Diet & Nutrition

The preferred diet of long lived people.

The preferred diet for the longest-lived people varied depending on the country and/or proximity to water, grazing land, or mountains. Those who lived off the land and were tending sheep goats and other  animals, were consuming some meat, nuts vegetables and fruit. The Okinawans were almost pescatarians although they did consume a considerable amount of plant-based product.

The common factor across all of the longest-lived people was that they all consumed a plant-based diet. In other words, more than 50% their food was made up of plants, nuts and other grains.

“Exercise and a healthy diet in mid-life may prevent serious health conditions in senior years”

There are several books written on diet and nutrition that promote one diet as superior to others. As part of my PhD, I experimented with most of the recognised diets, including the Atkins, the Paleo, the CSIRO, the Blood Type, the Anti-Cancer, the Pescatarian, the Mediterranean, the Okinawan, the Sardinian, the Harvard, the Vegetarian, the Vegan diets and others. Although I do not propose to review all these diets, I will make a few brief comments. I will follow the order listed, which begins with the most amount of meat/protein and conclude with no meat at all! It is fair to say that the Atkins diet punters have softened their stance more recently to include salads instead of just meat. In contrast, animal produce is still the enemy of the vegetarians and vegans. It should be remembered that the WHO lists red meat as being carcinogenic. The middle group of diets range from the Paleo to the Harvard includes meat and fish to a greater or lesser extent.

The one factor recognised by current research is that older persons need an increasing amount of protein as they age. This can be a problem with vegetarian and vegan diets, although I can hear my niece, who is a vegan, disagreeing with me. In my opinion, the starting point for modern day sapiens is a plant-based diet, with fish (preferably oily) two or three times a week, and some meat. If you read the book Eat right for your type, (D’Adamo,2001) you may appreciate that Type O blood groups are historically, carnivores. Being and Type O blood group I occasionally have cravings a piece fillet steak, even when I was experimenting with a vegetarian diet. I grew up on meat and 3 vegetables, I am now able to contain my cravings for meat two once a week or fortnight.

My avoid food includes:

  • Most refined foods

  • Deep fried food

  • Takeaways (with some exceptions)

  • Salt, sugar, pork, ham

  • Soft/sugary drinks,

My “Go to Food” includes:

  • Plant based food

  • Avocados, grains, nuts,

  • Homemade gluten free muesli

  • New Zealand salmon

  • Blue and blackberries

  • Bananas, and two pieces of fruit.

  • Chicken, pastas gluten free, and occasionally red meat.

In summary, there are many types of diets which I have identified elsewhere. My avoid and go to foods are identified above.

My final comment is the old adage, you are what you eat. If you consume healthy food, it’s more easily digested and your system can function more efficiently.