10 secrets to A l
The key to ageing well doesn’t come in a pill or potion but in eating habits and everyday ingredients in your kitchen, say JULIETTE KELLOW and Dr SARAH BREWER
AGEING is inevitable and although our genes give an indication of how long we could live, how we live our lives has a big impact on our longevity. The importance of this is clear when you look at residents of Okinawa in Japan, an island famous for its high number of centenarians.
Recent generations who have swapped traditional habits of eating leafy greens, rice, soya and fish for a more Western way of life are not living as long as previous ones.
But what should an age-defying diet consist of? Here we have identified 10 common eating habits seen among the world’s longestliving communities. They are the foundations for protecting us against many diseases common in the Western world including obesity, heart disease, cancer, Type 2 diabetes, dementia and arthritis, all conditions that hinder quality of life and often cut lives short.
Downsize your meals as the Day goes on
In Western societies many of us miss breakfast, grab a small lunch, have a huge dinner and snack in the evening. Studies confirm that such eating patterns are linked to obesity.
Eating lots of food in the evening also means we’re less likely to feel hungry the next morning, so we skip breakfast and the cycle continues.
The bottom line is our bodies cope better when we eat more at the start of the day and less as it wears on.
Know how much is enough
The more overweight we are, the shorter our lives. Experts agree that one of the best things we can do to live longer is to stay a healthy weight. And for many that means breaking a lifelong habit of overeating. The elders of Okinawa, who are renowned for their long and healthy lives, practise something called “hara hachi bu” which translates as eating until they are 80 per cent full. It’s impossible to know when we’ve reached 80 per cent fullness but the important message is to stop eating when we could still eat a little more.
eat more plants
Look at the communities in the world with the longest life expectancies and one of the key things they share is a mainly plant-based diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables.
Skewing your diet towards plants seems to protect against many age-related conditions including heart disease, cancer, obesity and Type 2 diabetes.
The World Health Organization recommends eating 400g, or roughly five portions of fruit and vegetables per day, so aim for that, although more is better.
eat the right carbs
Carbohydrates have had a bad press and many people have jumped on the low-carb, high-protein bandwagon in search of magical weight loss and health gains.
But carbs continue to play a major role in the diets of long-living communities, while protein-rich foods play a more supporting role.
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