We all need more vegetables in our life, but including them in our core three meals is easier said than done. As it turns out plant-based diets actually work the best when an individual drafts their own guidelines around unique health needs and objectives.

A plan that encourages plant-based meals while allowing room for animal products on occasion is alternatively known as the Flexitarian diet.

Helping Ladders navigate the specifics of an optimal Flexitarian diet is the expertise ofSergeyYoung, founder of the Longevity Vision Fund.

For years Young has dedicated his assets, network connections and global research community toward developing affordable and scientifically proven wellness habits. His self-professed mission is to fund the next phase in the longevity revolution.

In Youngs estimation, the first step begins with debunking the falsehoods keeping too many people from breaking away from their toxic dietary habits.

Young explains to Ladders, You dont need to stick to a vegan or vegetarian diet to reap the health benefits. Focusing on getting the majority of your calories from plant foods without excluding animal products completely will have a positive impact on your health. Some nutrients like EPA and DHA are best obtained from fish, seafood, and eggs.

According to the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Diet Rankings, the regimen Young intimates above is one of the healthiest and easiest to follow of all the many plans currently circulating the diet sphere.

Lowering your intake of processed meats will dramatically improve cognition, reduce your risk for developingType 2 diabetesandheart disease, help regulate weight gain and boost longevity as a consequence of the previously mentioned attributes.

More than the rich sources of energy and protein provided by lean meats like chicken and omega-3 rich sources like fish, allowing room in any regimen for foods you enjoy makes any plan that much more sustainable over time.

With a Flexitarian diet youre getting the macro-nutrients you need from organic sources most of the time but when you want to have maybe a piece of grass-fed steak or even just a piece of steak at a restaurant, or you want to have eggs, you can. It allows room for these other kinds of food without being so hardcore, dietitian Keri Glassman recently told Ladders.

One of the critiques lobed at plant-based diets the most often claims that it isnt plausible to get the majority of the daily calories needed from plants. While its true that even the most balanced plant-based regimens are not as calorically dense as other plans, this isnt necessarily a bad thing.

Young continues, Habits common among areas where people live the longest include a reduced calorie intake and fasting and a25-year study in monkeysfound that eating 30% fewer calories than normal led to a significantly longer life and less age-related diseases. Even if your calorie requirements are higher, youre still able to get enough from other calorie-dense foods like sweet potatoes, nuts, and oils.

Of course, calorie intake is much more about where youre getting your calories than it is about how many calories youre consuming day to day. Protein is the nutrient most often lamented by those skeptical of taking on a plant based diet.

Although not as packed with amino acids, proteins obtained from plants actually contain more nutrients and fiber than protein derived from animal sources.

Tofu (contains about 10 g of protein per cup), lentils (cooked contains 8.84 g of protein per cup) and chickpeas(7.25 g per cup) all on their own sufficiently fuel vegan bodybuildersa group with a protein demand significantly higher than yours and mine.

Make no mistake, its not enough to limit meat intake and increase plant consumption in order to boost longevity. the source matters a great deal. Variety is key to any diet plan.

Local, farm-grown and organic produce nurtured without the use of pesticides, manmade fertilizers or genetic modifications is more nutritious than non-organic commercial foods, Young informed Ladders. Superfoods like maca, spirulina, goji berry, etc. might be marketed as nutritional powerhouses but food variety is even more important than its nutritional density. Its important to make sure you eat a full rainbow of fruits and vegetables for a balanced and varied diet.

Longevity is bolstered by a panoply of physiological factors: optimal brain health, metabolicregulation, weight management, cellular vascular health, cardiovascularhealth, and emotional stability. Every one of these requires balance, especially when it comes to our diet.

Although there arent many studies that have been done on this topic,there appears to be a link showingthat plant-based diets can influence brain function positivity through altered microbial status and systematic metabolic alterations. However, despite the positive effect of plant-based diets on brain health, there is a risk of these diets creating a deficiency in the essential brain nutrient cholinewhich is why some proportion of eggs and other animal-based products must still be kept in your diet, said Young.

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Longevity expert says these are the foods you must eat to add years to your life - Ladders