The other Blue Zones also featured a predominantly plant-based diet. None of them were fully vegan or vegetarian, but meat and dairy and eggs were luxuries enjoyed regularly only by the wealthy, and just on festivals and special occasions by everyone else.

anyone who knows the basics of biochemistry or physiology will tell you that energy comes from carbs or fat, not protein.

Meat disrupts your intestinal bacteria, which leads to weight gain. Most meat contains antibiotics, which lead to weight gain. Meat creates acidosis and inflammation, which lead to weight gain.

Americans consume more protein than just about any other nationality: on average, according to the World Health Organization, around 130 grams per day (about 4.5 ounces). The National Health and Nutrition Survey estimates are lower: 102 grams per day for men and 70 grams per day for women. Is that a lot or a little? Well, the recommended daily allo

A Glut of Information and a Famine of Wisdom

When I tell them to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, it’s not that they actually object. They’re just so focused on getting more and more protein into their diets that they don’t have room for plant-based foods.

Study after study kept turning up the same types of correlations between animal protein, saturated fat, obesity, and chronic illness.

The key message here is not “zero meat” but rather “more plants.” More than 100 percent dietary purity, I want you to shift your overall dietary pattern.

No matter the diet, the concept of the “Cheat Day” is a disempowering and dangerous one. People who eat strictly for six days a week and then binge on their favorite “forbidden foods” on day seven spend the entire week fantasizing about that cheeseburger. Whatever you do, don’t elevate the food you’re trying to eliminate to mythic status in your mi