When talking about maximum life fitness, experts including Dr. Mehmet Oz of the "real age" movement talk about the idea of "health span." Health span isn't just how long you live, but how long you remain healthy enough to enjoy all the activities that make your life worth living. Although 100 different nutritionists will give you 100 different answers about which diet is the best for achieving a long health span, those diets are mostly variants of the same set of basic guidelines.
Calories and Weight Control
In his landmark book "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy," Harvard Nutrition chair Walter Willett cites research demonstrating a direct correlation between healthy body weight and longer health span. As your body weight approaches healthy for your height and body type, your risk for heart disease, joint problems, diabetes, digestive disorders, sleep disorders and some forms of cancer are drastically reduced.
Glycemic Index
Glycemic index is a measure of how quickly a food delivers sugar to your bloodstream. Sweet and starchy foods break down quickly and flood your body with a sugar rush and thus have a high glycemic index. Foods made from whole and unrefined grains deliver that sugar slowly, over time, and have a low glycemic index. According to Willett, foods with a low glycemic index are easier on your digestive and endocrine systems and are less likely to cause hunger cravings shortly after eating.
Basic Nutrition
Oz and Willett both agree that getting your daily dose of vitamins and minerals is a key part of maximum life health. This is so important that both recommend taking a daily multivitamin to ensure you get proper nutrition regardless of what you eat during the day. Note that as you age, your vitamin and mineral needs change. Have your doctor help you determine which multivitamin you should take as the years pass.
Fats
Fats got a bad rap in the 20th century, but nutrition science now understands that plant oils are actually good for your health. Unsaturated fats from oils like canola and olive oil stimulate your body to produce healthy HDL cholesterol, which actually cleans your bloodstream of hazardous contaminants. Omega fatty acids, found in fish and many plants, also contribute to circulatory and nervous system health.
Meal Planning
Meal planning is a key part of maintaining a life fitness diet, says celebrity personal trainer Bill Phillips. Like any other project, if you plan your work ahead of time, you will find it easier to succeed every day. In terms of your meals, it's much easier to eat healthy if you pack a planned meal than if you're trying to work things out as you hit the lunch counter or drive-through.
References
- "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy"; Dr. Walter Willett, et al; 2006
- "Superfoods Rx"; Steven Pratt & Kathy Matthews; 2005
- "You: The Owner's Manual"; Dr. Mehmet Oz et al; 2007
- "Body For Life"; Bill Phillips; 2006
Member Comments