• Health What foods to avoid and what to eat to lower 'bad' cholesterol

Studies show that if you start improving your diet (even after middle age), you can gain a decade or more of life. But how to do it? People who reach the age of 100 do not count calories, take vitamins or weigh the proteins they eat.

According to some research, genetics accounts for about 25% of a person's life expectancy, while diet, environment, exercise, and other lifestyle factors make up the rest. In this article we deal with the diet and not the other elements to live longer.

A diet too rich in protein, saturated fats and simple sugars accelerates aging and associated diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, cancer and cardiovascular, neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases.

95% of food must come from plants

It seems like an easy rule, but few put it into practice. Vegetables, cereals (whole grains) and legumes should be the main food in the diet. The variety of vegetables and fruits and seasonality are also important.

The best foods of the elixir of life are green leafy vegetables. Studies have shown that middle-aged people who consumed the equivalent of one cup of cooked vegetables a day were half as likely to die within four years as those who did not eat these vegetables.

Whole grains and meat (once a week)

The cereals we consume should be wholemeal: rice, pasta and bread. Whole grains offer a wide range of high levels of nutrients and fiber that are beneficial for the gut.

Meat should be eaten in moderation, as our grandparents did. The goal is to limit meat intake to just over 50 grams (less than a deck of cards) five times a month. It is also advisable to put products from family farms where animals graze freely.

Legumes daily

Within the vegetable preference, legumes should be given a primary place, which should be used instead of animal proteins as main dishes.

Black beans, soybeans, lentils, chickpeas, white beans - legumes are the key to longevity, the elixir of life. They are an excellent source of fiber that regulates and increases the "good bacteria" in the gut and contain more nutrients per gram than any other food on the planet. It is estimated that the longest-lived people consume at least half a cup a day.

Up to 85 grams of fish per day

People who follow a plant-based diet that includes a small serving of fish a day live the longest. The best choice of fish are sardines, anchovies and cod, which are not exposed to high levels of mercury or other chemicals.

Milk and dairy products should also be part of the daily diet and are important sources of calcium. However, they should be consumed skimmed (in the case of dairy) or, in the case of cheese, fresh (lower fat content).

Up to four eggs per week

Eggs are a food with an excellent nutritional profile (a good nutritional composition is one that plays a positive role in disease prevention and health promotion) and can replace meat proteins.

Its image has changed in recent times with respect to cholesterol: recent studies have shown that there is no direct correlation between egg consumption and increased cardiovascular risk, to the point that international bodies no longer impose a consumption limit. Two to four eggs per week is fine.

A handful of nuts as a snack

The longest-lived people consume nuts daily but without exceeding. Almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, peanuts and cashews have their merit and provide specific minerals or vitamins.

A Harvard study has found that those who eat nuts have a 20% lower mortality rate than those who do not consume them. Other studies show that diets with nuts reduce levels of "bad" cholesterol by up to 20%.

Reduce sugar (added)

Add honey to tea or coffee and leave sweets only for occasions. To distinguish: honey contains natural sugars, just like fruit. However, industrial foods contain added sugars that should be avoided.

It is also advisable to avoid products that have long lists of ingredients (at most it is advisable to feed on products that are made, at most, with four or five ingredients, and buy whenever possible products of zero kilometer.

Drinking more water is also essential. Experts recommend eight glasses of water a day, but beyond the amount, which depends on many factors, being hydrated helps prevent urinary tract disorders, blood pressure problems, fluid retention, constipation and fights skin aging, not to mention the effects on the brain.

Green tea is also good for your health: it has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and several types of cancer.

Caffeine? Only the coffee

Several studies have shown that drinking coffee reduces the incidence of dementia and Parkinson's disease. A recent study has also shown that its intake among diabetics reduces the incidence of mortality by 18% and cardiovascular diseases by 20%. Of course: caffeine should not be taken in energy or sugary drinks, but only from coffee.

Eating less and for less time

A secret to living a long time is to eat less: eat everything (following the tips above, but little.

It is also important to reduce the hours of the day in which you eat, it is better to do it in a maximum of 12 hours (start after 8 in the morning and end before 8 in the afternoon): it is not about skipping meals and practicing the fashionable "intermittent fasting", but to respect the biological (circadian) rhythms of the body.

Our ancestors "slept with chickens" precisely because daylight should regulate our rhythms (as far as possible).

  • Feeding

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