You’ve heard it before. The standard American diet is laden with too much saturated fat, sugar and processed foods filled with artificial ingredients. This kind of diet can wreak havoc on your body, contributing vastly to chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

To undo the damage, one need only look at our ancient forebears who had it right by eating a plant-based diet. Today, studies show that people who eat only plant-based foods generally consume fewer calories, weigh less, and have a lower risk of heart disease than non-vegetarians do.



Dr. Oz’s Prehistoric Diet

1. Protein Category: For those meat-lovers out there, it may surprise you to learn you only need about 10% of your total calories to come from protein. Here are great sources:

Beans: Lentils, cannellini beans and garbanzos are all packed with protein. Click here to learn why beans are a surprising superfood.

Leafy greens: Spinach, kale and seaweed (nori) are nutrition-packed superfoods rich in protein. Plus, they’re packed with plenty of other vitamins and minerals, including calcium and iron.

2. Calcium Category: Especially for women over 40, calcium is a critical nutrient, important for bone health. Great sources include:

Tofu: Some folks are afraid of tofu because they don’t know how to integrate it into their diet. But this Asian staple is easy to use and packed with calcium. Try silken tofu in dips, dressings or puddings. Firm tofu is great tossed in a stir fry or a salad. Click here for Oz-approved recipes containing tofu.

Soy, Almond or Rice Milk: These plant-based milks make great substitutes for dairy milk. Many are fortified to contain as much calcium as cow’s milk.

3. Fat Category: Plant-based foods are also loaded with vital nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fiber. They also have their own natural oils, the healthy type of fat. Choose these healthy oil-rich foods:

Monounsaturated fats: Foods such as olives and avocados, loaded with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, are excellent for heart health.

Seeds: Hemp, flax and chia seeds are packed with essential fatty acids and omega-3s. You can sprinkle them on salads or use as a thickening agent for dressings or sauces.

Nuts: Walnuts are packed with omega-3s. A half-cup of walnuts contains virtually all the good fat you need for an entire day.

4. Carbohydrate Category: When it comes to carbs, it’s about quality instead of quantity. Combine both simple and complex carbs by eating a rainbow of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Packed with various antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, they’ll help to protect you from cancer, heart disease and many of the other chronic diseases we’re plagued with.

Red: Strawberries, apples, tomatoes

Orange: Carrots, mango, oranges

Yellow: Bananas, squash, lemons

Greens: String beans, limes, pears

Blue/purple: Blueberries, plums, beets

Brown: Whole-grain bread and pasta, quinoa

To pull it all together, here are some Prehistoric Diet breakfast, lunch and dinner solutions. This type of diet doesn’t have to break the bank; you can buy many of the ingredients in bulk or frozen.



Breakfast: It’s Easy Being Green Smoothie

Let thy greens be thy medicine. This smoothie is packed with all the good stuff, plus the frozen banana adds a sweet, creamy texture that might even make you forget that the greens are in there.



Ingredients

4 cups of your favorite leafy greens, such as kale, spinach, collard greens

2 tbsp hempseeds and/or flaxseeds

1 cup frozen blueberries

1/4 cup frozen cherries

1/4 cup frozen raspberries

1/4 cup frozen pineapple pieces

1/4 cup frozen mango chunks

1 medium frozen peeled banana, broken into pieces

2 cups unsweetened almond milk



Click here for the complete recipe.



Lunch: Mexican Norito

This healthy burrito contains the sea vegetable nori, which has protein and minerals such as iodine, iron and calcium. Compared to a wheat tortilla, it’s very low in calories, contains zero fat and is much healthier, lighter and nutritionally dense.

Ingredients

2 sheets of nori

3 tbsp guacamole

1/4 cup jicama, julienned

1/2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

2 tbsp salsa



Click here for the complete recipe.



Dinner: Bean & Greens Chili

It’s all in here. This one-pot wonder contains protein-packed beans and greens, along with lots of veggies and spices.



Ingredients

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

3 ribs of celery, chopped

2 cups vegetable broth

2 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 (28 oz) can chopped tomatoes with juice

1 (6 oz) can tomato paste

8-12 medium baby bella mushrooms

1 (15 oz) can corn, rinsed and drained

2-3 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp curry powder

4 cups leafy green vegetables, chopped



Click here for the complete recipe.