Eat to Live Long and Healthy

Perhaps few people realize that eating too much kills in the long run. Excessive eating is a sure way to shorten your life. Research has produced evidence to the effect that animals (rats, mice and worms) that are fed fewer calories each day live longer than those whose diet is unrestricted. Laboratory animals on restricted diet lived 40% longer than the others on normal diet.

Similar studies on rhesus monkeys and human beings are yet to produce results, but there are already enough bio-indicators that suggest that these too with controlled intake of calories have beneficial effects on aging and health. Those who restrict their diet and calorie intake experience lower risk of heart disease, less chance of a stroke and less prone to diabetes and, generally, better health. Their levels of triglycerides, cholesterol and blood pressure, which usually tend to rise with increasing age, stay normal. This is a very good sign of good health. Another benefit of limiting the calorie intake is that the body fat will be comparatively low, due to which the occurrence of type 2 diabetes is also rare in such cases.

You do not need to starve for restricting your calorie intake. Neither do you have to suffer malnutrition. You only have to maintain the balance in the nutritional intake while reducing the calories you eat.

Some suggest intermittent fasting as an alternative to calorie restriction on a regular basis. While on normal days a person is allowed freedom to eat what he likes, on days of fasting the number of calories taken in is drastically cut, with the total overall intake of calories being almost the same as that when restriction on calorie intake is observed on all days. Research, however, has yet to prove conclusively that this alternative is as good, although even through occasional or intermittent fasting one is believed to achieve the same sort of health benefits, including weight loss, even if to a lesser extent. One well-known researcher suggests that whereas a diet that restricts the intake of calories curtails free radicals, intermittent fasting makes cells resistant to stress that causes several diseases. In both the cases, there is a likelihood of improvement in health and longevity.

There are others who suggest eating of foods that enhance health and increase the life span. Blueberries are among super foods that can be eaten with a lot of benefit. They have lots of fiber and are excellent antioxidants, better than most other fruits. They slow down age-related mental decline. You may consider eating blueberries regularly for better health and also for longer life. Guava is a fiber-rich, low-calorie fruit. It is also, like blue berries, a very good antioxidant. Its active ingredient, lycopene, helps fight cancer. Kale is a vegetable very low in calories and high in Vitamin K, which is good for the strengthening of bones. Kale also contains cancer-fighting ingredients called indoles. Apples are rich in fiber. They contain boron, which is a good nutrient for the bones. Whether red or green, apples, if eaten regularly, help you keep the doctor away.

Eating such health-giving foods will directly promote life-prolonging tendencies.

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