In 1998, Hollywood actor Harrison Ford was acclaimed by People magazine as the “Sexiest Man Alive.” He had already achieved stardom thanks to his early roles as Han Solo and Indiana Jones. Whatever his secret by 1998, it appears that the masculinity Force was with him as news media spread word of his new title.
Now, at age 81, he’s back in the media spotlight again thanks to his current secret: plant-forward eating. According to a Yahoo!Sport news item, he’s still in “amazing shape … and during a recent appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, he revealed some new details about his workout and diet.” Having eliminated meat and dairy from his meal plans, he attributes his buff physique more to what he eats than how he works out. Although he describes eating mainly vegetables and fish as boring, I suspect that’s just a tongue in cheek comment. There are so many great ways to cook fish and veggies, not to mention the varieties of both ingredients, and the array of herbs and spices to enhance them.
I have posted numerous blogs on the merits of a plant-based approach to eating. For those who aren’t ready for Ford’s strict deletion of meat and dairy, a softer dietary shift is described by the American Heart Association as plant-forward, “a style of cooking and eating that emphasizes plant-based foods but is not strictly limited to them. Meat may be included but it’s usually not the main feature of the meal.”
Viewers of Ford’s final Raiders film (“Dial of Destiny”) will see for themselves the results of his nutrition plan during a scene in which he goes shirtless. His eating evolution began a few years years ago, as he discusses in a 2020 Ellen DeGeneres interview. Who needs to cling to a youth culture when it’s possible to age in such manly fashion, thanks to consuming more plants? Every carbon atom in our bodies comes from eating plants, or the animals that eat plants. Thus, a plant-forward gradually gets rid of the middlemen, or middle animals to be precise, and goes directly to the source: the world of vegetation. This offers many plant-based nutritional and anti-inflammatory benefits to the major systems in our bodies. In fact, the Prostate Cancer Foundation recently reported two new studies on the positive impact of plant-based diets against prostate cancer.
The bottom line is, you don’t have to become fanatical about changing what you eat. It’s not necessary to reject all animal protein, only to increase the powerful, positive biochemical influence of vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds by eating more of them. Want to aim for peak performance, with a healthy prostate, at age 81? If you’re like Harrison Ford, you’ll let the plant-based Force be with you.
NOTE: This content is solely for purposes of information and does not substitute for diagnostic or medical advice. Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing pelvic pain, or have any other health concerns or questions of a personal medical nature.
About Dr. Dan Sperling
Dan Sperling, MD, DABR, is a board certified radiologist who is globally recognized as a leader in multiparametric MRI for the detection and diagnosis of a range of disease conditions. As Medical Director of the Sperling Prostate Center, Sperling Medical Group and Sperling Neurosurgery Associates, he and his team are on the leading edge of significant change in medical practice. He is the co-author of the new patient book Redefining Prostate Cancer, and is a contributing author on over 25 published studies. For more information, contact the Sperling Prostate Center.
