Longevity diet is from Valter Longo. It promises long and healthy life free of chronic diseases. How does one begin to change to this diet? Here are some tips for beginners with a sample diet regimen.
Longevity diet: Tips
Valter Longo from the University of Southern California started this diet with claims that it will prolong life and make life healthier. But there are no studies backing this diet. Also beginners may find it difficult to do the changeover to this diet if they wish to consume it. Here are some tips for them.
Consult a dietitian first
Longevity diet foods (Source: Conscious lifestyle magazine)Before starting the diet, it is best to consult a certified nutritionist. The diet is not for everyone and people with eating disorders should avoid it. Only when the dietitian gives the green signal should one consider starting on it. Do the change under the supervision of a dietitian too.
Take small steps
Do not take a big leap towards eating more fruits and vegetables. Take baby steps. Start first with narrowing the time of your eating to 12 hours. That means from 7 am to 7 pm or 8 am to 8 pm. Gradually increase intake of vegetables. Later cut down on red meat and slowly eliminate it completely from your daily food. But do not skip breakfast.
Test the new vegetables
Some people have not consumed certain vegetables at all in their life. Test it in small amounts first. This will help you to get adapted to the taste as well as to identify any allergic or intolerant food. Dietitian Christine Palumbo advises:
“Try eating a vegetable you’ve never had before at your dining spot, or venture out to an ethnic restaurant known for its vegetables,”
Foods to prolong life span (Source: Respectful living)Dr. David Katz from Connecticut says:
“You can go slow so that your taste buds have time to adapt, and learn to love the foods that love you back,”
Gradually cut back on processed foods
Christine explains:
“Then, get back into the kitchen and explore some new recipes by following along with cooking instructors on YouTube, TikTok, or their own websites.”
Homemade foods are not processed and are healthy.
Check food labels
Read food labels of commercial packaged foods. Christine suggests:
“Once you realize how many additives there are, you may be convinced to reduce your reliance on them and begin controlling your own ingredient lists by cooking more,”
Example of a typical longevity diet plan
This is a sample menu picked up from Valter Longo’s website.
Breakfast-Have whole-grain toast with sugar free jam along with a cup of almond milk without sugar.
Lunch- One can take Spelt with chicory and carrots. It has extra-virgin olive oil and cheese in it. One can have rice or barley instead of spelt.
Foods for longer life (Source: Respectful living)For late afternoon snack-Eat whole-wheat bread one slice with three small squares of dark chocolate. This should have at least 70% cacao.
Read more: 6 ‘Greek foods’found in Greek restaurants that are not eaten in Greece!
Dinner- should be of fresh salmon with extra-virgin olive oil. Eat this with whole-wheat bread, and a side dish of vegetables.
Dessert-can be a fresh, seasonal fruit with dried fruit or few walnuts.