How I’m Designing My Diet to Live to 120+ (Without Obsessing Over Food)

Mar 14, 2026

They map out a longevity-focused diet designed to support a strong, sharp life into old age. Topics include a simple protein-first “power plate” framework and daily longevity foods like broccoli sprouts, berries, leafy greens, nuts, and soy. They discuss batch cooking, reducing decision fatigue with repeat meals and spice packets, aligning meals with partners, and building autopilot systems for lasting healthy habits.

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ADVICE

Batch Prep Shared Ingredients For Different Meals

Share bulk-prepped ingredients across household meals to save time and reduce waste while accommodating different tastes.
Erin and Leif batch-cook broccoli/cauliflower and adapt portions: protein pudding for Leif, oatmeal or salads for Erin.

ADVICE

Prioritize High Impact Longevity Foods

Prioritize specific longevity foods: leafy greens, mixed berries, cruciferous veg, seeds/nuts, herbs/spices, and soy.
Leif eats daily broccoli sprouts, ~4 cups mixed berries, walnuts, flax, turmeric/other powders, and soy foods for spermidine.

ADVICE

Stop Eating Four Hours Before Bed

Finish eating at least four hours before bed to improve sleep and digestion.
Leif strives to stop meals early but notes schedule conflicts can make this challenging and suggests choosing lower-fiber evening meals if needed.

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In this episode of The Vegan Gym Podcast, Erin and I break down exactly how we are designing our diets to maximize healthspan, longevity, and performance without obsessing over food or making life miserable.

My goal is simple. Live to a healthy 120. Not just longer, but stronger, sharper, independent, and fully alive. We talk about the difference between lifespan and healthspan, why “healthy enough” is not the same as optimized, and how we are building a nutrition strategy that supports our future selves.

We walk through the core principles guiding our current approach, including simplicity, protein prioritization, longevity focused foods like broccoli sprouts and berries, reducing decision fatigue, and building health systems that run on autopilot. We also talk honestly about what it looks like to align your habits as a couple, and how to encourage healthier choices without creating tension or resentment.

If you want to build a diet that supports your 85 year old self while still enjoying your life right now, this episode will give you a practical blueprint.

In this episode, we cover:

▹ The difference between lifespan and healthspan

▹ How to design a longevity focused diet

▹ The power plate framework and protein priorities

▹ Why simplicity reduces food waste and decision fatigue

▹ The foods we eat daily for long term health

▹ How to build health systems that run on autopilot

▹ How small daily habits compound over decades

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✅ Check out my full day of eating video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDxcn7Oa_cY

✅ Try our free vegan nutrition calculator: https://calculator.thevegangym.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=organic%2C-description%2C-podcast&utm_campaign=14-mar-2026-audio&utm_content=tvg-podcast-episode-4

✅ Check out our Complete Vegan Nutrition Guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJV_ZY6rXo8

✅ check out our fruit ranking video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5ggMT2xjHc

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If you're new to my channel, my name is Leif Arnesen. I’m an engineer turned nutrition nerd and the founder of The Vegan Gym.

In 2014, a rare cancer diagnosis forced me to completely rethink my life. I adopted a whole-food, plant-based diet, and a few months later, after watching Earthlings, I went vegan overnight — not just for my health, but for the animals.

At first, I struggled to lose fat and get fit as a vegan. But after diving deep into the science, I built a system that transformed my body and my life. That journey led me to start a blog in 2017, which eventually became The Vegan Gym.

Now, our team is on a mission to help 1,000,000 vegans get into the best shape of their lives because we believe that the more healthy, fit vegans there are in the world, the faster veganism will spread.

Let’s work together to inspire change, spread compassion, and thrive on plants! 💪🌱

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevegangym

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