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.
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