I have done a lot of research over the years both from a scientific standpoint and from a more lifestyle perspective on how to live a longer healthier life. I come from a long-lived family—I knew all of my grandparents and 4 of my great-grandparents—and these people were a red-meat loving, smoking, drinking and hardly-ever-exercised group of folks! So I figure I already have the genes working in my favor and if I eat well, don’t smoke, drink alcohol with moderation and fit exercise into my schedule 3-5 times a week—I will not only possibly live longer—but feel better during the process. We are gaining more and more centenarians in our population than ever before. It’s never too late to start living a healthier life. With that said—I thought I would share this blog with you as it offers the TOP 4 Foods we can keep in our diet on a regular basis that are believed to help us live longer, healthier lives.
Carmen
This blog is from: Bill Sharpe, at Live Cell Research–www.livecellresearch.com
The average lifespan for U.S. men is 76 years, and for U.S. women it’s 81 years.
The good news is: we’re all living longer. Life expectancy in the U.S. is now 8 years longer than it was in 1970. But people are living significantly longer in other countries, and the question is…why?
A big part of it has to do with diet.
The three countries with the longest lifespans are Switzerland, Japan, and Italy. It makes perfect sense, because these cultures eat some of the healthiest diets in the world…including many of the foods that actually help you live longer.
Top 4 Foods proven to help increase your lifespan…
1) Nuts
Two major studies done over a 30-year period at Harvard University indicate that people who eat a handful of nuts everyday live longer than those who don’t.
The studies show that daily nut-eaters are less likely to die of cancer, heart disease, or respiratory disease. Overall, the group of people who ate nuts every day were a whopping 20% less likely to die during the study than those who didn’t eat nuts.
Nuts are high in protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and crucial phytochemicals…and they’re loaded with antioxidants which help protect your heart. Nuts also help lower your blood pressure and improve your body’s response to stress.
The good news is, almost all nuts have these amazing properties: walnuts, almonds, pistachios…even peanuts. Choose mixed, unsalted nuts for a real boost to your health, and eat just a handful every day.
2) Salmon
Salmon is considered by many as the “healthiest food in the world.” Eating salmon 2-3 times per week has a huge number of health benefits, including:
- reducing inflammation in your heart
- improving your bone strength
- helping to prevent the decay of vision
Salmon is best known for its super-high content of the Omega-3 fatty acids DHA & EPA. Both of these are essential for enhanced brain function. In fact, the gray matter in your brain is made up of 30% DHA!
But the real reason salmon is on this list has to do with the results of a study on anti-aging done at Ohio State University…
Researchers discovered that supplementing your diet with Omega 3’s helps preserve tiny segments of DNA in your white blood cells called telomeres. The study showed that consuming more Omega 3’s actually helps extend lifespan by preserving the telomeres in the cells of your immune system.
It doesn’t hurt that salmon is also one of the best-tasting and most widely-available fish on the commercial market!
3) Green Tea
Japan is ranked 2nd in the world for longest lifespan. The reason may have less to do with what they eat, and more to do with what they drink: plenty of green tea every day.
Green tea is rich in polyphenols, a type of powerful antioxidant which fights free radicals in your cells. These compounds boost your metabolism, helping you burn calories from food. Polyphenols also help reduce the kind of inflammation seen in coronary heart disease.
In fact, a study of over 40,000 Japanese men & women (and taking place over 11 years!) indicates that those who drank 4-5 cups of green tea everyday had the lowest risk of dying from heart disease or stroke.
Additional studies — including one by the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center — have shown that the antioxidants in green tea can help reduce the risk of certain types of cancer… including breast, prostate, pancreatic, and colon cancer.
For best results, brew green tea fresh from loose leaves to avoid the concentration of toxic leads found in pre-packaged teas.
4) Blueberries
Blueberries are often referred to as a “superfood” due to their high levels of antioxidants and polyphenols. Several studies have linked blueberries to improved memory and reducing age-related damage to brain cells.
But new data indicates that blueberries actually help delay the aging process and to increase human lifespan.
The flavonoids and other compounds found in blueberries have been proven to slow the aging process in several kinds of cell tissues, including: skin cells, brain cells, bone cells, and retina cells.
Blueberry flavonoids also help improve your metabolism…reducing the risk of obesity and diabetes, two of the nation’s biggest killers.
Keeping your weight in check is one of the best ways to increase your life expectancy, and may be why countries with thinner populations tend to live longer.
A short list of some other lifespan-boosting foods includes:
- Olive Oil
- Cranberries
- Red Wine
- Leafy Greens
- Flaxseeds
- Kidney Beans
- Oatmeal
- Fennel
The data is really starting to come in from some long-term studies, and the fact is: what you eat can really affect your longevity as well as your quality of life.
As the world becomes a smaller place, we’re blessed to be able to learn what other cultures do to stay healthy…and we can take the best of the best tips for ourselves.
If you take your longevity seriously, I encourage you to add these foods to your diet.
