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Longevity is a very intricate phenomenon. Although the hopes of finding an elixir might still be a distant dream for mankind - nutritionists, scientists and researchers have agreed to the fact that the food we eat has a significant important impact on our overall longevity.
These intricate findings have made this a popular topic to be picked for many further studies. We would like to live as long as possible, right? Researchers have focused on the impacts and effects of various types of diets on our health and longevity. The purpose was to understand how to reduce chronic death-causing diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, tumors, cancers, respiratory diseases, diabetes amongst others and strengthen the body's immunity through diet.
The results have been glaringly clear. No, they didn't discover any magic food or diet to increase your lifespan. Is your current diet right for your health and set to increase longevity? What should you eat and avoid?
Can Diet Affect Longevity?
The real answer to this question is yes. More and more studies have shown that your diet can have a massive impact on your longevity. Many people have seen the effects themselves by making a few changes to what they eat.
Medical researchers and nutritionists have established that inflammation is one of the major causes of aging. Inflammation is one of the most common symptoms for various chronic diseases. As we all know, chronic diseases are one of the primary causes of early deaths that take place across the world.
However, they have established that inflammation can be easily caused and controlled by what you eat. Eating junk, unhealthy, processed and packaged food might lead to symptoms that may further cause inflammation. On the other hand, eating a natural, balanced and healthy diet may remove all kinds of inflammation and its symptoms, hence acting as a shield against life-threatening chronic diseases.
What Changes in Your Diet Can Increase Your Lifespan?
Now we know that changing our diet can significantly increase our life expectancy. But what exactly do we need to include or cut out? Here are some suggestions that might come in handy for you to understand what food you should eat for increased longevity.
Eat a balanced diet
Lack of a balanced diet can make your body more prone to chronic diseases, infections, low energy levels, fatigue and poor development, especially in children.
A balanced diet has enough proteins, carbohydrates, good fats, antioxidants and fluids. It should include a mixture of vegetables, legumes, fruit, grains, nuts, seeds, yogurt and similar alternatives.You can also complement it by drinking enough water throughout the day.
Eating this nutrient-dense healthy diet with sufficient water intake will increase your immune prevention and significantly reduce the chances of developing infections, inflammation, and other body issues. These issues if left unaddressed eventually can turn towards the worst and become a factor for having a shorter life.
Go natural, stack on fruits and veggies
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Fruits and vegetables are gifts from nature. Not only do they taste heavenly, but they are a great source of vitamins and other essential minerals that promote good health, strengthen your body and improve your immune system.
Studies have confirmed that eating at least one fruit a day can increase your lifespan up to 19 months as compared to those who do not eat fruits daily. Similarly, those who eat three servings of vegetables daily tend to live at least 32 months longer than those who don’t eat a lot of veggies.
Derive protein from plants, cut back on meat
We rely a lot on processed meats of various types to derive protein that is essential for our body. However, the processed meat that we eat contains a lot of chemical compounds that do more harm to the body than the benefits they bring.
Moreover, researchers have found that eating processed meat for years increases the risk of chronic diseases, including cancer. It can reduce your life expectancy and is a big no if you want to increase your lifespan.
People wonder how they will get the necessary protein that they need without eating meat products. This proves to be a common hindrance for many to switch to a plant-based diet. However, there are many plant-based foods that can provide you with enough protein. Food such as chia seeds, tofu, quinoa, sprouted beans, hemp seeds, peanut butter, oats amongst many others are rich in protein. By including them in your diet, you can naturally get protein and can cut down processed meat consumption, eventually improving your chances for a longer life.
Say no to packed, processed and refined
Food that is heavily processed, packaged or refined tends to have a high level of added sodium, sugar, carbohydrates or trans-fat added to it. When consumed for long periods, these have the potential to cause serious health issues that include obesity, heart conditions, diabetes and much more.
These foods come with refined ingredients that provide rich taste and are attractive to the eye. However, they offer almost only negligible health benefits while notably increasing the chances of developing health problems. You should avoid eating these and eat more fresh food to stay away from diseases.
When is the Right Time to Make Dietary Changes for a Longer Life?
People worry if they have missed the bus and it is too late to be making any changes to their diet and increase their chances of living more. But as the old saying goes, “It is better late than never”. You cannot think of being too late and then use it as an excuse for continuing your poor dietary lifestyle.
Research has established that people who are in their 70s or 80s who tried changing their lifestyle habits and their diet showed remarkable improvement in their markers of risk of developing a disease. This indicates that even if you have built yourself up with years of unhealthy dietary habits and have eaten all kinds of junk, there is still hope. It’s about understanding and accepting the changes you require, and then implementing those changes in the food you eat.
Ideally, these changes should include eating more nutrients and fiber-rich food, vitamins, antioxidant rich fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. Similarly, you will need to avoid fatty meats, high fat or dairy products, fried, processed, refined and packaged food.
Is Water also an Important Factor in Your Diet?
Water is essential for our body. This is why it is recommended to drink plenty of water in a day so that you stay hydrated, your body can perform all its functions smoothly and you stay healthy by recovering the water that gets lost in performing said functions.
Drinking water regularly helps in flushing out toxins, keeping you energized, maintaining healthy skin, reducing constipation and acidity, reducing stress on kidneys, helping in blood flow amongst many other things. Even if you eat a good, natural and balanced diet, it will not benefit you much if you do not drink enough water in a day.
Water complements what you eat. Good food and plenty of water is a great mantra for keeping yourself physically and mentally healthy. A healthy body and a healthy mind always has a low risk of developing diseases. Subsequently, it can help you live longer and stay fit for years.
You can also start drinking alkaline water instead of regular water to derive more benefits from drinking water. Alkaline water has a slightly higher pH level of 9, and it gets absorbed faster by the body cells. It relieves heartburn and fights ailments such as acid reflux, and similar gastrointestinal issues. It is also acclaimed for improving the complexion of the skin, eliminating headaches, aiding in losing weight, assisting in fighting fatigue, keeping you fresh and healthy for longer periods.
To get alkaline water anytime you want in the most convenient way, you can opt for the DYLN Bottle. Its VitaBead Diffuser converts regular water into Alkaline Water within minutes. It comes in various sizes and colors and can be easily carried everywhere. When you buy this bottle, you will be able to drink alkaline water throughout the day, keeping yourself hydrated and healthy and with it eventually improve your longevity.
What Other Factors are equally Important for a Long and Healthy Life?
Besides diet, there are many other factors that you should change if you want to improve longevity. Diet in itself cannot help you if you are ignorant of other factors that affect your health. Other factors that include regular physical activity and exercise, dropping bad habits such as smoking and a strong alcohol consumption, focusing on maintaining serene mental health, etc are equally important.
By following these factors and complementing them with a good diet, you can remarkably lower your chances of an early demise and live a long and healthy life.
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Final Words
Although we cannot choose how long we will live, we can control a lot of factors that can enable us to stay healthy and lead us on a path for a long life. The food we eat is a major factor, and it is us who decide what we eat. By understanding the damage processed food such as processed meat and other products can do to us, and how plant-based diets such as alkaline diets can soothe us from inside out and provide our bodies everything they need, we can take a consequential step towards a better and longer life.
When you change your lifestyle, keep yourself fit, avoid poor habits and add a proper plant-based, balanced and healthy diet to it, you can be sure to live a healthy, disease and pain-free life.
