Diet Tips for Longevity

• Science is clear about the fact that eating the right foods can lead to a longer, healthier life.
• However, research has shown that it's more than eating the right foods, one also has to eat them in the right amounts.
• Michele Bellantoni; an associate professor of medicine with a focus on geriatrics and preventative health at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, recommends splitting 1,800 calories, which is the optimal amount needed by older adults into proteins for muscles, calcium for bones, and a basic heart-healthy diet.
• There are many well-balanced eating plans that are designed longevity while keeping chronic diseases away.
• The American Heart Association emphasizes the importance of eating a healthy diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, fish, poultry and limited in fatty or processed red meat. The association also suggests limiting sugary soft drinks, salt (sodium), saturated and trans fats.
• The general rule of thumb for a longevity focused diet is to eat plant-based foods, whole grains, and good fats.

BEST DIETS FOR LONGEVITY

The Mediterranean diet

• The Mediterranean diet is a popular diet and lifestyle derived from the eating regimes of those who lived around the Mediterranean basin.
• It is widely regarded as the best diet for longevity built on the principle of eating for life rather than following a diet.
• The diet is focused on mostly plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, along with healthy oils and smaller servings of fish, dairy, and lean meats.
• Foods such as legumes, avocados, nuts, and seeds are examples of healthy weight-gaining foods that should be part of the diet of someone who is underweight.

The Blue Zone Diet

• This diet is based on the lifestyle of people that live in of the five blue zone regions where people live to 100 and stay healthy.
• These regions were identified and thoroughly researched by Dan Buettner in a partnership with National Geographic. They are Okinawa in Japan, Icaria in Greece, Sardinia in Italy, Loma Linda in California, and Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica.
• People in these regions live a simple lifestyle that includes a healthy diet, daily exercise, and a low stress life that incorporates family, purpose, religion, and meaning.
• Most of the people in the blue zones eat primarily a plant-based diet limited in added sodium, sugar, and processed foods.
• Eating until one is 80% full and eating the lightest meal later in the day is also common to people living in the blue zones reflecting the benefit of portion control on longevity.

The Okinawa Diet

• The Okinawa diet is specific to people living in one of the already identified blue zones where the average life expectancy for women is 89 years old.
• People in Okinawa follow a plant-driven longevity diet and eat a large majority of their calories from green leafy vegetables and yellow vegetables such as soy beans, tofu, and goya, along with sweet potatoes.
•  Protein comes from small amounts of fish, occasional pork, and mostly from plant-based sources such as vegetables, legumes, and tubers.

The Sardinian Diet

• The Sardinian diet is also specific to people living in one of the already identified blue zones that has been dubbed as the place where people live the longest in the world.
• The Sardinian diet places emphasis on barley, goat’s milk, fennel, tomatoes, fava beans, and almonds, many of these foods are beneficial for better aging.
• The traditional Sardinian diet is made up of whole-grain bread, garden vegetables, fruits, and beans. As shepherds, they also consume goat cheese.