My food philosophy isn’t about being militant, judgmental, or self-righteous. It’s just the facts based on the most current research, plain and simple.

My 8 Core Longevity Principles

1.    Embrace an organic, unprocessed, whole food vegan lifestyle
2.    Incorporate superfood ingredients and supplements in your daily recipes
3.    Move your body through daily exercises to energize and lift your mood
4.    Reduce your stress and anxiety through breathing, meditation, and daily mindfulness practices 
5.    Consciously select the right ingredients to use in recipes that help you accomplish a specific health goal or remedy a present malady (“picking the right tool for the job”)
6.    Be adventurous in the kitchen and willing to experiment with new foods and ways of living to find out what’s right for your body
7.    Understand and accept that food is fuel for your body, not simply an emotional crutch or a means of escape
8.    Remember to indulge, and have fun in the kitchen with your loved ones!

My book, Eaternity, has over 150 super easy vegan recipes to help you achieve longevity.

My Top Ten Longevity Superfoods

1.    acai berries
2.    cacao
3.    chia seeds
4.    goji berries
5.    hemp seeds
6.    maca powder
7.    pumpkin seeds
8.    quinoa
9.    sea vegetables
10.  watercress

In other words, real food that has been sustaining human beings for thousands of years.

So, what IS real food? Well, first of all, it’s food whose name you can pronounce!

It’s also food that was actually grown by a human being with their bare hands. Food that has been nurtured, grown, cared for and harvested without the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, Harley rides, or paraglides. It’s food that doesn’t require a laboratory to manufacture or synthesize. In short, these are the types of foods that your grandparents and great-grandparents used to eat all the time.

Back in their day, there was no such thing as “organic” food labeling because ALL FOOD was intrinsically organic! Oh, how things have changed in such a short time. So, I’m calling for a revolution to party in the kitchen like it’s 1899, y’all!

The relationship between longevity and plant-based (or non-plant-based) eating is well documented in research studies; here are just a handful:

• A 2009 study that followed 547,000 older Americans found that those who ate the most red meat had a 31 to 36 percent higher risk of dying in a ten year period.

• In California, Seventh-Day Adventists who are vegetarians live about a year and a half longer than those who eat meat, and those who also eat nuts frequently gain an additional two years of life expectancy.

• Researchers at the University of Cambridge followed 20,000 men and women aged 45–79. They created a point structure to assess the effects of four behaviors: not smoking, physical activity, moderate alcohol consumption, and five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. There was a drop in mortality risk in participants having all four behaviors—equivalent to being 14 years younger.

• Researchers from Loma Linda University found that vegetarians had a lower risk of dying compared with nonvegetarians.The study included more than 70,000 men and women. Specifically, vegans had a 15 percent lower risk of death, ovo-lacto vegetarians (vegetarians
who do not eat meat, fish, or poultry) had a 9 percent lower risk of death, and semi vegetarians (sometimes called flexitarians) had only an 8 percent lower risk of death.

Here’s the bottom line: if you want to have the best shot at a long life, you’ve got to look way outside your current culinary box.

I want you to jump up right now and scream at the top of your lungs,

“That’s it! I’m moving to Costa Rica and living in the jungle! Honey, pack me a loincloth and a bamboo toothbrush!”

Okay, but seriously, it’s important to recognize that the world’s longest-lived people choose a lifestyle that includes a healthy, balanced diet; daily exercise; and a low-stress life that incorporates family, strong ties to a community, a clear life purpose, healthy sex, and a strong
foundation of spirituality or religion.

So if you’re looking for this in your own life, let’s start together. Embrace a gentle shift in how you eat, explore new ideas about maintaining your daily health, and allow this simple yet profound truism to sink in: the better your food choices, the longer you’ll be able to enjoy the best things in life.

My book, Eaternity, has over 150 super easy vegan recipes to help you achieve longevity.