It turns out that I am already following a blue zone diet that includes high protein, mostly plants

• I don’t eat meat, and I don’t really like salads or smoothies, so I always felt unhealthy.
• Blue Zone diets are primarily plant-based and include lots of beans and whole grains.
• Learning about the eating habits of the world’s oldest people validated my own eating habits.

As a child, I always felt self-conscious about not liking foods that were supposed to be good for you, like salads and smoothies. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t eat an iceberg lettuce or an acai bowl, telling myself I was doomed to an unhealthy lifestyle.

That feeling only grew when I decided to stop eating meat six years ago and started giving lectures and answering questions about protein intake.

At the same time, I’ve been working out more than ever, and my yearly physicals showed nothing wrong. if you have some trouble, Reducing meat intake lowers cholesterol levels. Yet, even though I felt physically better than ever, I mentally accepted the fact that I was probably losing my health.

But when I looked at it Netflix’s new documentary about the 5 Blue Zones — a place in the world where people live longer than average — I realized I had been following the Blue Zones Diet all along.One lesson was that people mainly eat. plant based diet and that Beans, my favorite protein source, are a superfoods.

By learning more about the Blue Zones, I was finally able to embrace the eating habits I had been following for years. I also found that the things I could improve on (like cutting back on processed foods) were pretty easy to work on.

I get most of my protein from beans, tofu, and nuts.

My partner is vegan, so when we meal prep for the week, we make plant-based things that we both eat. To get enough protein, I cook with lots of beans, lentils, and tofu, and add peanut butter, chia seeds, and hemp seeds to my morning oats. Since we both lift weights, we also take plant-based protein powder as a supplement.

I end up eating vegan about 80% of the time, and the only time I actually consume fish, eggs, or dairy is when I order takeout or eat out.

In fact, it turns out that this is similar to a high-protein diet. blue zone Residents also follow. They eat primarily beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, with fish, cheese, and eggs occasionally included, but not often.

I tried eating it like a Blue Zone resident. Nicoya, Costa RicaI was doubly excited to learn that the meal consisted of pumpkin, beans, and corn. These are all foods that I love.

I prefer stir-fries and grain bowls to store-bought salads.

The problem with salads is that they don’t make you feel full unless you add more protein. Plus, I’m just a picky eater and hate the idea of ​​store-bought dressings and unseasoned raw vegetables.

After all, I just want fruits and vegetables in different forms. Okinawan people eat A nutritious stir-fry made with tofu and gourd, and plenty of seaweed, it’s all eaten up in no time. The Okinawans’ main advice in the Netflix series is to remember that not all foods contain all the nutrients, so it’s important to switch things up.

Many in the Blue Zones harvest and prepare their own food. When I make my own salads or grain bowls at home, I usually lots of fried vegetables and make your own dressinghelps you know exactly what you’re eating.

I don’t feel so stressed about meals and now eat what I like.

I am not on a perfect blue zone diet. I still reach for processed snacks and sweets, but I try to cut back on both. Dr. Heidi Tissenbaum, professor of molecular, cell, and cancer biology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, previously told Insider: Reducing added sugar increases longevity.

But once I learned that the foods that made me feel good were actually good for me, the voice of shame that had been in my head for years went away. No longer wonder how you can run a half marathon or deadlift without eating heaps of chicken breast, or how you can live 10 years longer if you eat raw kale more often.

Did you know you are getting enough vitamins and protein from your diet? beans Better.