Staying Healthy in the Fast Lane

staying healthy in the fast lane

The key is that these “super” foods are usually, though not al-
ways, plant foods—especially vegetables and fruit. That’s where
the magic is: in the plants (or some animal products that eat the
protective plant compounds). Also, it is the unique compound sur-
rounded by known and unknown synergistic plant compounds, not
the isolated substance, that creates the enhanced health benefits.
That means that eating the whole food is far and away more effec-
tive than simply popping a supplement extracted from some exotic
super-food. The take-home point: a healthy diet is comprised of a
variety of unrefined, local plant and vegetable foods and may or
may not contain small amounts of animal foods.

The Importance of Studying
Modern Day Blue Zone Cultures

While I think it is interesting and educational to study the dif-
ferent dietary patterns from which we evolved (Simian, Paleolithic,
Neolithic), I think it is considerably more important and urgent to
study modern-day healthy aging population’s (Blue Zone) dietary
(and lifestyle) patterns. These modern-day cultures have the same
genetics as our evolutionary ancestors, but because they are living
relatively free from chronic diseases and remain highly functional
into their eighties, nineties, and one hundreds, the environment
with which they “bathe” their genes—which includes the foods
they eat, the physical activity they get, and their social interac-
tions and mind-set—are critically important to learn from so we
can solve our current healthcare crisis. If we wipe out chronic dis-
eases, or delay them significantly, like many of these healthy aging
cultures do, then we are going to go a long way in solving the U.S.
and the world’s healthcare crisis.
Remember, 75 percent of the U.S. healthcare budget goes to
treat chronic disease. We should be studying urgently these healthy
aging populations in the U.S. and abroad, and keeping track of
their diet, lifestyle, and biochemical data on what is optimal and
set programs up to emulate some of these principles in the mod-
ern world.^12 This why I frequently reference these populations