Eat to Live Longer

Can you eat to increase your chances of living longer?   Yes, there are foods to increase in your diet and foods to decrease.   Have you ever seen the movie, Lost Horizon?  The actors find themselves in a fictional location called Shangri-La.  People live a long time, up to 200 years old.  And they age ever so slowly.  Well, they haven’t found a real Shangri-La yet, but researchers are finding foods linked to major diseases and foods linked   So, what are the eating habits that could shorten your life and what are the eating habits that decrease your risk of disease and hopefully lead to a longer life?  An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association  notes there are 10 food categories that we either eat too much of or too little of. 
to living a longer life.

What are the foods we need to eat more of?
  • Fruits
  • Vegetables
  • Seafood and other foods rich in Omega-3 fats – a heart health fat
  • Whole grains- whole grain cereal, oats, brown rice, quinoa 
  • PUFA’s – what are PUFA’s?  Polyunsaturated fats like corn oil
  • Nuts and seeds:  as Dr. Oz recommends, a handful of nuts a day is a healthy habit.  Flaxseeds are very popular and a good choice to add to your smoothie or cereal.
What foods should we eat less of?                                              
  • Foods high in sodium
  • Processed meats like bacon, sausage
  • Sugar-sweetened beverages like soda, sweetened ice tea
Suggestions:  So, what can you do to make improvements in your risk factors?  Start small.  Think about one change you could make.  If you aren’t eating fruit at breakfast, find a fruit you can add to your breakfast every day.  A simple glass of Orange Juice, a banana.  Buy a large bag or can of nuts – any kind of nuts.  Put a handful in a baggie and take to work as a snack or pack it in your lunch.  Read labels for sodium content of foods.  You will be amazed how much sodium is added to the foods we eat.  If you don’t have any whole grains in your day, find a way to add some.  Eat a General Mills cereal for breakfast or as a snack. Cheerios is always a good choice. Buy some popcorn or Sun Chips which are both whole grain.  Buy some Triscuits or other whole grain crackers.  One doesn’t have to eliminate foods from your diet but to eat more of the foods that are healthier for you and less of the foods that we should cut back on.  Cut back on the white bread but add the whole wheat bread.  Cut back on the white rice and try brown rice or quinoa.  Costco and Target sell  a great whole grain quinoa and brown rice mix that cooks in 90 seconds.  Minute Rice makes a great multi-grain medley that is easy to prepare.   So set a goal to add more of some foods and eat less others.  No Shangri-La but a chance at a healthier and longer life. 

Sources:  Journal of the American Medical Association,  Food Habits, Washington Wellness Center, Seeds of Change, Image Source:  Multi-grain, Quinoa







Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How does coffee and tea affect blood sugar?

Image
Who doesn’t love some morning coffee?   Or, on cold days, a nice hot cup of tea.   Does drinking coffee or tea affect one’s blood glucose levels?    Should healthy adults be concerned about coffee or tea and blood glucose levels?   The Mayo Clinic says that for healthy adults, caffeine will probably have no noticeable effects on their blood sugar or blood glucose levels.   Studies have found that up to 400 milligrams of caffeine is safe for most of us.   A cup of coffee has about 120-180 milligrams of caffeine and most adults drink about 2 cups of coffee a day.   FDA says healthy adults can consume up to 400 mg of caffeine a day which equates to about 4-5 cups of coffee a day, or 10 cans of soda , or 2 “energy shot” drinks.   (See:   Caffeine – good or bad for your health? )     Can drinking coffee or tea reduce chances of getting type 2 diabetes? Some studies have found that coffee, tea, and other drinks with caffei...
Read more

Are there drinks that will help lower your blood pressure?

Image
According to the University of Southern California , almost half of Americans over the age of 20 have high blood pressure.   This means an astounding 122 million Americans.   Unfortunately, as you get older it is more likely to have blood pressure increase.   Many people don’t even know they have high blood pressure or hypertension.   The American Heart Association notes at first there are “no obvious symptoms to indicate something is wrong, but HBP can lead to heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure.”    A relative was asking what they could do diet wise to help lower their blood pressure.   We had already discussed the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension).   (See:   Best Diets for Healthy Eating in 2024 .) and physical activity.    Diet wise, they were cutting back on sodium and increasing potassium foods but were wondering if there were anything else like any drinks that could help lower blood pressure?  ...
Read more

How to eat for better sleep

Image
Having trouble sleeping?   Are there foods you can eat that would help you sleep?   My husband sent me an interesting article, 8 Eating Habits That Actually Improve Your Sleep . According to CDC , “about 1 in 3 adults in the United States reported not getting enough rest or sleep every day.”   A lot of Americans have problems sleeping, about 50-70 million Americans.   You probably heard that drinking warm milk before bed helps one sleep?   Is this true?   What eating habits really do help you get to sleep and stay asleep? Sleep and hunger Did you know that getting a good night’s sleep affects hunger hormones in your body?   A good night’s sleep can lead to less snacking the next day as it keeps hunger at bay.   A professor of nutrition at Columbia University, Marie-Pierre St-Onge, says, “If you eat better, you sleep better and be more refreshed.   And that helps you make better decision for your diet.”      Some tips to ea...
Read more