What to Eat to Live to 100

kburra

kburra

Senior Member
Location
GB
What to Eat to Live to 100
I aspire to live an incredibly long, happy, and healthy life.


That is why I recently read the The Blue Zones Solution, in which New York Times best-selling author Dan Buettner reveals the eating and living habits of the world’s longest-lived people.


For over a decade, Buettner (along with the National Geographic Society and a team of researchers) studied the 5 locations around the globe that have the highest concentrations of 100-year-olds, as well as exceptionally low rates of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, obesity, and heart problems.


In the book, Buettner lays out the specifics for each of these “Blue Zones” locations, analyzes the trends, and then prescribes a plan for people looking achieve the same level of health and longevity.


The book is fantastic and I highly recommend it for anyone who is looking to live a longer, happier life. In case you are short on time, I have tried to summarize my main takeaways below.


Note: Most of the book focuses on food because, as Buettner says, “food may be the best starting point for anyone seeking to emulate the health, longevity, and well-being found in the world’s Blue Zones.” But a significant portion of the book is also devoted to other healthy lifestyle habits commonly found in Blue Zones locations, and I have included some of those key behaviors at the end of this post.


According to The Blue Zones Solution:


The best-of-the-best longevity foods are (Include at least 3 of these daily):


Beans (black beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans, black-eyed peas, lentils)
Greens (spinach, kale, chards, beet tops, fennel tops, collards)
Sweet Potatoes
Nuts (almonds, peanuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts, cashews)
Olive Oil (green, extra-virgin is best)
Oats (slow-cook or Irish steel-cut are best)
Barley
Fruits (all kinds)
Green or Herbal teas
Turmeric (spice or tea)
The 4 best beverages are:


Water
Coffee
Green Tea
Red Wine (no more than 2 glasses daily)
Foods to Minimize include:


Meat (eat meat only 2 times per week or less; meat servings should be 2 oz. cooked or less; fine to eat up to 3 oz. of fish daily)
Dairy such as cheese, cream, and butter (limit as much as possible; Goat’s and Sheep’s milk products are ok)
Eggs (eat no more than 3 eggs per week)
Sugar (limit as much as possible — opt for honey and fruit instead)
Bread (OK to eat 100% whole wheat and true sourdough bread; look for sprouted grain bread, whole grain rye, or pumpernickel bread)
Foods to Avoid (other than a special treat):


Sugary beverages (sodas, boxed juices)
Salty snacks (chips, crackers)
Processed Meats (sausages, salami, bacon, lunch meats)
Packaged sweets (cookies, candy bars)
Food Guidelines to Live By:


95% of your food should be plant-based
Eat your largest meal at breakfast, a mid-sized lunch, and small dinner
Stop eating when you’re 80% full
If you need to snack, make it a piece of fruit or handful of nuts
Cook most of your meals at home and eat with friends and family as much as possible
The top longevity foods eaten in each Blue Zone:


Ikaria, Greece:


Olive oil
Wild Greens
Potatoes
Legumes (garbanzo beans, black-eyed peas, lentils)
Feta and Goat Cheese
Sourdough bread
Lemons
Honey
Herbal Tea
Coffee
Wine
Okinawa, Japan:


Tofu
Sweet Potatoes
Brown Rice
Shiitake Mushrooms
Seaweeds
Garlic
Turmeric
Green Tea
Sardinia, Italy:


Olive oil
Beans
Goat’s Milk and Sheep’s Milk (including sharp pecorino cheese)
Flat Bread
Barley
Sourdough Bread
Fennel
Fava Beans and Chickpeas
Potatoes
Greens
Tomatoes
Onions
Zucchini
Cabbage
Lemons
Almonds
Wine
Loma Linda, California:


Avocados
Salmon
Nuts
Fruits
Beans
Water (7 glasses per day)
Oatmeal
Whole Wheat Bread
Soy Milk
Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica:


Corn Tortillas
Black Beans
Squash
Papayas
Yams
Bananas
Blue Zones lifestyle lessons to maximize happiness, health, and longevity:


Move daily (e.g. walking or other moderate-intensity activity).
Socialize more. Research shows that the happiest people socialize at least 8 hours per day, especially with parents and family.
Know what gets you up in the morning. Knowing your sense of purpose, or reason for living, has been shown to add up to 7 years of life expectancy.
Have faith. Attending faith-based services (it doesn’t matter what faith) 4 times per month has been shown to add 4–14 years to your life.
Committing to a life partner can add up to 3 years of life expectancy.
Aim to sleep 8 hours per night for maximum health and longevity.
Have sex. 80% of people in Ikaria ages 65–100 are still having sex, and sex has been shown to enhance longevity.
In summary, as noted in the book, “Eat well, stress less, move more, and love more.”


Here’s to a long, happy, healthy, and fulfilling life!
 

My Wife's Mother is 98 and I bet she never had a bunch of that!!
 

OP went to a lot of work to put these lists together and there is a lot of healthy foods on the lists from various countries.

My parents lived into their 90's and ate everything including a lot on the lists EXCEPT soy which was never mentioned years ago in the U.S. I avoid it mostly.
 
My mother lived into her 90's and she ate anything and everything including the items on the foods to avoid list.

Her approach was to restrict/limit the quantity of food that she ate as she aged. She also believed in a large breakfast, modest lunch, a very small snack for dinner with a cocktail or two, and no between meal snacking or midnight snacks.

The stories are interesting but they really don't prove anything, some people live long and some don't.

I try to limit meat, dairy, refined starches, sugars, man-made carbs, etc... Also if I really want something from the foods to avoid list I find a way to include a small portion from time to time and do not drive myself nuts about it.

When I die no one will remember or care if I had a scoop of ice cream or a brownie and neither will I. :):playful::eek:nthego:
 
quote-happiness-a-good-cigar-a-good-meal-a-good-cigar-and-a-good-woman-or-a-bad-woman-it-depends-on-george-burns-27763.jpg



He never dieted. Drank, cigars, and made it to 100..........Happiness? A good cigar, a good meal, a good cigar and a good woman - or a bad woman; it depends on how much happiness you can handle.
 
In a way, this reminds me of an old joke. Anyone remember this:

YOU CAN HAVE A MILLION DOLLARS TAX FREE!! HERE'S HOW!

Step 1: Get a million dollars.
Step 2: ...


In this case, it would be -

YOU CAN LIVE TO BE 100 WITH A CONTROLLED DIET!! HERE'S HOW!

Step 1: Inherit great genes from your parents.
Step 2: ...

:magnify:
 
We all know or know of people who've managed to live into their 90's or above and done nothing dietarily or otherwise to accomplish that, as well as folks who are very careful about what they eat and drink, and exercise regularly, and are also long lived.

I think, at the end of the day, it's a crapshoot. I mean, sure, if you live a life of excess, the likelihood is that organs will start failing because of the onslaught of alcohol, fat, sodium and the numerous other detrimental substances, resulting obesity and serious medical conditions. If you abuse your body that way, the likely outcome won't be great. Other than that though, I think genetics plays an important role. Long lived people tend to spawn long lived offspring.

The other part of this is that personally, I don't want to live to be that old if I'm so frail and sick that I don't get to enjoy it.
 
jaminhealth said:
OP went to a lot of work to put these lists together and there is a lot of healthy foods on the lists from various countries.

My parents lived into their 90's and ate everything including a lot on the lists EXCEPT soy which was never mentioned years ago in the U.S. I avoid it mostly.
Click to expand...

The vitamins in soy milk are amazing. I started drinking it because I am deficient in B12. It supplies 50% of the daily requirements. Vitamin D 45%. Calcium 30%. Low in Fat and low in saturated fat. Calories are only 50 per 1 cup.
 
I believe it's true about genes.

I also agree with OP's lists for the most part, can help a person enjoy better health and therefore adding some years.

Recently, I read high doses of green tea pills can make one very ill, but I didn't take note of where I read that.
 
Camper6 said:
With a diet like that you may not live to 100 but it will seem like it.
Click to expand...

Good'n



Not sure I wanna live to a hundred
…..maybe 97

Anyway, I …..like……food

But, I don’t live to eat

However, I don’t necessarily eat to live (like suggested here, anyway)

I eat to enjoy, most anything
Hell, the dog I had in mainland China was damn good
But, glad I didn’t know what it was when I ate it

Anyway, food, for me, is a nice part of life, wunna the nicest
My repasts are usually savory
But, I’ve learned to keep it to small portions
Not to get full
But to get unhungry
That way I’m not slogging around while working, drinking gallons of water to slake an eternal thirst

When growing up, and as a young adult, I ate fast, like someone was gonna take it away from me

Since I settled down, I’ve learned small portions, and actually chewing, made food more enjoyable


Heh, live to a hundred….incarcerated in some sorta diet restraint prison?

nada

I've got better things to occupy what's left in this ol' bean

...like where I left my pancake flipper
 
Diet is certainly an important aspect of remaining healthy and living well into old age....But, so is exercise and weight control. My parents lived well into their 90's, stayed quite active, and kept their weight down. They ate a varied diet, and got plenty of exercise to burn what calories they consumed. My old Dad had a minor stroke in his early 90's, and the doctors put him on Plavix....but that drug softened his arteries/veins such that one day he woke up with severe internal bleeding, and passed the next day. Mom was working in her garden one day, and got bit by some mosquitoes, which gave her West Nile Virus, and within a few days, she was gone.

Longevity is determined by a number of factors, but the secret is to eat and live such that whatever years we are blessed with can be spent doing the things we enjoy, and being physically able to do so. Moderation is the key, IMO.
 
I don't believe in any diets - eat and drink in moderation and avoid junk foods.
I believe that genetics play a big part in how long we live.
Will I live to be 100? I don't know nor do I care, but the next 12 years will tell.
 
Camper6 said:
The vitamins in soy milk are amazing. I started drinking it because I am deficient in B12. It supplies 50% of the daily requirements. Vitamin D 45%. Calcium 30%. Low in Fat and low in saturated fat. Calories are only 50 per 1 cup.
Click to expand...

Soy and the milk do a job on the thyroid...if you are having unusual FATIGUE, take it to the bank it's soy...i've been that route. Do your own search on soy and the negatives which include thyroid ..
When soy milk hit the U.S. I went for it and truthfully I feel it's the dredges of milk.
 
jaminhealth said:
Soy and the milk do a job on the thyroid...if you are having unusual FATIGUE, take it to the bank it's soy...i've been that route. Do your own search on soy and the negatives which include thyroid ..
When soy milk hit the U.S. I went for it and truthfully I feel it's the dredges of milk.
Click to expand...

I think I am if not the oldest guy on the forum then I am close. In Roman Numerals. LXXXV. My sister is two years older.

I'm not going to change my lifestyle at this stage of the game. I think a lot of luck is involved.

I do agree in exercise but not violent stuff. I walk every day at least 1 kilometre and in the summer ride a bike which I think is the greatest exercise because it trains your balance.

I don't have unusual fatigue and all my blood tests come out normal. I even overcame the B12 deficiency.
 
Don M. said:
Diet is certainly an important aspect of remaining healthy and living well into old age....But, so is exercise and weight control. My parents lived well into their 90's, stayed quite active, and kept their weight down. They ate a varied diet, and got plenty of exercise to burn what calories they consumed. My old Dad had a minor stroke in his early 90's, and the doctors put him on Plavix....but that drug softened his arteries/veins such that one day he woke up with severe internal bleeding, and passed the next day. Mom was working in her garden one day, and got bit by some mosquitoes, which gave her West Nile Virus, and within a few days, she was gone.

Longevity is determined by a number of factors, but the secret is to eat and live such that whatever years we are blessed with can be spent doing the things we enjoy, and being physically able to do so. Moderation is the key, IMO.
Click to expand...
Great post.
 
Camper6 said:
I think I am if not the oldest guy on the forum then I am close. In Roman Numerals. LXXXV. My sister is two years older.

I'm not going to change my lifestyle at this stage of the game. I think a lot of luck is involved.

I do agree in exercise but not violent stuff. I walk every day at least 1 kilometre and in the summer ride a bike which I think is the greatest exercise because it trains your balance.

I don't have unusual fatigue and all my blood tests come out normal. I even overcame the B12 deficiency.
Click to expand...
You are very active for an old guy and you certainly have your wits about you. My dad is one year older than you and was doing well until he had his knee replaced. He did no physio therapy and eventually just stopped exercising and so did my mom.
Staying active seems to be crucial. If you don’t use it, you lose it.
 
Those replacements require a LOT of PT and rehab and continual exercise and if one doesn't then they are for naught. I so fear a knee replacement or any surgery for that matter as one bad hip job was enough, too much.

I can see how my parents generation didn't have the replacements anyway, and even though they had joint issues, they just limped and hobbled and got thru it all. I often regret the hip job.


On the Roman numerals I guess I remember them from a long time ago in school. LXXX signed out.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top