What’s the best diet to age gracefully? Let’s talk about it.
Aging gracefully looks different to a lot of different people. Some of it means they don’t look old. I believe it means you don’t feel old and you don’t act old. What matters is what’s going on internally in your body and how well it’s functioning. So it’s super important that your body gets the nutrition it needs. I’ve had quite a few people over the past decade comment on how young I appear (I’m 61). I believe it’s because I support my hypothalamus with Genesis Gold and I feed my body nutritious foods. Frankly, I’ve been eating well almost all my life. As an Italian married to a Greek, I’ve consumed the Mediterranean diet all my life. Studies have shown that it’s the best overall diet – to avoid chronic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and cancer and to age gracefully.
What are the tenets of a healthy diet to age gracefully?
#1 Your aging gracefully diet must be plant-based.
Meaning most of your plate should have plants on it – vegetables, fruits, whole grains or legumes. And a variety of different colored fruits and vegetables. Don’t eat the same thing all the time. You get more antioxidants and more nutrients when you mix it up. I recommend fruit or vegetables with every feeding snack more vegetables than fruit.
#2 Consume low glycemic index carbohydrates.
Glycemic index means how fast a food turns into sugar. The more fiber a carb has the slower it becomes sugar. So consume whole grains and legumes along with fruits and vegetables (be careful – some fruits are high glycemic index like bananas and watermelon) at least once a day or twice daily. Only once a day if you need to lose some weight and a couple times today to get enough fiber in your diet and consume legumes at least a few times a week.
#3 Get adequate protein.
The Mediterranean diet includes legumes, dairy products like whole Greek yogurt and cheese, eggs, and animal flesh – fish and poultry. Occasional red meat. The key is getting enough protein for your lean body mass so first, you need to calculate your lean body mass. You can do that on an online calculator. You need one half gram of protein per pound of lean body mass. So for instance, if I have about 100 pounds of lean body mass. I need at least 50 grams of protein a day. One egg is nine grams of protein. A piece of chicken or fish about the size of a deck of cards is about 21 to 25 grams of protein. Another great protein source, also a great fat source, and a low glycemic carb source are nuts and seeds.
#4 Eat healthy fat.
The main fat in the Mediterranean diet is monounsaturated olive oil. Avocado oil is also a good source as well. But I prefer olive oil although I use avocado oil for high heat cooking like stir frying and olive oil for all my other cooking needs, and coconut oil or butter for occasional baking. You need 1/4 gram fat per pound of lean body mass.
#5 Avoid drinking your calories.
Consume alcohol (preferably antioxidant-rich red wine) and coffee in moderation. Caloric drinks are one of the number one reasons especially sugar-sweetened drinks, but even too many juices are the number one reason many people suffer from obesity and diabetes.
If you have any questions, please join me in my Hormone Support Group. You can get access by signing up for my free Hormone Reboot Training.
If you want to age gracefully and have the vitality and energy to do everything you love and avoid chronic illnesses, you must feed your body well.
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