Anyone who follows fitness models or health pages on social media has been exposed to hundreds of different diets, one of the most common being that of the “plant-based diet”. Hundreds of celebrities acknowledge and endorse plant-based diets for their weight loss and performance. NBA player Kyrie Irving credits a plant-based diet for his improved play this year with the Celtics. What is a plant-based diet? A plant-based diet is simple: eat lots of fruits, legumes, and whole grains, and minimize (or in extreme cases, exclude) meat, dairy products, eggs, and refined oil. Using plants as medicine has become a very popular topic in recent years. Current research trends are showing that plant-based diets can even help treat diabetes patients. In the next 25 years, 1 in 3 Americans will have developed type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is lifestyle-related and can easily be prevented by simply avoiding foods high in saturated fat (animal products) and sugar (pretty much anything highly processed). By following a low-sugar and low-saturated fat plant-based diet, your risk of developing diabetes decreases immensely. One of the main reasons is due to blood sugar reduction. Diabetics who switch to a plant-based diet can experience decreases in blood sugar and blood pressure quickly after changing their diet, especially if they are taking medications for their conditions.