Research has shown long living individuals to have these following similar characteristics:
– Low fasting insulin levels
– Low fasting glucose
– Optimally low leptin
– Low triglycerides
– Low percentage of visceral body fat
– Lower body temperature
One characteristic stands out above the rest though…low insulin levels.
A newly released study showed how a diet high in fat, adequate in protein (50-80g per day) and very low in starchy carbohydrate, with some added multivitamin and mineral supplementation, led to drastic improvement in the factors related to aging. Patients were told to eat when they were hungry. The also included a significant loss of body weight, a significant reduction in blood pressure (both systolic and diastolic pressure), and a reduction in levels of leptin (a hormone that helps regulate metabolism), insulin and fasting glucose. Surprisingly, in spite of the diet being high in fat, the serum triglycerides were also greatly reduced.
This type of diet is great because it lets you listen to your body. It lets you eat when your hungry. Because of the type of food you’re eating, you won’t feel over-full or bloated. AND you get excellent results without harming yourself with fad diets.
Here are your guidelines to your “Aging Gracefully” diet:
– greatly restrict or eliminate sugar and starch –> this will keep your insulin levels low
– keep your protein intake adequate, amounting to about 6-7 ounces of meat or seafood per day
– eat as many fibrous “above ground”, non starchy vegetable greens as you want
– eat as much healthy fat (from fish, nuts, seeds, avocados, canola oil, and the like) as you need to satisfy your appetite
The main thing to remember here is that natural dietary fat is not at all our enemy! AND that in the absence of dietary starchy carbohydrate and with adequate protein, it can mean a highly satisfying, long and healthy life.
Keep Well…Kristy
