Small changes in life help you live longer
Experts offer four ways to eat to prolong your life, as well as other eating tips to help you make the most of the valuable nutrients in your food.
Since the beginning of the year,CNBC Make Itspoke to nutritionists and dietitians about the foods and diets they recommend for longevity, energy, brain health, and more.
Here's what they suggest you should eat to live a long, healthy life.
4 ways to eat to prolong life
Professor - Dr. Frank B. Hu, an expert in nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health (USA), shared 4 ways to adjust your diet to prolong your life.
Beans and peas provide many health benefits. Photo: NP
-Eat more whole foods
Longevity researcher Neil Paulvin especially recommends eating blueberries. They've been called the "holy grail" of longevity foods.
According to the Clinical Nutrition Center, K Hospital, blueberries are a fruit rich in antioxidants originating from North America. Blueberries contain many ingredients that play an important role in the body such as: vitamin C, vitamin K, fiber, anthocyanins, flavonoids, phenolic acid, flavan-3-ols...
These fruits may be small, but they pack a punch when it comes to antioxidant content. In fact, blueberries have more antioxidants than most other foods. Your body can use them to fight free radicals and reduce your risk of many cancers and diseases.
-Reduce your intake of processed and ultra-processed foods
Ultra-processed foods are foods that have undergone a lot of processing, have added additives, and are ready to eat. Ultra-processed foods have been linked to a number of health conditions, including liver disease.
The number one ultra-processed food that nutritionist Jinan Banna never consumes is soda because it has no nutritional value other than calories in the form of sugar.
-Aim for a flexible diet
“Eating a combination of diets like the Mediterranean diet or the Okinawa diet is a great way to improve your enjoyment and long-term adherence to the healthy foods you eat,” says Prof. Hu.
-Take time to socializewith friends
In addition to diet, maintaining and strengthening social relationships in life is one of the top ways to prolong life. Professor Hu suggests enjoying a healthy meal with loved ones.
Green leafy vegetables are also an indispensable part of a healthy diet. Photo: NP
2 Tips to Get the Most Out of Immune-Boosting Foods
Nutritionist Kim Shapira told Make It that foods rich in omega-3s, antioxidants, or fiber are helpful in restoring the gut and boosting immunity.
But foods like fatty fish, oranges, and whole grains can provide even greater benefits, especially for the immune system, if you incorporate these fun habits into your diet, says Shapira.
-Smell the food first
When you smell food first, saliva begins to form in your mouth, sending a signal to your body that it is time to digest the food. This allows you to digest more food and absorb the full nutritional value of the food.
-Chew food longer
For proper digestion, food must be broken down until it is essentially a liquid state. If you don't chew your food long enough or don't chew at all, you are missing out on all the nutrients in your food.
4 Dietary Changes for a Healthy Brain
The number one food that Harvard nutritionist Dr. Uma Naidoo recommends for a healthy brain is green leafy vegetables like kale, spinach, and collard greens.
At the same time, the expert also shared 4 changes you can make in your diet that will greatly benefit your brain. Those changes are:
- Eat foods rich in fiber including green leafy vegetables, flaxseeds, beans.
- Consume more polyphenols from foods like blueberries, strawberries, carrots, and nuts.
- Eat foods rich in probiotics such as kimchi or yogurt.
- Add plenty of herbs and spices to your meals, especially turmeric with a pinch of black pepper and capsaicin from chili peppers.
Energy boosting foods
Almost everyone is looking for ways to get more energy. Data shows that an average of 20% of adults in the United States only get five hours of sleep a night. There are certain foods that nutritionists say can help boost your energy. Here are four to start your day with:
- Complex carbohydrates such as whole wheat bread, oats, sweet potatoes and apples.
- Foods rich in fiber such as berries, prunes, spinach and quinoa.
- Heart-healthy fats like avocados, olives, tofu and salmon.
- Water.
