ASK DR. BETH | By Dr. Beth Prinz

The Plant-Based Plan

A Cheat Sheet on Going Plant Based to Lengthen Your Lifespan


“Vegan Gluten-Free Baking Class” at The Lavender Inn’s Ojai Culinary School sounded enticing and not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I’m glad I gave it a try.

As me and my fellow students donned embroidered aprons and squeezed in to the cozy kitchen, Bianca Rose Martinez of compassionateating.com greeted us warmly, then masterfully introduced us to the world of alternative flours and flax eggs (three versions included!) Before we could say “buckwheat flour,” our olfactory centers were buzzing with the aroma of blueberry hemp muffins, vegan quiche, and jackfruit empanadas pressed on a cast-iron press.

Take-home recipes, samples, and new skills were all part of the fun.

It’s always exciting to meet others who have discovered the benefits of plant-based eating and learn what inspired them. For Martinez, it was a desire to improve the health of her family.

When I made the change a couple of years ago, my incentive was more selfish. I wanted to feel better, look better, have plenty of energy, not worry about my weight, and avoid chronic illness, debility, and early death.

Yes, plant-based eating offers the promise of all this and more; the scientific evidence backs this up. Now, I only wish I had known this earlier in life. For most of my life, I believed meat was an essential part of a healthy diet. I thought those who avoided animal products must be compromising their health in some way. Plant-based eating seemed too complicated and esoteric. Besides, meals always centered around meat. What the heck, would one eat instead?

It’s not that difficult. The goal isn’t perfection, it’s shifting patterns, one meal at a time.

Here’s a technique to get started:

Crowding out. Keep a short list of essential daily foods. Eat these every day and start to crowd out the other stuff (meat, dairy, sugar, and processed foods). I like Dr. Michael Greger’s “Daily Dozen” list from his NutritionFacts.org website:

  1. Beans (legumes) (3 servings)
  2. Berries (1 serving)
  3. Other fruit (3 servings)
  4. Cruciferous Veg (1 serving)
  5. Greens (2 servings)
  6. Other Veg (2 servings)
  7. Flaxseeds (1 serving)
  8. Nuts (1 serving)
  9. Spices (1 serving)
  10. Whole Grains (3 servings)
  11. Water or tea (5 servings)
  12. Exercise (1 serving).

(Admittedly, exercise isn’t a food, but Dr. Greger includes this as a reminder).

The above list is a starting point. The key to success is to not feel deprived. No one wants to feel hungry all day or count calories. And there is no need to. Stuff yourself with whole plant foods all day long if you want. Every bite is nutrient dense and calorically light. If weight loss is desired, go light on the oils and nuts. If not, go heavier on the starches, nuts and oils. Here are some of the “side effects” of a whole-food plant-based diet (compared to a SAD Standard American Diet)

Most will be noticeable within days to weeks:

  • Heartburn symptoms go away (stop needing PPI or H2 blockers or antacids)
  • Loss of constipation (no longer need stool softeners)
  • Loss of sugar cravings
  • Increased energy
  • Improvement in sleep
  • Improvement in mood
  • Weight loss
  • Clearer skin
  • Improvement in triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL
  • Insulin resistance, prediabetes or diabetes improves or resolves.
  • High blood pressure improves (need for blood pressure medication decreases)
  • Fatty liver improves
  • Aching joints, chronic pain improves
  • Autoimmune condition improves
  • Palate changes, fruits taste sweeter, fried foods taste too heavy, salty food less appealing
  • Improvement in asthma, hay fever, atopic skin disorders
  •  Reduced frequency of colds and minor infections

The most important reason for eating plant-based is to minimize the risk of the Number ONE killer worldwide: cardiovascular disease. Aside from quitting smoking, replacing animal products with whole plant foods is the single most useful action any individual can make to avoid heart disease.

It’s time to get selfish and increase not only your life span, but your health span. Medications cannot undo what we put in our bodies. They cannot slow or prevent chronic disease. Diseases are chronic because they are sustained by our daily actions. The body has an amazing capacity to heal if we just get out of the way and give it what it requires. Try crowding out the bad stuff with the good stuff and find out what your body is capable of!