I know many seniors who want to live longer as long as they don’t get sick. How do you slow down aging and reduce your risk of chronic diseases? Scientists are on the verge of discovering more tools for living longer, and you’d be surprised how easy they are to adopt. No expensive pills or procedures involved.
In a previous post, I mentioned some theories of aging that take into account the body’s need for optimal nutrition for metabolism. Cells need energy not only as fuel, but also to repair and restore DNA and organelles, so as to resist diseases and live longer.
Calorie Restriction: Not the Only Key to Longevity
I’ve also mentioned in previous posts how the most validated health habit for longevity purposes is calorie restriction. Deprive yourself of calories—say 20 percent of your normal diet—and you might live 20 percent longer. At least that’s what has been found throughout the animal kingdom.
Calorie restriction is a stressor to cells. And cells respond by adapting and overcoming (a process called hormesis), ending up stronger than they were before. But calorie deprivation in humans is not easy to adhere to. Our hormonal hunger urges to eat are very strong.
So what else can slow down aging and prevent decline and disease as we age?
Micronutrients Are Tools for Living Longer
Which means that if you do reduce calories, you must make sure you pack as much good stuff into every morsel. The human body needs four macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, fats, and water) as fuel (calories) and over 40 micronutrients daily. It’s hard to get them all in if you reduce calorie count 10, 20, or 30 percent.
Everyone’s talking about plant-based diets (vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, legumes and fruits). If you’re curious about the increasing number of nutritional experts and medical doctors recommending plant-based diets for longevity, disease prevention, and high performance, you’re not alone. The plant-based trend is backed by solid scientific research and trials.
I am not ready to go vegetarian or vegan, but I’m adding a lot more vegetables, beans and fruit to my meals. You don’t have to be strict about this. I still eat meat, fish and dairy for now, but in smaller quantities.
Most people know about the essential amino acids necessary for muscles and bones. You also know about some of the major vitamins – C, A, E, K, D and the B vitamins. But just as important are the micronutrients that guard against diseases like heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
What Do Phytonutrients Do?
Phytonutrients are micronutrients from plants that support metabolism.
- Dietary minerals are generally trace elements, salts, or ions such as copper and iron. Some of these minerals are essential to human metabolism.
- Vitamins are organic compounds essential to the body. They usually act as coenzymes or cofactors for various proteins in the body.
Micronutrients are vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients (disease-fighting substances from plants). When you think about plants growing in the ground, they can’t move or hide from predators who want to eat them. So they have developed some substances that act like poisons to discourage predators. And, when you eat some of these phytonutrients, they stress your cells and make them stronger (hormesis, remember?).
Phytonutrients: Tools for Living Disease-Free?
Phytochemicals are chemical compounds produced by plants, generally to help them thrive or to thwart competitors, predators, or pathogens.
There are thousands of lifespan-extending phytochemicals, many of which are newly discovered. No one compound is essential for life, but the full symphony of nutrients and phytonutrient exposure is essential for a long healthy life. ~ Dr. Joel Fuhrman M.D. ~ Eat for Life: The Breakthrough Nutrient-Rich Program for Longevity, Disease Reversal, and Sustained Weight Loss
Dr. Fuhrman’s book, and all his previous ones, provide the research behind eating more phytonutrients. As well, he is practical and provides sample mean menus and recipes.
These recipes aren’t complicated, I think even I can handle them (I’m not a cook). But shifting your meals to include more vegetables and ingredients from plants makes so much sense if you want to live longer and be disease free.
Who doesn’t want that? You may have to sacrifice white rice, processed foods, refined oils and sugar. But the reward is good health in the last years of your life. Can’t beat that for a reward.
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