Eat More, Live Well summary

The popularity of vegetarian and vegan diets in recent decades has led to a host of plant-based options for anyone wanting to eat less meat. But it has also narrowed the popular view of what plant-based eating really is. For many, it means swapping that burger or chicken nugget for a soy alternative, but from both a personal and ecological perspective, this isn’t a significantly better choice.

That’s because both the fast-food burger and soy alternative are highly processed, industrial foods. While they might contain macronutrients, like protein or fats, the heavy processing of ingredients between the farm   the table has stripped away much of the additional nutritional value of the food. These foods are tasty, with added sugars and salts to heighten the flavor. But the human digestive system hasn’t evolved to handle the overload of simple carbohydrates, saturated fats, and sodium they deliver.

Over time, our taste buds become accustomed to all that sugar and salt, too, and stop sensing the more subtle flavors present in whole foods. We want to consume more and more for the big chemical hit brought on by the sugar and fat content – and the cycle strengthens.

All along, our gut microbiomes are reacting. The organisms that favor sugar and salt thrive, while others that help regulate mood or hormones or reduce blood sugar, languish without adequate nutrition. The result is poor health, weight gain, and a loss of energy and vitality. The effect of processed foods limiting the diversity and health of the gut microbiome is well-established, but what has been less clear, until now, is how to reverse this cycle.

That’s why this plant-based plan is quite different. It focuses simply on increasing the quantity and diversity of whole, plant-based foods you consume. This includes everything from whole grains like oats, wheat, and barley to herbs and spices like basil and oregano. It includes those power-packed protein sources like chickpeas, lentils, beans, and yes, even soy – but in fresh or fermented forms instead of industrially-produced meat substitutes.

Of course, fruits and vegetables are also on the menu, and this plant-based plan encourages you to try them all. But believe it or not, that ugly apple from the farmers market or humble backyard tomato likely packs a bigger nutritional punch for you and your gut microbiome than the plastic-wrapped ones from the supermarket. That’s because local, organic produce has had more time to absorb nutrients from the soil and still carries the microbes from the healthy soil for your health.

Similarly, locally-produced nuts, seeds, herbs, and legumes are also rich sources of both macro- and micronutrients and offer a diversity of microorganisms that can transform your gut health. That’s why the only actual rule of plant-based eating is that diversity matters, with the added caveat that minimally-processed plant foods pack more than just nutritional benefits, but can actually be the source of gut-healthy microbes that transform the way you feel.