Eat these, live longer
IT’S possible to increase your chances of a longer life, simply by eating foods from healthy food or diet groups, a study is suggesting.
The study, ‘Healthy Eating Patterns and Risk of Total and Cause-Specific Mortality’, published in January in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, found that greater adherence to several healthy eating patterns was associated with a lower risk of death.
The findings support recommendations that multiple healthy eating patterns can be adapted to individual preferences — in other words, you can mix and match your diet as you wish, as long as you maintain healthy food choices.
What to eat
All healthy eating patterns — whether it’s the DASH (dietary approaches to stop hypertension) diet, Mediterranean diet or any other — focus on consuming more whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes. The Mediterranean diet, for example, stresses eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, fish and a high amount of olive oil.
Another option the researchers pointed to is a plant-based diet, which focuses on eating more plant products, and less or no dairy and alcohol. This diet stresses healthy, plant-based foods, frowns on red and processed meat, and discourages eating added sugars, unhealthy fats and alcohol.
What not to eat
The common principles of a healthy diet includes fewer servings of red meat, processed meats, added sugar and sodium. Researchers have found that these foods contribute to your risk for cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
“What you put on your plate will make a big difference in the quality of life that you have,” said nutritionist Keisha Black. “We know that your diet, as well as activity level, contribute in a large way to a longer lifespan. So eat right, move your body regularly, and you will see a huge difference.”
She emphasised that even if you haven’t been on a healthy path, it’s never too late to start, as studies have shown that it’s possible to reverse years of bad habits and their effects on the body, simply by making dietary changes immediately.
