Diet secrets to long life
What to eat, how often and in what quantities
IF YOU are keen to live as long as possible, and even make it to the big 100, here are some of the proven dietary strategies that will help you to get there.
Get your carbs right
Contrary to popular opinion, you do not need to cut out carbs completely to slow down cellular ageing. Instead, reduce your daily average of carbs to 30-40 per cent of calories to help support weight control and reduce inflammation.
Also the carbs we eat tend to be more refined – rice, white breads, noodles, sugars – a high intake of which is known to increase inflammation and cellular ageing. Focus on natural, wholegrain carbs such as sweet potato, fruit and small portions of wholegrains such as corn, quinoa and buckwheat and eat them in small amounts.
Fast regularly
Of all the evidence, it is intermittent fasting that has the strongest link to long lifespans. It appears that consuming very few calories on a regular basis helps to reset a number of cellular hormones that are linked to cellular damage, inflammation and ultimately ageing.
Get your fat balance right
When it comes to the fat we consume, it all comes down to getting the right mix of polyunsaturated, mono-unsaturated and saturated fats.
The human metabolism works best when we achieve a 1:1:1 balance of these three fat types. But modern diets have greatly distorted these ratios so we are often consuming far more processed vegetable oils and saturated fat from processed foods, fatty meat and dairy.
One of the easiest ways to improve your fat balance is to eat more foods that contain omega-3, long-chain polyunsaturated fats and reduce your intake of processed fats that come from vegetable oils, fast and fried foods and processed snacks.
Aim to consume oily fish at least three times each week, choose soy and linseed bread and add seeds and nuts such as pumpkin seeds, chia and walnuts into your diet.
Bump up the fresh food
Forget two and five a day — to gain the benefits of longevity you need to get your daily fruit and vegetable intake up to 7–10 serves a day.
Eat fewer meals
We live in a society which encourages frequently eating.
The issue with frequent eating is that every time we eat a carbohydrate-containing food we release the hormone insulin. High levels of insulin over time are linked to an increase in inflammation, which is extremely damaging to cells.
Help to reverse this process by eating less often, and allowing four or five hours in between meals as opposed to the two to three hours we more frequently adopt.
Not only is it better for weight and appetite control, but the health of your cells will benefit long-term. Susie Burrell is a dietitian and nutritionist. Follow her on Twitter @SusieBDiet