The Healthspan Solution by Raymond J. Cronise; Julieanna Hever M.S., R.D.

The Healthspan Solution by Raymond J. Cronise; Julieanna Hever M.S., R.D. ISBN-13: 9781465490070 Hardcover: 256 pages Publisher: Alpha Books Released: December 17th 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Increase your lifespan and optimize your health with plant-based recipes for a longer, more vibrant life. Authors and leading plant-based nutrition experts Julieanna Hever and Ray Cronise have spent over a decade researching diet and nutrition, analyzing longevity studies, and helping their clients achieve sustainable, lasting health benefits by adopting a whole food, plant-based diet.

In The Healthspan Solution, they share the simple and effective diet that has allowed their clients to lose weight, reverse disease, reduce or eliminate medication use, and achieve optimal health. This accessible and easy-to-follow guide examines the health risks posed by typical Western eating habits and explains how a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, mushrooms, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices can lead to lower blood pressure, healthy weight management, and longer life. Their approach challenges the conventional idea of breakfast, lunch, and dinner and focuses instead on soups, salads, sides, and sweets. With 100 delicious recipes to choose from, The Healthspan Solution make adopting a plant-based lifestyle simple and sustainable.


My Review:
The Healthspan Solution talked about longevity and how diet influences longevity, plus they included 100+ whole food, plant-based recipes. They talked about things like the evolutionary theory of aging, the biological pathways of longevity, and why they suggestion eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, mushrooms, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices. I found their arrogant attitude to be rather off-putting. Rather than explain the science behind why some current eating trends are unhealthy, they would basically just say: we know better so just do what we say. The science mostly focused on the longevity aspects and was from an evolutionary viewpoint.

They also made statements like: most of the world is over nourished, so we shouldn't worry about being deficient in nutrients anymore. They don't seem to realize how much of the world is still in food poverty. Ironically, they then talk about several supplements you should take. They also assure the reader that food can create the changes that allow longevity now, but drug companies will soon have more effective interventions (basically, pills for longevity). Er, that kind of takes away one's motivation to change their diet. They also mostly focused on people who are not sick yet rather than addressing how people with health problems can use food to get better (even though eating this way does help with diabetes, cancer, etc.).

The second half of the book contained recipes, and most of the recipes had photos of the dishes. The recipes included prep time, cook time, and yield. They're aiming for awesome taste rather than ease of making the recipe, so some recipes are easier than others. Some of the recipes had long lists of ingredients, including ingredients that might be difficult to find locally. They were very specific about ingredients, like Mexican oregano rather than just oregano. They suggest getting ingredients online if you can't find them locally. They included 24 recipes for soups, 24 recipes for salads, 24 recipes for side and main dishes, 14 recipes for sweets (mostly involving fruit), and 24 recipes for dressings, sauces, and seasonings.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


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