Do you want to live to an old age? Try these longevity diet options for size.
Florence Baldwin, Britain’s oldest woman who just turned 113, attributes her longevity to a daily fried egg sandwich.
And while medicine can tell you exactly what shortens your life expectancy (smoking and being overweight come to mind), researchers have long struggled to identify the things that contribute to living longer.
Eating healthy can certainly help … but what kinds of foods should you choose? And can what you eat really affect the length of your life?
You can take a suggestion or two of the ten different food options revealed by centenarians when asked about the secret to their longevity.
1) Herring and Orange Juice: It’s the secret of 115-year-old Hendrikje van Andel-Schipper, herring is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids known to be beneficial for the heart and cardiovascular system. Your daily glass of orange juice provides vitamin C and a large amount of antioxidants.
2) Vegetables: Green vegetables are the staple of a good diet and offer many key vitamins and minerals such as iron, carotene, and dietary fiber. A variety of these healthy foods reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease, and they are a regular part of the menu for 120-year-old Mariam Amash.
3) Custard Cakes: It may seem out of place on a list like this, but 114-year-old Mitoyo Kawate swears by this sweet treat … and who can argue with her? Experts acknowledge that as part of a healthy and balanced diet, some sweets from time to time are not usually problematic and can make a strict diet in other places easier to maintain.
4) Alcohol: in moderation is the secret of Lucy d’Abreu, 113 years old. A few drinks have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease; But alcohol intake has also been linked to cancer and drinking too much is known to bring a variety of health complications. Moderation is key.
5) Sausage on bread: It was the quirkiness of rural Ukrainian Hryhoriy Nestor, although conventional wisdom resists eating processed meat … doing so hasn’t hurt this still-active old man. Experts insist that these foods should only be part of a balanced diet that includes lots of vegetables and lots of regular exercise.
6) Bread, drip, salt: Perhaps living over 100 years came despite this highly unhealthy diet choice, known to increase the risks of heart disease and high blood pressure. Still, Yorkshire woman Ada Mason swears this is the secret to celebrating her 111th birthday … and counting.
7) Porridge – 111-year-old Scottish Annie Knight starts her mornings with this traditional Scottish breakfast, which gives her body a regular dose of fiber. Adding milk makes the porridge full of other nutrients like calcium as well.
8) Boiled rice and chicken: It is a great source of starch and low-fat protein, as well as providing fiber, vitamins and minerals. At 114 years old, Yukichi Chuganji, who does not like vegetables, continues to enjoy this meal regularly.
9) Cottage Cheese: A good source of calcium and other essential nutrients, important for healthy bones, teeth and the body, this food is the favorite of the oldest woman in the world, Sakhan Dosova, who has just reached the amazing 130 years.
10) Donkey’s Milk: Although you won’t find this on the dairy boxes at your local grocery store, 116-year-old Maria Esther de Capovilla swore that the milk she regularly drank when she was young is the reason she’s lived so long .
As you can see from the list … not all are within the recommendations that we have come to know. So before you start stocking up on some of the more unconventional “goodies”, it’s important to note that what these extraordinary people eat may be only part of the reason they live so long.
Genetics certainly play a role, as do the things these people did in their early life.
Perhaps what their mothers did while carrying these children, or the lack of stress in the early years of life, could be part of the picture. No one knows for sure.
And something else to think about … there is another trait that those of the club of more than 100 have in common, nothing bothers them. Perhaps a good lesson for those of us who tend to sweat over the little things in addition to adopting a longevity diet.