I have lived most of the last 10 years on a low-protein, high-carbohydrate, plant-based diet, and I have never felt better.

I have more energy, feel healthier, and I glow more than ever before; I’m living proof that we don’t need a high-protein diet to thrive!

To answer the question I know you’re asking, I get most of my calories from fresh, whole foods—especially fruit—direct from the source. Dates, bananas, mangoes, and avocados are my daily “meat and potatoes.” Actually, I eat loads of potatoes, but no meat.

While following this lifestyle, I’ve given birth to a healthy baby girl, won international dance competitions, run my own business, and so much more. I’m full of life and energy—and I give my diet and lifestyle the credit.

That’s why I’m so passionate about sharing it with the world.

Scientific and nutritional inquiry has long sought simple, nourishing ways to improve health and increase lifespan without depriving us of satisfying meals.

And this line of research has yielded incredible results.

The first big, comparative analysis of various dietary restrictions suggested that protein intake has a greater impact on lifespan than calories. What’s more, reducing protein intake, without changing one’s calories at all, seems to offer comparable benefits to restricting calories.

Surprising? Maybe. True? In my experience, absolutely.

That is exactly why I recommend a low-protein, high-carb diet to my clients, my friends, and now to you.

I speak from over a decade of experience when I say this kind of diet is delicious, energizing, and so easy to maintain. In addition, other studies have suggested that this low-protein diet inhibits production of TOR (aging enzymes) and IGF-1 (growth hormones)—which in turn improves health and lengthens lifespan dramatically.

Not all protein was created equal, however. Some proteins—namely, those derived from animal products—are much worse for us.

A certain amino acid called leucine seems to have the greatest impact on TOR levels. Leucine, incidentally, is found in dairy, all meat, eggs, and other animal products. Fruits, veggies, legumes, and grains, on the other hand, contain extremely low amounts of it.

To reduce our leucine intake and thus improve our lifespan and overall health, we must limit (or ideally stop) our consumption of animal proteins.

To put it in perspective, to consume the same quantity of leucine that we’d get from a serving of dairy or meat, we’d need to eat four large heads of cabbage or several dozen apples…even I can’t eat that much fruit!

All this could explain why certain groups of people, like the Okinawa Japanese, have such long lives. Traditional diets in these cultures consist of just 10 percent protein, are practically cholesterol-free, are more or less plant-based, and consist of less than one percent fish, dairy, meat, or eggs. (That’s about one serving of an animal product every month or two.)

I hope I’ve given you some insight into why a low-protein, high-carbohydrate, plant-based diet is optimal for health and longevity. Even more, I hope you’ll feel inspired to go find out for yourself how energizing this lifestyle can be.

Please share your experiences with plant-based living or low-protein eating in the comments!

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Author: Donna Wild

Image: Mike Haller/Flickr

Editor: Catherine Monkman