Extending your life expectancy through diet

A digest of Michael Greger and Gene Stone’s book, “How no to die?

Food tips and tricks for all those who want to live healthier

Certain foods have preventive and curative functions with respect to diseases.

Poor nutrition is the main cause of premature death

Meat, dairy products, eggs and processed foods (from the food industry) are bad for your health. These foods are an important part of the “modern” food supply. Consuming these products on a regular basis increases the risk of developing diabetes, heart problems and other chronic diseases.

Food must be our medication as is the case in Chinese or Ayurvedic medicine for example. However, we notice that in developed countries, medication sometimes takes the form of food (we literally feed ourselves with medication).

Food stimulates the body’s regenerative capacity, contrary to allopathic drugs (those from Western medicine). Studies have shown that a vegetarian diet contributes to a better life expectancy.

Berries (such as red fruits) help to fight against cancer, they have a large amount of antioxidants.

Vegetables protect telomeres (see articles on telomeres) and therefore help slow down aging. Cabbage and broccoli have hyper-generative functions.

A simple way to adopt a good eating habit is to eat 5 servings of vegetables daily
– 2 servings of leafy vegetables (e.g. cabbage, salads, etc.)
– 1 portion of cruciferous vegetables (cross in Latin) such as broccoli or cauliflower -> fight against cancer
– 2 rations of: beet or carrots

Legumes (beans, lentils etc.) are rich in protein and fiber
– They should be eaten 3 times a day

Whole grains help reduce heart problems, type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Nuts (almonds, pistachios, etc.) and seeds (sunflower seeds, etc.) have very good effects on the diet by stimulating the metabolism

Spices have a very high amount of antioxidants and help to fight depression.

Water is the best drink. Coffee can be beneficial for the liver and the brain when consumed in reasonable quantities. Tea has antioxidants. It is not recommended to drink milk, because after the age of 7, a person cannot digest it anymore.

Regular exercise is of course recommended to complement a healthy diet and to extend life expectancy.