Diet Quotes

Avoid the following vegetable oil: canola/rapeseed oil, soybean oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, and peanut oil. Replace them with coconut oil, animal fats including lard, tallow, butter and ghee, avocado oil, or olive oil. Remove flour, rice, pasta, breads, crackers, and packaged cereals. Replace with carrots, beans, lentils, and chickpeas. [2018] - Steven Lin

To maximize the digestibility of legumes, it's best to soak them before cooking or eating them. For kidney-shaped beans: Add water and baking soda in a large pot and soak for 12-24 hours before cooking. For other beans (like black beans): Soak in water and 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar or lemon juice for every cup of dried legumes you use. [2018] - Steven Lin

Limit to 2-3 servings of grains per week, and stick to whole-grain varieties that have been fermented, sprouted, or soaked, such as barley, brown/black rice, buckwheat, oatmeal, millet, sourdough, sprouted bread, or dark rye bread. [2018] - Steven Lin

Apple cider vinegar is one of the easiest fermented foods to obtain. You can buy it from almost any grocery store. Add it cold to salads or add a tablespoon to a glass of water. (Take one "dose" per day for better digestion.) [2018] - Steven Lin

In adults age seventy and below, eating a relatively high-calorie diet will in most cases lead to weight gain and an increase in the risk for developing certain diseases. Yet in individuals over age seventy, the same diet and the consequent moderate weight gain can be protective against certain diseases and overall mortality. [2018] - Valter Longo

Aim for a diet that is close to 100% plant- and fish-based, limiting fish consumption to two or three portions a week and avoiding fish with high mercury content (tuna, swordfish, mackerel, halibut). If you are past age 65 and start to lose muscle mass, strength, and weight, introduce more fish into the diet, along with other animal-based foods commonly consumed by populations with record longevity, like eggs and certain cheeses (preferably feta or pecorino) and yogurt made from goat’s milk, all of which are commonly consumed in high-longevity areas. [2018] - Valter Longo

Consume 0.31-0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. If you weigh 130 pounds, that comes to about 40-47 grams of protein per day, of which 30 grams should be consumed in a single meal to maximize muscle synthesis. Since this minimum requirement can change from person to person, it is preferable to occasionally consult a dietitian, to make sure that a healthy, lean body mass is maintained. Protein intake should be increased slightly after age 65 in individuals who are losing weight and muscle. For most people, a 10-20% increase (5-10 grams more per day) is sufficient. [2018] - Valter Longo

Molochian centenarians tend to live with their sons’ or daughters’ families. Because the younger generation has adopted a more modern diet, we speculated that transitioning to a higher-protein diet with more animal-based ingredients—which many of the centenarians did in their eighties and nineties—may contribute to their extreme longevity. In other words, maintaining a high-vegetable, low-protein diet for the first 70 or 80 years of life, and later switching to a diet richer in proteins but also animal-based foods like eggs, chicken, milk, and certain cheeses, may have slowed down aging and optimized the health of the Molochio centenarians. This explanation fits with our discovery that low-protein intake is associated with extended longevity and a major reduction in cancer in people age 65 and younger, but not in those above 66. In fact, we know that IGF-1 and other hormones that contribute to aging can reach very low levels after age 80. [2018] - Valter Longo

US Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting sodium to less than 2.3 grams a day. Limit added sugar (to sweeten coffee or tea) and sugar naturally present in fruit juices, honey, and syrups to less than 8 to 10 grams a day (2 teaspoons). When possible use fresh and seasonal vegetables, and dried legumes (beans, lentils, peas) that have been soaked overnight. [2018] - Valter Longo

There is little doubt that extreme caloric restriction extends the longevity of various lower species. But it's hard to pinpoint the effects of caloric restriction on larger animals. For now, it looks as if caloric restriction has no positive effect on human telomeres. You don't need to give up carbs or milk products to be healthy! Eating and drinking low-sugar, low-glycemic-index food and beverages will boost your inner metabolic health, which is what really matters (more than weight). [2017] - Elizabeth Blackburn

Some foods and supplements are healthy for your telomeres, and some just aren't. A whole-foods diet that features fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and omega-3 fatty acids is not only good for your telomeres, it also helps reduce oxidative stress, inflammation, and insulin resistance--factors that can shorten your healthspan. The more that people eat legumes, nuts, seaweed, fruits, and dairy products, and the less they consume red meat or processed meat and sweetened sodas, the longer their telomeres in their white blood cells. [2017] - Elizabeth Blackburn

Fruits, although they contain simple carbohydrates, are healthy because of their fiber content and overall nutritional value; fruit juices, from which the fiber has been extracted, are generally not. [2017] - Elizabeth Blackburn

Seaweed snacks, such as SeaSnax, can be found in health-food stores and are made from seaweed sheets lightly roasted in olive oil with a pinch of sea salt. They come in different flavors (like wasabi or onion) and are a great snack for people who crave salty or savory foods. Seaweed is also extremely rich in micronutrients. If you're watching your sodium, choose unsalted sheets of seaweed. [2017] - Elizabeth Blackburn

You may want to change the way you eat and drink. Arsenic is naturally found in wells and groundwater, so you can either have your water tested or use a filter. Avoid plastic drinking bottles and cookware. Even BPA (Bisphenol A)-free plastic bottles may not be free of other harmful chemicals. BPA substitutes may be as unsafe; they just haven't been studied to the same extent. Avoid living near major roadways if possible. Greenery--trees, green space, and even house plants--can help reduce the levels of air pollutants inside your home and in a city. Try to walk in parks, plant trees, and support urban forestry. [2017] - Elizabeth Blackburn

Buy more house plants: two per one hundred square feet is ideal for keeping your air filtered. Good choices include philodendrons, Boston ferns, peace lilies, and English ivy. Avoid house paints that contain cadmium, lead, or benzene. [2017] - Elizabeth Blackburn

Dietary acid is in many of the most commonly consumed foods and drinks, even though you probably don’t know it’s there. It’s in canned and jarred soups and vegetables especially if they’ve been pickled, marinated, or fermented. It is in all carbonated beverages and industrially produced fruit juices. It’s present in every product that contains high-fructose corn syrup, even in items that don’t seem to be sweet at all. This ubiquitous and overused sweetener is produced using sulfuric acid and you’ll find it in the most unexpected places, such as in condiments, barbecue sauces, cocktail sauces, spice mixes, even baby food. You’ll find dietary acid in breads, salad dressings, juices, yogurts, and candy bars. [2017] - Jonathan Aviv

Research shows that foods and drinks with a pH below 5, and especially those below 4 on the pH scale, will activate pepsin. Research links pepsin’s presence in the esophageal lining to increased tumor activity, particularly in the area where the lower part of the esophagus joins the stomach. [2017] - Jonathan Aviv

Following a high-fiber, low-acid diet is not only the most powerful prescription for curbing acid damage, it is also essential for true healing and prevention. However, because symptoms often stem from decades of exposure to inflammatory foods, the damage cannot be reversed after just a few days of strategic, low-acid modifications to your diet; in other words, the recovery process can take time: 28 days is the minimal time needed to heal acid-damaged tissue. [2017] - Jonathan Aviv

There is no evidence to suggest that macronutrient depletion can help reduce acid damage to the esophagus or other organs in the aerodigestive tract. Only an increase in dietary fiber intake will help extinguish the internal fires lit by acid damage by lessening inflammatory pepsin triggers, improving digestion, and reducing cravings for salty, sugary, and acidic foods. [2017] - Jonathan Aviv

Animal-derived proteins that are good for Acid Watchers include sardines, salmon, tuna, halibut, turkey (light meat, no skin), chicken (light meat, no skin), yogurt, kefir, and eggs. Examples of vegetable-derived proteins include peanuts, oatmeal, cashews, beans (all types), tofu, edamame, walnuts, soy milk (non–genetically modified), hazelnuts, whole grains, quinoa, broccoli, spinach, kale, and spirulina. Beans and eggs, especially egg yolks, can be hard for some people to digest. I recommend that they be consumed in moderation. For best results, animal sources of protein should primarily be eaten in combination with vegetables, ideally prepared raw or steamed, for easier digestion. [2017] - Jonathan Aviv