockwood Clinic, Dr. Mathew Rawlins said he had tried a plant-based diet and felt both pros and cons from it.
Dr. Rawlins said cutting out dairy made him feel great, but he also had times where he would feel weak.
Cutting out processed foods and eating more whole foods can help people lose weight and feel great, according to Dr. Rawlins.
Rawlins said there are important things people considering a plant-based diet should know.
The first is to keep track of protein people are taking in, because it can be hard to find.
Next, Rawlins encouraged people to do their research or talk to a nutritionist to make sure their body is getting everything it needs for the new diet.
Rawlins said that losing weight on the diet could depend on the type of plant-based diet people pursue.
Experts said a lot of times people will switch to a plant-based diet as a way shed some extra pounds, but that is not always the outcome.
"You can be a vegan and be very healthy or you can be a vegan and be very unhealthy. You can be a vegan and gain weight on a vegan diet or you can be a vegan and lose a tremendous amount of weight, I think it really depends on where you are coming from,” said Dr. Rawlins.
While many people refer to a plant-based diet as a vegan diet, others in the Spokane community said veganism was a set of principles.