We don’t say “heavy” in public. It conjures up bullies, and things like fat-kid camps, and embarrassing things your kids say out loud when they shouldn’t.
But people who live the longest do eat “heavy”.
In one study, researchers identified the healthiest people in the world with the most 100 year olds and dubbed those regions the Blue Zone. What they do in common to live longer, happier, healthier lives come as no surprise:
Family
Not smoking
Consistent moderate exercise
Social life
Legumes
Plant-heavy diet
HEAVY needs redefining. While it was probably a poor choice of socially acceptable words, we need to eat plant heavy. It has a weight to it (no pun intended) because most people eat a plant-poor diet. In my own practice, even "healthy eaters" generally get less than 10 grams of fiber daily, which is directly correlated to a low amount of plant foods.
While everyone likes to make a big deal about weight , how much you weigh doesn’t come up in this study. It is about what we should do to live a long life well.
Simply put: eat a heavier amount of plant foods. And I’m not talking about eating more Impossible Burgers.
Plant foods include grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables. And eat them in amounts that will outweigh the other foods like animal products.
The key to long-life isn’t knowing what you’re supposed to do though, but actually doing it. Here's how I make this simpler in the Wellness Cohort.
We try this simple approach first: double your greens. By eating more green plants every single day we double the weight of our plant intake.
We talk about how to make simple, small shifts towards incorporating more plant foods into our everyday meals.
One simple way to do that is to just add more vegetables to dinner. Here’s a favorite recipe I love with crispy tofu, stir-fry veggies with a honey sesame flavor sure to please. This meal is low in carbohydrates, high in protein and just enough fiber to keep you full.
If you are trying to For more recipes like this, download a free 7 Day Slim Down meal plan with plant-powered recipes designed to keep you full eating delicious meal like this.
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