I have some FUN news: Plum Health DPC, the family medicine practice I am part of, will be sponsoring the Farmington Farmers Market this coming Saturday, September 5th! The Farmington market just won “Best Farmers Market in Metro Detroit” for a fourth year in a row! I will be at our booth all day from 9am – 2pm – so if you’re around grab your mask, come check the market out, get some fresh, locally-grown veggies, and stop by and say hi to me!

Last month’s post was a hodge podge about me, my philosophy as a family medicine doctor, and my mission for our Metro Detroit community. This month, I wanted to expand on this a little and write about some health and wellness specifics that are super important. Recently, I re-read the book The Blue Zones by Dan Buettner, and I want to use some principles from his book to guide us through this post. Dan spent years doing research on five areas around the world where people are known to live exceptionally long, healthy lives. He used census data to identify people in their 80’s, 90’s, and 100’s who live within these areas. Dan then personally interviewed many of them to gather data about their lifestyle habits, and he discovered nine common patterns which he discusses throughout his book.

We won’t be able to cover all 9 topics in this post, but let’s start with a few. I refer to these every day when I talk to patients about promoting health and preventing chronic diseases. The Blue Zones concept makes a lot of sense to me, and I love how the different lifestyle patterns touch on every aspect of our well-being. The Blue Zones patterns are a daily way of life for these people – it’s ingrained in who they are as individuals and as communities. This is what makes lifestyle medicine so important. If healthy habits become embedded into our own personal culture and are further supported by our communities, we spend less time thinking about how to fit them into our lives and our schedules. This adds greater flexibility, as there aren’t really any rules or regimens to be followed. Rather, we simply balance ourselves out in a daily symphony of healthful food, movement, and self care. Also, it doesn’t feel like a sacrifice because it’s part of who we are, and this is what makes it sustainable in the long run.

dIet and NutrItIon from a CentenarIan perspectIve

I know there are many readers including myself who try to avoid animal products for ethical reasons, but this discussion below is coming from a health perspective. So many people are being told to change their diet in order to improve their health, and looking for advice on where to start. After 15 years of trying to absorb as much knowledge as possible about food as medicine, this is what I advise my patients when it comes to diet: Plant-Based. Plant Strong. The Plant Slant. However you call it, the underlying theme is the same. Our bodies THRIVE when we consume whole, plant foods. The higher the proportion in our everyday food choices, the better off we are in terms of health.

We have more than enough medical literature available to support this recommendation. We also have decades of population data and dietary analysis gathered from the Blue Zones regions. Dan Buettner discovered that nearly all of longest-living people in these regions consume a diet consisting of 95% whole, plant foods. Here are some of my thoughts about what a Blue Zone diet might look like for us:

1. Fill your plate with veggies: At least half your plate should be filled with vegetables at lunch and dinner. This fills you up first with the things that are most healthful and the least amount of calories / fat. Try to consume a variety of different colored vegetables every day. This is how we get phytonutrients, which have incredible health-promoting roles throughout our bodies.

2. Load Up on Leafy Greens: Green, leafy vegetables such as spinach, lettuces, kale, collard greens, Swiss chard, spinach, and arugula are some of our best sources of fuel. Greens are extremely nutrient dense and high in fiber, which helps maintain our digestive system and supports cardiovascular and immune health. Here’s a good resource with 50 ways to incorporate more leafy greens into our diet. 

3. Combine Many Foods Into One Meal: Otherwise known as a “power salad,” this is an easy way to load up on fiber, protein, and phytonutrients. Add your favorite leafy greens, a variety of plant proteins, and several of your favorite veggies, along with nuts, seeds and whole grains to get several servings of healthful nutrients in one meal.

4. Less is More with Meat and Dairy: I recommend reducing or avoiding meat and dairy consumption to patients as much as possible, especially when trying to overcome conditions like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and cholesterol issues. In most of the Blue Zone areas, dairy consumption is rare and the average meat portion is the size of a deck of cards. Meat is only eaten on average 5 times per month and for some, only on rare or special occasions. They regularly eat alternative protein sources including beans of all kinds, peas, lentils, chickpeas, quinoa, tofu, nuts, and seeds.

5. Go for the Good Fats: Foods like olive oil, nuts, seeds, olives, and avocados are examples of “good fats” because they are of plant origin and contain fatty acids our body requires. Many of these foods are still quite high in fat content, so if you have a cardiovascular condition or type 2 diabetes you may wish to limit some of them entirely or consume in moderation.

6. Whole grains:​ Whole wheat, oats, quinoa, buckwheat, or barley are very high in fiber and antioxidants, and ​has beneficial effects​ on a number of chronic diseases. 

7. Make Fruit Your Dessert: ​It could be grapes, berries, watermelon, pineapple, or whatever you like best. Opting for fruits when you get a sweet tooth is so rewarding for your health in the long run.

8. Drink Lots of Water: ​This seems to be a tough one as many people just don’t like to drink water. But if you think about it, there are likely no centenarians out there who found longevity in pop, protein drinks, or energy drinks. Our bodies were not designed to be “quenched” with these things and water is the healthiest option. There are ways to enhance the flavor of water – ​here are just a few​.

1. Practice deep breathing:​ The way we breathe affects all parts of our body. When we are stressed we tend to hunch down, tighten up, and our breathing becomes shallow. Think about what your breathing is like after spending 2 hours on the computer at work. Now try taking 3 slow, deep breaths right now and see how good it feels. Here’s a resource from U of M with ​quick deep breathing techniques​ that can be done anywhere.

2. Meditation:​ There are a ton of apps you can download with quick meditations for all sorts of situations (e.g. Headspace, Calm, and Stop, Breathe & Think). They only take a few minutes and they make a big difference in terms of reducing stress, improving our mood, and helping us be more mindful.

3. Calming Physical Activities:​ I think yoga is great for periods of high stress, but any type of exercise or activity that calms you down will do. I recommend this site to my patients for a whole bunch of ​free, awesome yoga videos​ for literally any situation.

4. Remember Gratitude:​ Gratitude is an awesome way to intentionally bring our thoughts away from things that make us feel stress and focus on things that make us feel good. In our house, we write down things we are thankful for and put them in a positivity jar. We also do journaling, write our goals down, send notes to friends, visit family, talk to neighbors, spend time with animals, surprise people with pranks and gifts. These are all great ways to practice gratitude and reduce stress.

5. Get Creative:​ Another way to bring down your stress level is to get your creative juices flowing. During my residency training, they would provide us with coloring books and pencils as a way to help destress and it actually did help. Some other ideas: plant a garden, make or build something, do a fun DIY project at your home, try a painting class, take pictures of nature or flowers, try a new recipe, make a playlist of your favorite music, or watch a documentary about something that interests you.