Many of us are trying to figure out what the secret of a long life is. Some people believe that the path to a long life is paved by what we eat every day. Perhaps you've started following the nutritional secrets of the longest-living people or tried your hand at making the “world's healthiest breakfast.” But living a long life may also depend on what you don't eat.
ContentMany Italians Live to 100 What's the Secret to Italians' Long Lives? Expert Urges People to Return to the Original Mediterranean Diet
In a new interview with The New York Times, Valter Longo, professor of gerontology and director of the Longevity Institute, talks about what he's learned about longevity. exploring his home country, Italy. WomanEL will share with you his unexpected conclusions.
Many Italians have lived to be 100
Italy is known for having one of the oldest populations in the world. In fact, the city of Sardinia in Italy was the first of five Blue Zones to open. The Blue Zones are the parts of the world where most people live to be 100 or longer.
“Italy is incredible for studying aging,” Longo, who runs a laboratory at a cancer institute in Milan, told The New York Times . “This is nirvana.”
The 56-year-old grew up in the city of Genoa but often visited his grandparents in Molocchio, another part of Italy known for its large number of centenarians. Through his experience and research, Longo has dedicated himself to studying how people can age well.
“I want to live to be 120, 130 years old. It's really causing paranoia now because everyone is saying, 'Yeah, of course you need to at least get to 100,'” he said. “You have no idea how hard it is to get to 100.”
What is the secret to the long life of Italians?
According to Longo, one of the main factors that has contributed to the healthy aging of the Italian population throughout history is nutrition. In particular, the original Mediterranean diet, he says, has been largely lost to most modern Italians.
“Almost no one in Italy follows the Mediterranean diet,” Longo told the NYT. Instead, the modern Italian diet largely consists of sausages, layers of lasagne and fried vegetables, which Longo considers “horrible and the source of many diseases.”
A longevity expert is particularly concerned about what Italian children are eating these days, noting that many of them struggle with obesity due to the “poisonous five Ps”: pizza, pasta, protein, potatoes and pane (Italian for “bread”). .
Expert urges people to return to the original Mediterranean diet
Benefits of the Mediterranean diet, Source : freepik.com
Longo advocates living longer and better by eating a plant-based, nut-based diet he created called Lite Italian. “It’s very similar to the original Mediterranean diet, not the current one.” Romina Cervigni, Ph.D., resident nutritionist at the private Longo Foundation in Milan, told the NYT.
“Eat mostly vegan foods, plus some fish, limiting fish to a maximum of two to three meals per week,” says he is in his recommendations. “Consume beans, chickpeas, green peas and other legumes as your main source of protein.”
Longo encourages adults to also follow what is called intermittent fasting for longevity. “Limit your food intake to a twelve-hour period; for example, start after 8am and finish before 8pm,” he states on his website. “Don't eat anything three to four hours before bed.”
What else can you do to improve your nutrition? Don't give up carbs. Especially if you are a woman! But eat them right.
