Some obvious and not so obvious do's and don'ts of healthy eating.
There is without doubt a strong link between eating the right foods and living a longer, healthier, vitality filled life.
An overabundance of information, differing opinions, controversies and misconceptions plague the internet regarding what are the right foods or what is the correct diet. At the end of the day we are all different with different lifestyles, yes some healthier than others. However, there is no one size fits all! No single foods will tick every box. The goal is to identify the best approaches to maintain a healthy level of nutrients, reducing inflammation and helping vital body functions.
“Generally when one thinks of a longevity diet, the first thing that comes to mind is what we can add to our diet to live longer. The most striking benefits from studies across species have come from limiting the diet or fasting.”
— Dr. Pankaj Kapah, professor of gerontology at the University of Southern California
It's not a one step process
Eating healthy is not just consuming lots of broccoli, spinach and kale
Eating healthy also means ‘when’ you eat, the right ‘proportions’ and not over-consuming
Eating healthy is having a variety of natural food throughout the week
Eating plenty of healthy foods along with eating plenty of unhealthy foods is not eating healthy
It is important to not dislike what you eat. It won’t do any good to force feed certain foods only to undo it all by resorting to sugar or deep-fried foods later to fix the cravings!
Healthy foods serve a purpose, ensuring important body function and physical body parts are maintained for a longer life.
We need a healthy heart
We need healthy muscles
We need healthy bones
We need a healthy brain
With more than 30% of people aged 65 or over now classified as ‘obese,’ there is no wonder issues such as diabetes, heart disease and some cancers are more prevalent. The rise in sugars and unhealthy fats has taken the wider population to living in a body which is far from the ideal 'vessel' for reaching old age.
Our vessel with which we live our lives in needs fuel. Most people will agree that the type of fuel used to run our vessel will greatly impact the health of it. Basic foods necessary to maintaining key body functions include:
Vegetables
Fish (ideally salmon, mackerel, trout, etc. high in omega-3 fatty acids)
Nuts
Seeds
Skinless poultry
Eggs (no the cholesterol from the yolk is not bad!)
Foods high in prebiotics and probiotics
Olive oil (or other non-tropical vegetable oils)
With some growing debate and controversy over:
Whole grains
Fruit (high in sugar/fructose)
Dairy
Red meat
There is no doubt that whole grains and fruit bring many significant health benefits, such as a high source of fiber. However, foods high in carbohydrates and more recently the potential harm from lectins, has people investigating what impact this has on gut and overall health. Dairy and red meat, while delivering their own source of nutrients, have always been in the firing line for being linked to other unfavourable affects on the body.
For those looking to be more conscious about the fuel used to feed your vessels in the pursuit of longevity, the below are a great place to start:
Significantly reduce or eliminate sugar intake (can be very challenging but easily the most impact).
Increase foods high in omega-3 fatty acids to help brain and heart function while reducing cholesterol and blood pressure.
Increase foods high in antioxidants to ease inflammation and rid the body of free radicals created when the body changes food to energy.
Increase foods high in B vitamins such as B12 to feed the brain, immune and nervous system functions.
Increase foods high in vitamins and minerals by eating a variety of vegetables.
Maintain a moderate amount of protein to ensure muscle development.
Reduce carbohydrate intake such as flour (pasta, bread, pastries) and sugar.
Reduce dairy intake and seek alternate ways to get the required calcium.
Find a way to be positive and enjoy the journey rather than turn in it into a chore.