While you may eat some healthy foods, a diet that strikes a balance between beneficial and detrimental nutrients on a daily basis can be life extending. This nutritional profile can be yours if you draw your meals from the variety within the five food groups. Achieving physical fitness keeps your body strong and able to function longer. Exercise daily and use your diet to give your metabolism optimum support, control your weight and decrease your risk for chronic diseases.
Vegetable Group
Eating a diverse menu of vegetables contributes most of the nutrients needed for cellular maintenance, including dietary fiber, iron, potassium, magnesium, calcium and vitamins A, B, C, E and K. In fact, cooked spinach contains significant amounts of all of these nutrients. Low calories and high nutrition are typical of vegetables -- particularly the red, orange and green ones, according to the USDA -- and eating them is linked to reduced incidence of cardiovascular and cancer problems.
Grain Group
Whole grains contain greater fiber content than refined grains, such as white rice or products made with white flour, which facilitates appetite and weight control. According to the American Heart Association, or AHA, oats have the most heart-healthy soluble fiber of all grains. The vitamin and mineral enrichment of some wheat bran, corn and oat flake cereals also enhances a diet for longevity.
Fruit Group
Fruits, in general, contain insoluble fiber, known to improve digestive system efficiency. Their high volumes of vitamin C contribute to the growth and maintenance of the tissue in your skin, muscles and blood vessels, crucial elements of health in your later years. The National Institutes of Health cite the antioxidant properties of fruits as diverse as oranges, kiwis, berries and melons as protective against fatal cancers.
Protein Group
Your protein food group choices may do the most good toward extending your life span, largely because many selections have the opposite effect. A diet that is heavy in the saturated fat and cholesterol of many meats increases cardiovascular risk. For better long-term health, the AHA suggests limiting your intake of saturated fat by eating fish in place of fatty beef, pork, lamb, chicken and turkey cuts a couple times a week. Cut down on cholesterol and increase your mineral intake by choosing beans as a protein source as well.
Dairy Group
Eating the right dairy foods can have a similar life-extending impact on your diet, especially if you already have a heart condition. The strong calcium content of milk, cheese and yogurt protects heart and muscle health, but their saturated fat and cholesterol detract from those benefits over time. The AHA notes that you can offset that disadvantage by consuming fat-free or 1-percent reduced-fat dairy products.
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