The Longevity Diet in Summary

 

The Longevity Diet in Summary
Excerpts from the book The longevity diet : Discover the new science behind stem cell activation and regeneration to slow aging, fight desease and optimize weight  by Valter Longo

1. Eat mostly vegan, plus a little fish, limiting meals with fish to a maximum of
two or three times per week. Choose fish, crustaceans, and mollusks with a
high omega-3, omega-6, and vitamin B12 content (salmon, anchovies, sardines, cod, sea bream, trout, clams, shrimp; see appendix B). Pay attention to the quality of the fish, choosing those with low levels of mercury.
2. If you are below the age of sixty-five, keep the intake of protein low (0.31 to
0.36 grams per pound of body weight). That comes to 40 to 47 grams of protein per day for a person weighing 130 pounds, and 60 to 70 grams of protein per day for someone weighing 200 to 220 pounds. Those beyond age sixty-five should slightly increase their protein intake, including fish, eggs,
white meat, and products derived from goats and sheep, to preserve muscle
mass. Consume beans, chickpeas, green peas, and other legumes as your
main source of protein.
3. Minimize saturated fats from animal and vegetable sources (meat, cheese)
and sugar, and maximize good fats and complex carbs. Eat whole grains and
high quantities of vegetables (tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, legumes, etc.) with
generous amounts of olive oil (3 tablespoons per day) and nuts (1 ounce per
day). See the biweekly diet program in appendix A.
4. Follow a diet with high vitamin and mineral content and complete it with a
multivitamin buffer every 3 days.
5. Select ingredients among those discussed in this book that your ancestors
would have eaten.
6. Based on your weight, age, and abdominal circumference, decide whether to
have two or three meals per day (see chapter 8 for diabetes guidelines). If
you are overweight or tend to gain weight easily, consume two meals a day:
breakfast and either lunch or dinner, plus two low-sugar (less than 5 grams)
snacks with fewer than 100 calories each. If you are already at a normal weight, or if you tend to lose weight easily or are over 65 and of normal weight, eat three meals a day and one low-sugar (less than 3 to 5 grams) snack with fewer than 100 calories.
7. Confine all eating to within a twelve-hour period; for example, start after 8
a.m. and end before 8 p.m. Don’t eat anything within three to four hours of
bedtime.
8. Until age 65–70, depending on weight and frailty, undergo five days of a
fasting-mimicking diet (see chapter 6) every one to six months, based on
your goals and, if possible, a dietitian’s or medical doctor’s advice.
9. Follow points 1 through 8 in such a way that you reach and maintain a
healthy weight and abdominal circumference.