Staying Healthy in the Fast Lane

the foundation for a staying healthy diet

Why Eat Plant Foods?

Plant foods have everything (almost). You can live off plant
foods and not eat another ounce of animal products and be abso-
lutely and wonderfully healthy. Plant foods have protein, fat, car-
bohydrate, fiber, and almost all the life-preserving phytochemicals,
vitamins, and minerals. If you are a strict vegan, meaning you eat
no animal products, you should supplement with vitamin B12, for
insurance. If you don’t get adequate sunlight, you should take vita-
min D. If you don’t eat a lot of greens, sea vegetables, or nuts and
seeds, you may need to take some omega-3 fatty acids.
When I get confused about nutrition (yes, I do at times, from all
the media and Internet medical “experts”), I consider two things.
First, I tend to think of animals that are closely related to us and
what they are eating. If a gorilla can be almost completely vegan
(some eat termites and ants, along with whatever bugs are on
the plant they are eating) and survive without consuming animal
products (and dairy) for their strong muscles and bones, then so
can I. A gorilla eats massive quantities of foliage and fruit—that is
about it!
The second thing I do when confused is look at what healthy
aging cultures eat, like the Okinawans, Sardinians, Nicoyans, Hun-
zas, Abhkasians, Vilcabambans, Seventh Day Adventists, Tarahu-
mara Indians, or the cultures in the “Cold Spots” or “Blue Zones”
of the world. You see very similar dietary patterns: They eat local
fresh fruit and vegetables; a staple, unrefined grain (starch) usu-
ally; some beans, lentils or root vegetables; and maybe some nuts
and seeds. The animal products they eat are generally more of a
condiment than a big part of their plate. It may not be eaten every
day, maybe only on special occasions or once or twice per week—
and it is usually a free-ranged, grass-fed animal eating local vegeta-
tion (with an anti-inflammatory fat profile) and lean overall. This
is a much different way of eating than the typical consumer of the
Western diet.