There are a few plant-based docs I lean on for sound nutrition advice. Dr. T. Colin Campbell of course, the father of nutrition and author of The China Study. If you're interested in nutrition, this is a book you need to have. There's actually a petition going to have Dr. Campbell considered for the Nobel prize. Much of today's nutrition information still refers back to his work, particularly with respect to casein and cancer.
I've mentioned Dr. Michael Greger before as my go-to guy for all things nutrition. He provides an amazing, completely free, comprehensive site where he researches peer-reviewed studies on almost any and every nutrition topic. Dr. Neil Barnard and Dr. John McDougall are a couple other terrific plant-based docs I regularly refer to.
Recently, I listened to Dr. Joel Fuhrman on a podcast. (I'm quite obsessed with podcasts. I can't get in my car without listening to one. Provides condensed information and saves me from reading every book!) Dr. Fuhrman is quite prolific in the plant-based community and authored the popular book, Eat to Live. He coined the term "nutritarian" diet (basically a nutrient-dense whole foods plant-based diet). He's compelling and often provides sobering information on the state of health today. He states that almost 90% of Americans are now obese, given that the current BMI is actually skewed. He's also written a new book called Fast Food Genocide. I have yet to read it but I've heard him discuss the book on podcasts. It's pretty fascinating stuff. He cites that food choices aren't just linked to physical illness and chronic disease but can actually be linked to crime, violence and mental health. The theory is that those who are eating a poor diet are more likely to become substance abusers and criminal offenders.
One big takeaway from Dr. Fuhrman is his term "g-bombs" which stands for greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries and seeds (I love acronyms that make it easier for me to remember things!). G-bombs are foods which are proven to have anti-cancer promoting properties and should be incorporated daily in our diets. Since I heard this term, I've been trying to do this. If you're adhering to a plant-based diet, this really shouldn't be that hard to do. Chances are you're already eating these foods. You may just not be eating them every day so I encourage you to give it a try. Even if you're not 100% plant-based, try incorporating them. It's actually not that hard to do. For example, at breakfast, I usually have overnight oats or some cooked steel-cut oats. I always throw blueberries and a handful of walnuts on top. For lunch, I have a big salad with greens and seeds but now I make sure to put chopped scallions on there (Dr. Fuhrman says raw onion is especially beneficial). For dinner, I normally have a bowl with veg and grains. I throw in a cruciferous vegetable like broccoli and some cooked mushrooms and I'm good for the day. You can see how pretty simple it is and these are foods I love anyways so why not incorporate more of them?
Learn to love your g-bombs - they're da bomb! (ouch)