Hello there, thanks to everyone who sent me reading recommendations for my summer deep dive into healthy and purposeful living in the second half of life! Look for an updated list of suggested resources soon.

This week, to celebrate the legacy of the amazing and sadly departed John Robbins, who just passed away, I'm going to reconnect with his book Healthy at 100: How you can at any age dramatically increase your life span and your health span. In Healthy at 100, published in 2007, John Robbins offered one of the first systematic examination of what happens in "blue zones" where people live not only long but also healthy and meaningful lives, and offered an integrated approach to applying those lessons to our own lives. Spoiler: food matters but it's not the only factor!

Stay tuned for fresh insights from this classic piece.

What's so special about greens?

I decided to title this newsletter, and possibly the next iteration of my business, Greens Forward because eating greens every day is possibly the single most impactful choice we can make for ourselves to enjoy more life through our remaining years.

Of course, there's the health benefits:

• Older adults consuming dark leafy green vegetables every day have repeatedly been shown to have a substantially reduced risk of cognitive impairment - by as much as 78 percent in the China Longitudinal Aging Study!! - compared to their peers who hardly ever consume them. Daily green veg consumers' brains function like those of people a decade younger (Rush Memory and Aging Project)!
• The calcium and vitamin K from greens support bone strength, and the generous dose of lutein protects eyesight, which also contributes to fewer falls.
• All those phytonutrients, including carotenoids, chlorophyll, and many antioxidants reduce inflammation, boost immunity, clear pollutants, protect against heart disease and cancer, and more.
• And, of course, our gut bugs LOVE the fiber.

Greens aren't a cure-all, but a steady consumption of different leafy greens and cruciferous veggies improves every system in our body, especially when combined with an abundance of other vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and spices.

But there's something else.

Because eating significant amounts of greens is so rare in the Western diet, there's something else that happens when you get in the habit of eating them: you start thinking about yourself as the kind of person who eats greens every day. In other words: you feel like a superhero.

The well-deserved health halo of greens rubs onto those who cook and eat them, helping us feel like we're winning at life. We have agency over our existence! Even though things can be tough - life isn't always all butterflies and rainbows - being intentional enough to eat greens every day, and experiencing the health benefits thereof, reinforces the idea that we can make our own life better, one small action at a time.

What's your experience with cooking and eating greens?

Brain-Smart Cooking Workshop

My free monthly workshop on my Vegan Family Kitchen platform is all about brain health this month. We'll explore science-based ways to cook EASY, SIMPLE everyday meals using ordinary ingredients to boost brain health, prevent dementia, avoid brain fog, and live a more satisfying life.

It's happening next Wednesday, June 25th, and will be my last free workshop until September, so come and say hi!

Will you be there? Hit reply and let me know!

Yours with plants, purpose, and presence,

Brigitte

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