The Power of More Plants


May 22, 2025

 by Stephen Conca
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I have been chugging through a brick of a book called How Not to Age by Michael Greger. 

 

I promised I would get you some notes after I finished the 27-hour audiobook. 

 

Each chapter of the book is dedicated to preserving a certain trait or function: eyesight, hearing, skin, muscle mass, circulation, joints, etc.

 

Even with that amount of information, Greger seems to sum up each chapter with the same 5 words.

 

Ready to get an entire 640-page book's worth of info in 1 line of text?

 

When it comes to the best way to stay young, after aaaaaaallll the research comes in, Dr. Greger recommends....

 

a plant-based based whole food diet. (pbwfd)

 

You don't have to be a vegan, you just need more plants in your routine.

 

Every chapter seems to end with that recommendation.

 

So, how do you keep your skin supple and young? pbwfd

 

Improve circulation? pbwfd

 

Grow hair and nails? pbwfd

 

Maintain muscle? pbwfd

 

Cognitive function? pbwfd

 

Bowel and bladder function? pbwfd

 

You get the idea.

 

Across the board, animal products and refined/processed foods seem to inflame things, and whole plant foods seem to extinguish that inflammation.

 

At the end of the book, Dr Greger proposes his Anti-Aging 8: 8 things you should do if you're interested in adding life to your years.

 

  1. Eat nuts- lots of different kinds, a palmful a day, walnuts seem to be best.

  2. Eat leafy greens- the nitrates found here seem to maintain healthy muscle and artery function

  3. Eat berries- more antioxidants than any other food category (besides spices)

  4. Prebiotics and postbiotics- keep your gut microbes happy with a wide variety of high fiber plant foods, beans, and legumes

  5. Calorie restriction- eat just 15-20% fewer calories, and your body will produce energy more efficiently, and your metabolism saves wear and tear by burning low and slow

  6. Protein restriction or modification- you read that right. Extra protein can ramp up aging pathways, and research is 50/50 on the benefit to muscle mass. The recommended starting point is .8g per 1kg of body weight is sufficient. For a 150lb person, that's just 68g of protein. This is why we use the inBody scan. It tells the story of your muscle mass, so if it's dropping or needs to be increased, we may need to increase protein intake. 

  7. Xenohormesis and microRNA manipulation- Huh? Basically, stress your body with exercise and by eating plants that were stressed to get the life-prolonging benefits. And this microRNA concept is super interesting.

  8. NAD+- helps our body's enzymes do their thing. There are lots of supplements out there, but a plant-based diet and exercise do this naturally. 

 

If you love having all the details and want to deep dive into all the info, feel free to read the book.

Or you could save yourself the full 27 hours of listening or reading and just take my word for it. :)

A plant-based, whole food diet, plus physical activity/exercise, will add years to your life and keep you moving well throughout it. I'm currently still an animal product consumer, but only 1- 2 times per week, and have never felt better!