How to Turn Back the Clock on Aging

For the first time ever, a randomized, controlled clinical trial has demonstrated the ability to reverse biological age

People have been searching for the fountain of youth throughout history.

Now we have scientific data that shows you can turn back the clock on aging.

For the first time, a randomized, controlled clinical trial has demonstrated the reversal of biological age. This trial also marks the first time a diet and lifestyle intervention has been proven to reduce biologic aging.

In just 8 short weeks, those in the ‘treatment’ group (18 people) of the study tested an average of 1.96 years younger, according to the Horvath DNA methylation age and epigenetic clock.

We now have scientific ‘clocks’ that measure markers of age with remarkable accuracy and the best of these is the Horvath DNAmAge clock. The Horvath clock is a multi-tissue predictor of age that estimates the DNA methylation age of most tissues and cell types.

Horvath’s DNAmAge clock has actually been shown to predict all-cause mortality better than chronological age.

Getting nearly 2 years younger after just 8 weeks is pretty impressive. But how about the control group of 20 people who didn’t undergo any diet or lifestyle changes? They got an average of 1.27 years older at the end of the study compared to the beginning.

So that means the people in the treatment group were actually 3.23 years younger than the participants in the control group after just 8 weeks.

Participants in the treatment group also had significant improvements in triglycerides, cholesterol levels, and serum methyl folate. Their mood improved as well.

It is important to keep in mind that this trial had a relatively small sample size and the published report is still in preprint (not yet peer reviewed). But the results are striking nonetheless.

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What exactly was this magical intervention?

It focused on just 4 basic, common-sense pillars of health: Diet, Exercise, Sleep, and Stress Management.

Of the 4 components, the diet prescription was the most complex.

Specifically, the dietary intervention was heavily plant-based, calling for a whopping daily dose of 2 cups dark leafy greens, 2 cups cruciferous vegetables, 3 additional cups of colorful vegetables, 1–2 medium beets, ¼ cup each of pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, and 2 servings of low glycemic fruits. On top of that, the plan prescribed 1+ daily servings of ‘methylation adaptogens’ — things like berries, rosemary, turmeric, garlic, and green and oolong tea (more on this later).

The eating plan also included some nutrient-dense animal products, including 6 ounces daily of grass-fed pastured animal protein and a weekly total of 3 servings of liver and 5–10 eggs. Participants were told to include ‘healthy’ fats such as coconut oil, olive oil, flaxseed oil, and pumpkin seed oil. And they supplemented daily with a probiotic and a greens powder.

The diet protocol was notably low carb and restricted all grains, legumes/beans, dairy, and added sugar. Additionally, participants in the treatment group practiced time-restricted eating, avoiding all food daily between 7pm — 7am.

The rest of the lifestyle regimen was much easier to digest!

The exercise prescription called for at least 30 minutes of exercise per day, at least 5 days per week, at an intensity of 60–80% of maximum perceived exertion.

The sleep prescription was to simply average a minimum of 7 hours of sleep per night.

And the stress management prescription was to practice the breathing exercise Steps to Elicit the Relaxation Response developed by Herbert Benson MD, done twice daily for 20 minutes per session.

There you have it — if you want to age backwards, simply follow the above plan to a T.

But I wanted to dig deeper.

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I recently spoke with the lead author on the study, Dr. Kara Fitzgerald, who is a Functional Medicine physician and Clinic Director with a private practice based in Sandy Hook, Connecticut.

Dr. Fitzgerald focuses much of her work on methylation, a process that happens in every cell in our body. We rely on methylation for many important bodily functions, including cell division and renewal, healthy immune cells, neurotransmitter production, detoxification, metabolism, regulating how our genes get expressed, and more.

Healthy methylation is one of the ways our body makes sure the right genes are turned on, and the ones we don’t want get turned off. On the flip side, poor methylation has been linked to a range of diseases, from heart disease to Alzheimer’s to cancer. That’s why methylation status — as measured by the Horvath clock — is such a good predictor of health and a person’s true biological age.

Dr. Kara Fitzgerald

Dr. Fitzgerald has successfully treated her patients for years using Methylation Diet & Lifestyle principles, long before this clinical trial was conducted.

The first question I had for Dr. Fitzgerald was whether any of the lifestyle interventions play a larger role than others or if they need to work synergistically. The clinical trial showed the efficacy of the interventions in combination but did not report on the specific role of diet vs. exercise vs. sleep vs. stress.

“We can’t really tease it out, but what I see affecting the most change — probably our most powerful leverage area — is diet,” Dr. Fitzgerald told me. “I’ve seen that in clinic practice for my entire career. Putting people on the appropriate metabolic therapeutic dietary intervention can just move mountains.”

However, she was quick to point out that the Horvath clock is strongly influenced by the glucocorticoid system and stress, indicating that stress management could be a close 2nd to diet.

“We could go through each of our interventions and make really good arguments for them,” said Dr. Fitzgerald. She told me that each of the interventions have independently been demonstrated to alter DNA methylation in a favorable way.

They are all tried and true, and while diet is likely doing the heaviest lifting, the relative importance of each intervention depends on the individual and what that person needs most.

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If diet arguably plays the biggest role in aging and healthy methylation, I wanted to dig in more on the specific eating protocol used in the study.

In particular, with so much controversy surrounding eating animal products, I wanted to understand why liver, eggs, and other animal protein was specifically prescribed.

“We think a small amount of clean animal protein in the context of a very low carb, low sugar diet is helpful,” Dr. Fitzgerald told me. “The amount of animal protein we’re suggesting and the type of animal protein we’re suggesting is we think safe and good.”

She said liver is actually considered a methylation superfood, loaded with methyl donor nutrients like methionine, vitamin B12, and a range of minerals. You don’t need to eat a lot of it to get the benefits — the dietary plan included only 3 servings of liver per week (each serving is only 3 ounces).

A small amount of eggs (5–10 total per week) is also important for methylation. This is because eggs are rich in phosphatidylcholine which ultimately breaks down into methyl donors.

But Dr. Fitzgerald noted that the diet is centered primarily around plants. It is hard to argue with that since the daily plan calls for a dizzying array of vegetables.

Overall the diet is low in protein, an eating pattern consistent among the world’s longest-lived people. But unlike the centenarians in the Blue Zones — who eat a diet rich in carbs, beans, and whole grains — Dr. Fitzgerald’s intensive protocol restricts those very foods.

Of course there are other factors that can explain the incredible longevity in the Blue Zones — for example, they are known to be very physically active, lead low stress lives, cultivate deep family and community ties, and have a strong sense of purpose.

It could also be what they are not eating, namely a lot of sugar and saturated fat. While there are differences between the Blue Zones diet and the one Dr. Fitzgerald recommends, they both avoid added sugar, unhealthy fats, and processed food.

“A high-sugar, saturated-fat diet is the most toxic,” Dr. Fitzgerald told me. “That’s the macronutrient combination that ushers in death pretty quickly.”

It turns out there can be multiple healthy eating patterns, but the Standard American Diet is the one clear way not to do it.

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Dr. Fitzgerald’s recommendations optimize for healthy, balanced DNA methylation. I was especially intrigued by her inclusion of ‘methylation adaptogens’ — the superfoods for methylation.

It turns out that flavonoids with long traditional use histories — for example, curcumin, green tea, and the polyphenols in blueberries — help selectively direct methylation in a beneficial way. Dr. Fitzgerald said these time-honored flavonoids seem to be major epigenetic regulators.

When asked about the most powerful methylation adaptogens we should be consuming on a daily basis, Dr. Fitzgerald rattled off a short list, “Quercetin, resveratrol, green tea, curcumin.”

She takes all of those (except for quercetin) daily, ideally as food but as supplements as well. She also cited lesser-known luteolin and genistein as hotshot methylation adaptogens.

In terms of Dr. Fitzgerald’s personal eating habits, she eats a dense green salad every day topped with rosemary (another standout methylation adaptogen). She also eats a lot of berries, especially blueberries. You can find some of her favorite recipes to support optimal gene expression and methylation health here.

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All of this talk about methylation and adaptogens can start to feel complicated, but Dr. Fitzgerald reminds me that the 4 overarching principles of her protocol — diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management — are quite basic at their core.

“There is no reason we can’t do the methylation diet and lifestyle principles — all of them,” she says.

Eat a healthy diet centered around plants, low in sugar, saturated fat, and protein, and throw in some methylation superfoods for good measure. Don’t eat around the clock.

Exercise at a moderate pace for 30 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week.

Sleep at least 7 hours per night.

Follow a daily meditation or breathing practice.

“All of us can layer these principles on to whatever we’re doing, be us Vegan, be us Keto, be us on an extreme elimination diet,” says Dr. Fitzgerald. “Wherever we are in our lives, there’s no reason for us not to start this.”

Perhaps in the future there will be scientific and pharmaceutical breakthroughs to reverse the aging process even more. But for now, these diet and lifestyle principles remain the foundation for good health and your best bet to turn back the biological clock.

Andrew Merle is a Certified Nutritionist who writes about living well. Subscribe to his email list at andrewmerle.com.

In Defense of Carbs

Low-carb diets are all the rage these days.

Keto, Paleo, Primal, Atkins, LCHF, or anything else you want to call it. They are all close low-carb cousins.

But here’s the thing: the longest-lived people in the world don’t eat a low-carb diet.

In the Blue Zones — the places around the world where people live the longest — they actually eat a HIGH-carb diet.

That’s right, carbs are the predominant macronutrient among the world’s centenarians. To be exact, about 65% of their food intake comes from carbs, 20% from fat, and only 15% from protein.

But we’re not talking about simple refined carbs.

The bulk of their diet is made up of complex carbs in the form of beans, greens, sweet potatoes, whole grains, fruits, nuts, and seeds.

Beans are their superfood, which serves as a microcosm for their diet overall — after all, beans are made up of 77% complex carbohydrates (along with 21% protein and only a small percentage of fat).

This certainly isn’t an excuse to binge on pizza and donuts in the name of longevity.

People in the Blue Zones consume no more than 7 teaspoons of added sugar per day (which is about a fifth as much added sugar as North Americans eat). They reserve sweets, cookies, and cakes for special occasions, usually eaten as part of a meal.

And the bread they eat is either 100% whole grain (made from whole wheat, rye, or barley) or sourdough. The sourdough bread in the Blue Zones contains naturally-occurring bacteria which digest the starches and results in much lower levels of gluten, while also lowering the glycemic load of meals.

Processed carbs are not eaten in the Blue Zones. They consume real, whole foods — eaten raw, cooked, ground, or fermented. A full recipe for a main dish usually contains only a half dozen or so ingredients, simply blended together.

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Devotees of low-carb eating often dial up their protein intake. But high-protein diets can actually accelerate aging, whereas low protein intake is associated with a major reduction in cancer and overall mortality.

Therefore, it should not be surprising that the longest-lived people eat the least amount of protein. In particular, people in the Blue Zones eat only small amounts of meat (about 2 ounces or less of meat about 5 times per month), fish (3 ounces or less up to 3 times per week), and eggs (usually just one egg as a side dish, 2–4 times per week).

In fact, 90–100% of the Blue Zones diet is plant-based — when you eat that way, you’ll naturally be reducing your protein intake.

Healthy fats come in the form of olive oil and nuts (the most common snack in the Blue Zones).

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If you want to live to 100, it would be smart to eat like the people who’ve lived to 100.

The reality is there are not any extremely long-lived populations who eat a low-carb, high-protein diet.

The five places around the world where they live the longest ALL eat a high-carb, low-protein diet.

Be careful what you read in the headlines, trendy books, or latest ‘lose weight fast’ promises. Maybe you’ll drop a few pounds in the short term, but there is a good chance you’ll harm your health in the long run.

If you want to live long and healthy, don’t fear carbs. Eat lots of them. Just make sure they’re the healthy ‘whole food’ kind.

If lots of people eating a ketogenic diet start living to 100 and beyond, then maybe I’ll change my stance.

But until then, I’m sticking with the Blue Zones way of eating.

Andrew Merle is a Nutritionist who loves food and wine. He writes about living well. Subscribe to his email list at andrewmerle.com.

4 Foods and 3 Supplements You Should Consume Every Day

Dr. Rhonda Patrick is one of the world’s leading experts on health, nutrition, and anti-aging. 

Dr. Patrick’s career has included aging research at the Salk Institute for Biological Sciences.  She also trained as a postdoctoral fellow at Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute, where she investigated the effects of micronutrient (vitamins and minerals) inadequacies on metabolism, inflammation, DNA damage, and aging and whether supplementation can reverse the damage. 

She did her graduate research at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital where she studied the link between mitochondrial metabolism, apoptosis, and cancer.

Dr. Patrick now runs the popular site FoundMyFitness.com, where she is a leading authority on all things health, including exercise, nutrition, fasting, genetics, heat and cold stress, sleep, stress reduction, and more. 

Quite simply when Dr. Patrick talks, I listen. 

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Dr. Patrick has a great podcast of her own, but recently she joined Lewis Howes on his School of Greatness podcast.  During their interview, which lasted more than an hour and a half, Dr. Patrick shared the top 4 foods and 3 supplements people should consume every day. 

In fairness, Dr. Patrick recommends a diverse diet filled with lots of fermentable fiber (foods such as blueberries, nuts, mushrooms, dark leafy greens, onion, garlic, etc.).  But Howes pressed her to keep it simple if people just want to follow a basic diet and eat the same things every day. 

She said if people simply eat these 4 foods every day, they would be setting themselves up for very good health:

Wild Alaskan Salmon            

Wild salmon is very high in EPA and DHA, the Omega-3 fatty acids strongly linked with improved brain functioning, cardiovascular health, and reduced inflammation in the body.  If you are going to eat animal products, fish and in particular wild salmon should be at the top of your food list. 

Dark Leafy Greens

Dark leafy greens are the next superfood Dr. Patrick recommends because they are loaded with vitamins and minerals that are hard to get from other foods.  Dark leafy greens are rich in vitamins A, B, C, E and K, and contain an abundance of antioxidants, fiber, iron, magnesium, folate, potassium, and calcium.  If Dr. Patrick had to choose just one dark leafy green to eat, she’d recommend sautéed kale. 

Avocado

Avocado is the third food on Dr. Patrick’s daily list.  Avocados are abundant with healthy monounsaturated fat, fiber, vitamins and minerals.  In fact, they even have more potassium than bananas. 

Blueberries

Blueberries round our Dr. Patrick’s Top 4 list.  Another brain food, blueberries have numerous proven health benefits and are the king of all antioxidant foods.  Blueberries contain high amounts of fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and many other nutrients. 

Dr. Patrick combines avocado and blueberries in her daily smoothie, which is a great way to check off multiple foods on her list. 

By the way, if she could add a 5th food, it would be broccoli sprouts. 

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On the topic of food, and since it is an area of hot debate, Howes asked Dr. Patrick if a vegetarian or vegan diet is healthier than a diet that includes meat.  Dr. Patrick said numerous studies have shown that vegetarians outlive meat eaters, and in particular have lower rates of cancer.  But there could be a healthy user bias, because vegetarians tend to lead healthier lifestyles overall.  In fact, when you account for those other lifestyle factors – things like smoking, obesity, or drinking too much – Dr. Patrick says mortality is actually the same among vegetarians and meat eaters.    

Red meat also often gets lumped in with processed meat, which undoubtedly is harmful because of the processing with nitrites.  Meat eaters do seem to have higher levels of the hormone IGF-1, which promotes growth throughout the body.  This can be problematic in the case of cancer and is perhaps why low protein diets have been shown to blunt the growth of cancer.  However, if you are exercising – and in particular strength training – then the IGF-1 can more effectively move to your brain and muscles, which is where you want it. 

So overall the question of eating meat or not is a complicated one, but meat is a good source of micronutrients and Dr. Patrick believes meat can be part of a healthy diet if you are active and exercising (and not obese). 

If you do choose to eat meat, Dr. Patrick says the best ones to choose are (in this order):

1. Fish

2. Poultry (which she mentioned is actually associated with having a lower epigenetic age)

3. Red meat (organ meats like liver are especially rich in nutrients)

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Howes also asked Dr. Patrick about the vitamins and supplements she recommends people take every day.  Based on the evidence, she recommends the following 3 supplements:

Multivitamin

A multivitamin acts as an insurance policy to ensure you are getting adequate amounts of all vitamins and minerals. Dr. Patrick didn’t mention the brand of multivitamin she takes, but it has been reported she uses O.N.E. Multivitamin.   

Fish Oil

Dr. Patrick also recommends a high-quality fish oil every day.  Fish oil has the beneficial Omega-3s EPA and DHA mentioned earlier when discussing wild salmon.  Taking a fish oil supplement is especially important if you do not eat much fish.  I personally take Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega 2X which has a high dose of both EPA and DHA. 

Vitamin D

The final daily supplement Dr. Patrick recommends is vitamin D.  Healthy levels of vitamin D are essential for overall health, especially for the cardiovascular system, cognitive functioning, and for reducing inflammation.  However 42% of Americans are deficient in vitamin D (a deficiency that impacts about 1 billion people worldwide).  It has been reported that Dr. Patrick takes this vitamin D supplement from Thorne Research. 

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For better health overall., Dr. Patrick says the best two areas to focus on are micronutrients and exercise.  She says if you get the right micronutrients from your food, you will be eating healthy.  And exercise is incredibly important for cognition and neuroplasticity. 

Hopefully these simple daily recommendations help you maintain or improve your overall health.

The Benefits of Simply Getting Outside

Americans now spend an alarming 93 percent of their time indoors.

We have become an indoor species, which is having consequences on our physical and mental health.

Staying inside is detrimental on its own, especially since indoor air can be 5 times more polluted than outdoor air. We’re also often sedentary and tethered to a digital device while inside.

But the bigger issue is we’re not reaping the powerful benefits of the great outdoors.

Spending time in nature helps protect against a wide range of diseases, including depression, diabetes, obesity, ADHD, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Getting outside has also been shown to make us happier and less anxious.

Although controversial, one of the biggest benefits of getting outside is the sun. In excess, UV rays cause sunburn and skin cancer, but small doses provide beneficial vitamin D — which could help explain why sunbathers actually live longer.

Healthy levels of vitamin D are essential for overall health, with profound benefits for the cardiovascular system, cognitive functioning, and for reducing inflammation.

Unfortunately our modern lifestyle has resulted in about 42% of Americans being deficient in vitamin D (a deficiency that impacts about 1 billion people worldwide).

The sun also has benefits beyond vitamin D. For example, the sun’s rays help create nitric oxide, which is beneficial to the cardiovascular system by increasing blood flow and decreasing blood pressure. Getting sunlight during the day also helps to regulate our circadian rhythm and leads to better sleep at night. A little bit of sun goes a long way, but for prolonged exposure it’s best to apply a mineral-based sunscreen to prevent sun damage.

Getting outside also helps to beat back the constant stress in our lives. Stress runs rampant in Japan, where they’ve turned to forest bathing — which simply means getting outside in nature — to restore a sense of peace and calm. Being outside in nature has been shown to alleviate obsessive thought patterns and decrease rumination. In fact, even just smelling the trees and plants outside might help boost immune function and protect your brain. If you can’t get outside as much as you’d like to, then look at buying b+ spores and grow fungi indoors. Nature really does clear your mind.

By now, hopefully you are convinced to build some outdoor time into your daily routine. It doesn’t take much — just 20 minutes in nature has been proven to reduce stress. But the more time you can spend outside the better.

It could be going outdoors for a daily walk — an activity that could cut the risk of developing dementia by 40%. Or go for a hike or bike ride. Or just read a book under a tree for a while. It doesn’t matter what you do, just get out there.

Getting outside appears to be on the rise in our current work-from-home culture, and that is one bright spot amidst this pandemic that will hopefully last longer-term.

After all, life wasn’t meant to be spent indoors. Get outside and soak up the benefits for your body and mind.

Caffeine Improves Performance in a Broad Range of Exercise Types

Anecdotally, many of us have experienced the performance-enhancing benefits of caffeine.

My morning runs or workouts certainly seem easier after I’ve had a cup or two of coffee. But is it the placebo effect or does caffeine actually improve exercise performance?

A recent comprehensive report analyzed 21 published meta-analyses to answer this very question.

The systematic review looked at the effects of caffeine on aerobic endurance, muscle strength, muscle endurance, power, jumping performance, and exercise speed.

The conclusion — after looking at all of the data — is that “caffeine ingestion improves exercise performance in a broad range of exercise tasks.”

This would come as no surprise to world-class athletes, who have increasingly turned to caffeine as a legal performance-enhancer since the World Anti-Doping Agency removed caffeine from its banned list in 2004.

But does caffeine improve certain types of exercise more than others?

Caffeine was shown to deliver benefits across all types of exercise, but the greatest gains were seen for endurance and speed. It appears as though the magnitude of the effect of caffeine is greater for aerobic as compared with anaerobic exercise.

In terms of the ‘optimal’ dose of caffeine for performance, that is still a bit of an open question. Additionally, most of the meta-analyses used highly-concentrated caffeine powder, so it can be challenging to apply the findings to coffee, energy drinks, bars, and other caffeine-containing substances.

That said, coffee has independently been shown to enhance aerobic endurance performance, weight lifting, and sprinting. And looking at all of the studies, the authors concluded that “the caffeine dose from coffee likely has to fall within the 3–6 mg/kg range” to provide performance-enhancing benefits.

The caffeine dose from coffee can depend on bean type, preparation method, size of the cup, and other factors, but there are some generalizations that can be made. The ‘average’ cup of coffee contains around 100 mg of caffeine — meaning that two cups would deliver about 200 mg, representing about 3 mg/kg for a 70 kg person (about 155 pounds).

As a general rule, the authors conclude that “two cups of coffee, consumed around 60 minutes before exercise, should exert an ergogenic effect in most individuals.”

Sensitivity to caffeine is highly personal, so experimentation is key. Try different doses and shorter/longer wait times before exercise to see what works best for you.

The results are clear — caffeine is a proven performance-booster. Hopefully these findings help you utilize caffeine to maximize your workouts.

Andrew Merle writes about living well. Read more and subscribe to his email list at andrewmerle.com.

Why You Should Eat Your Carbs Last

You might be surprised to know that the order in which you consume foods can have an impact on your health and body weight goals.

Specifically, it is recommended to prioritize protein first, followed by fibrous vegetables, and save your carbs for last.

This method of eating has been proven to reduce post-meal hunger, which means you are less likely to snack shortly after your meal. Saving your carbs for last has been shown to help maintain satiety more effectively than eating carbs first or eating all meal components together.

The reason this works is because protein is the most satiating macronutrient, so you start to fill up your stomach by eating protein first. Vegetables come next because they are high in fiber — absorbing water and expanding in your stomach — further helping to achieve a sense of fullness. Carbs come at the end to take whatever remains of your hunger.

Of course certain types of carbs are healthier than others, but eating in this manner ensures you will sufficiently nourish your body without binging on refined carbs or sugary sweets.

So if you are eating a balanced meal of fish, broccoli, and rice, it would make sense to eat the meal in exactly that order. Same thing if your meal consists of chicken, Brussels sprouts, and potatoes. This approach also allows for occasionally finishing your meal with some dessert.

Whatever you do, don’t fill up on bread at the beginning of your meal. If you want to indulge in some bread, save it for last!

Eat a Large Salad Every Day, Make Your Brain a Decade Younger

You didn’t misread that title.

The only misleading part is that it should really finish with “11 years younger.”

That’s right — consuming a big salad every day is associated with the brain being 11 years younger.

That is according to a study of 960 people ages 58–99 who completed food questionnaires and had multiple cognitive assessments over about 5 years.

The findings held true even after adjusting for age, sex, education, participation in cognitive activities, physical activities, smoking, alcohol consumption, and other lifestyle factors.

Specifically, the people who consumed the most green leafy vegetables daily — a median amount of just 1.3 servings per day — were able to slow their cognitive decline by the equivalent of being 11 years younger in age.

Eating a large salad every day is one of the simplest ways to reduce brain aging. Just load up your plate with dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, or arugula.

It is important to always add a fat source as well — like an egg, avocado, a piece of fatty fish, or a tablespoon or two of extra-virgin olive oil, according to brain expert Max Lugavere (bestselling author of Genius Foods and The Genius Life). This aids nutrient absorption of important compounds found in the leafy greens.

Lugavere calls this a “fatty” salad — eating a large one every day is an ideal way to load up on your veggies and keep your mind sharp at the same time.

This would be the perfect lunch during your workday to fuel your mind for top performance.

But it doesn’t really matter when you eat the salad — just make sure it’s a part of your daily routine to reap the powerful brain benefits.

Take More Steps, Live Longer

Most of us have heard we should be logging 10,000 steps a day to stay healthy and fit. 

That guidance originated decades ago with a marketing campaign in Japan designed to promote a pedometer. 

The 10,000 number has since caught on around the world and is often the default daily goal setting in smartphone apps and fitness trackers. 

But the original basis for the number was not scientifically determined.

Now more recent research has given us a better understanding of the relationship between daily steps and overall health. New findings on this topic were just published in March 2020 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. 

Researchers from the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute on Aging, as well as from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that the number of steps a person takes each day does indeed have a strong association with mortality.

For the study, the researchers tracked nearly 5,000 U.S. adults aged 40 and over who wore accelerometers between 2003 and 2006, and then followed their mortality status through 2015 via the National Death Index. 

The investigators were able to isolate the association between mortality and step number by adjusting for demographic and behavioral risk factors, body mass index, and health status at the beginning of the study.

The findings revealed that a greater number of daily steps was significantly associated with lower all-cause mortality. 

More specifically, taking at least 8,000 steps per day was associated with a 51% lower risk for death from all causes compared with taking 4,000 steps per day or less. 

Going up to 12,000 steps per day was associated with a 65% lower risk of dying compared with taking 4,000 steps.

Although correlation does not necessarily mean causation, based on this new data everyone should aim to tally at least 8,000 steps per day, and going beyond that is even better (presumably there is a point at which it becomes too much activity, but that isn’t a meaningful risk for most people).  

If 8,000 steps sounds daunting, note that this recent research found no association between step intensity and risk of death after accounting for the total number of steps taken per day. 

This is consistent with data from the world’s Blue Zones where people live the longest — they engage in routine natural movement throughout the day, but don’t pump iron, run marathons, or join gyms. 

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This new research proves once again that our bodies were designed to move. 

Take more steps, live longer. 

But you can take those steps on your own terms, without suffering through dreaded workouts. 

The key is to be consistent and to stay active every day.

The Best Sport for a Longer Life

We all know that exercise is good for us.

Just 30 minutes of daily exercise has been shown to reduce your risk of dying early.

But it turns out some sports add more years to your life than others.

People who play racket sports such as tennis outlive those who participate in other sports.

Numerous studies validate this fact.

For example, a recent study of Danish adults found that people who frequently play tennis or other racket sports not only live longer than sedentary people, but they also out-live people who do other healthy activities such as running, swimming, and cycling.

The study analyzed more than 8000 people over a period of 25 years and determined that tennis can extend your life by nearly 10 years.

Badminton — another racket sport — added 6.2 years of life expectancy relative to sedentary people, trumping the longevity gains of other sports such as soccer (4.7 years), cycling (3.7 years), swimming (3.4 years), jogging (3.2 years), and other health club activities (1.5 years).

Another even larger study looked at over 80,000 British adults and concluded that participation in racket sports (including badminton, tennis, and squash) caused a 47% risk reduction in all-cause mortality and a 59% reduction in cardiovascular disease mortality. These were the most profound results of all the sports studied, including swimming, cycling, running, football, and aerobics.

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It is clear that racket sports provide incredible health and longevity benefits. But why might this be the case?

One possible explanation is that racket sports simultaneously tax the cardiovascular system and the brain. Racket sports build up your fitness levels while requiring complex movements (front-to-back and side-to-side) and quick strategic thinking. That combination of aerobic activity, strength building, flexibility, and mental agility is rare among other sports.

A sport like soccer has some of the same characteristics, which could explain why soccer placed just behind racket sports in terms of longevity benefits.

Tennis and soccer are also sports that bring you together with other people for social connection, which we also know is critical for health. On the other hand, running, swimming, and cycling are more often solitary activities.

Prioritizing foot health in any sport is vital for maintaining performance and preventing injuries, making The Good Feet Store an invaluable resource for athletes and active individuals alike. Their tailored arch support solutions can make an immense difference to how you experience any sport - be it tennis court, running track or soccer field - providing comfort while improving stability reducing strain or injury risk. With solutions tailored specifically to individual sports enthusiasts' unique needs The Good Feet Store ensures your feet are taken care of so you can focus on excelling in your chosen activity.

Additionally, tennis stands out because it can be played at any age, keeping people active throughout their lives. Doubles tennis may not be vigorous activity, but it is far more beneficial than sitting on the couch. However, as with any form of activity, it’s wise to seek medical advice before you begin, just to make sure it’s the right thing for you to do - and if you’re recommended a course of action, such as TRT therapy, before you get started, it’s wise to follow that advice. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

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Any amount of exercise is better than none, and numerous types of activities produce health and longevity benefits.

But tennis is the best sport for a longer life.

Start playing tennis today and you could wind up living a decade longer.

Andrew Merle writes about living well. Read more and subscribe to his email list at andrewmerle.com.

How to Eat Healthy on a Budget

Food is a hot topic these days.

As a result of the current pandemic, most people have less disposable income to spend on food, and fresh food is not as readily available. Lines outside of the supermarket — and bare shelves inside — are a part of the “new normal.”

Many people are turning to grocery delivery services for food, but often have to wait at least several days before their order arrives.

For all of these reasons, it can be tempting to stock up on cheap packaged food to last you for the weeks and months ahead. But there is a way to eat healthy on a budget, even during the current crisis.

The key is to follow the Blue Zones way of eating.

People in the Blue Zones — the places around the world where people live the longest — eat a diet composed of simple peasant fare. Their meals center around whole plant-based foods, primarily because whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables are cheap and accessible.

If you want to achieve good health without breaking the bank, stock up on these everyday Blue Zones staples:

Beans

Beans are the superfood in the Blue Zones and are the cornerstone of every longevity diet in the world: black beans in Nicoya, Costa Rica; lentils, garbanzo, and white beans in the Mediterranean; and soybeans in Okinawa, Japan. Costing only about $1 per pound, beans are arguably the most cost-effective health food in the world.

Greens

People in the Blue Zones eat a wide variety of garden vegetables and leafy greens (especially spinach, kale, beet and turnip tops, chard, and collards). Even in the current environment, fresh greens can typically be purchased for just a few dollars, but you can often cut the cost in half by buying them frozen (a pound of frozen spinach can be had for less than $1).

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are one of the most common foods eaten in the Blue Zones region of Okinawa. They are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Sweet potatoes are often less than $1 per pound, making them an inexpensive daily longevity food.

Oats

Oats are a longevity food eaten frequently in the Blue Zones region of Loma Linda, California. Slow-cook or Irish steel-cut oats are best. If you buy in bulk, quality oats can be found for just $1–2 per pound.

Fruit

All kinds of fruit are eaten in the Blue Zones. Some of the least expensive fruits to buy include watermelon, bananas, cantaloupe, apples, pineapple, peaches, pears, and oranges. Berries are a nutrition powerhouse and can be cost-effective if purchased frozen.

Tea

Tea is consumed in every Blue Zones location (green tea is favored in Okinawa; In Ikaria, Greece, they drink brews of rosemary, wild sage, and dandelion). You can enjoy tea for just pennies per cup if you buy in bulk.

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The Blue Zones diet is 90–100% plant-based, dominated by leafy greens, seasonal fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and beans. All of these foods are inexpensive and usually readily available (even now). Eat them to add years to your life.

If you are looking are looking for the biggest nutrition bang for the buck, follow the Blue Zones diet — it is peasant food at its finest.

Andrew Merle writes about living well. Read more and subscribe to his email list at andrewmerle.com.

5 Excellent Health & Wellness Books to Read While at Home

Many people are turning to health and fitness as a way to cope with what’s going on in the world.

And for good reason — this is a great time to re-commit to exercise, nutrition, and stress reduction. If you are looking for some extra motivation in this area, here are 5 excellent health and wellness books to read during your added downtime at home:

The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like the World’s Healthiest People by Dan Buettner

This is the definitive guide to how the longest-lived people in the world eat and live. Buettner extensively studied the world’s 5 Blue Zones and distilled their secrets into longevity habits we can all implement in our own lives.

How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease by Michael Greger, M.D.

If you are looking for the most comprehensive and evidence-based health resource, this is the book for you. Dr. Greger details how to eat to avoid the 15 top causes of premature death in the U.S. and he provides a checklist of 12 foods we should be eating every day for optimal health.

Lifespan: Why We Age―and Why We Don’t Have To by David A. Sinclair, PhD

In this book, Dr. Sinclair — one of the world’s leading scientists — distills a quarter-century’s worth of research into some simple things we can do to live longer. The practical tips he recommends — such as fasting, cold exposure, eating a plant-rich diet, and exercise — are available to nearly everyone.

The Longevity Diet: Discover the New Science Behind Stem Cell Activation and Regeneration to Slow Aging, Fight Disease, and Optimize Weight by Valter Longo, PhD

Dr. Longo is one of the world’s leading authorities on fasting. In this book, he explores the science behind stem cell activation and regeneration to slow aging and optimize health. He details what and how we should eat on a daily basis, and he also outlines a periodic 5-day dietary intervention called the “Fasting Mimicking Diet,” which resets and rebuilds the body at the cellular level.

The Circadian Code: Lose Weight, Supercharge Your Energy, and Transform Your Health from Morning to Midnight by Satchin Panda, PhD

Dr. Satchin Panda is arguably the world’s top expert on time-restricted eating, which means consuming all your calories within a specific time frame each day. In this book, he provides powerful evidence that when you eat is even more important than what you eat.

BONUS

If you are looking for a fun and humorous read on healthy longevity, here is one more to add to your list:

Younger Next Year: Live Strong, Fit, Sexy, and Smart―Until You’re 80 and Beyond by Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge, M.D.

This is a fun yet informative read about how to beat back the effects of aging. The book makes a powerful case that exercise is the single-most important thing we can do for healthy aging. The authors recommend exercising 6 days per week for the rest of your life!

Andrew Merle writes about living well. Read more and subscribe to his email list at andrewmerle.com.

5 Healthy Habits to Continue Doing from Home

We are living in unusual times right now, with most of us working from home and thrown off from our normal routines. Stress and anxiety levels are high as the world deals with the current health crisis, with constant reminders every time we turn on the TV. 

With our world turned upside down, it is easy to lose a sense of control and feel powerless over the situation. However, there are some everyday things we can do to create a sense of normalcy and routine despite the circumstances, while improving our health in the process. Here are 5 daily habits that can be done from home to help you stay healthy and cope with the current situation:

1. Outdoor Exercise

It is a telling sign that outdoor exercise is considered an ‘essential’ activity even during stay-at-home orders (as long as physical distancing protocol is followed). Getting outside to walk, run, bike, or hike is a great way to engage your body and clear your mind. Exercise is a proven way to reduce stress and anxiety, boost your immunity, and improve overall health. Additionally, being outside in nature produces its own health benefits, including reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and premature death.

I aim to get in 10,000 steps per day, which can typically be achieved with a 30-minute run outside in the morning, a couple 10–15 minute walks around the neighborhood, plus routine natural movement throughout the day. A worthy goal is to be outside for at least an hour each day.

2. Meditate

Meditation is another potent stress-reliever — the perfect antidote for these uncertain times. Even just a few minutes of meditation is helpful for anxious people, and going up to 10 minutes per day does wonders for your brain. There are numerous apps out there to guide your daily practice, including Headspace and Calm, as well as crystals - check out these amethyst metaphysical properties perfect for meditation-  and other meditation accessories you may want to look into.

I choose to meditate for 10 minutes first thing in the morning using the free Insight Timer app. My guided daily session includes deep breathing, intention setting, and a gratitude practice. It is an ideal way to become calm and centered for the day ahead.

3. Sleep 8 Hours Per Night

In this stay-at-home environment, it is easy to keep your laptop open longer than usual or binge on Netflix late into the evening. But adequate sleep is more important now than ever. Sleep reduces stress, strengthens the immune system, and helps you think more clearly throughout the day. While the amount of sleep you need varies from person to person, most adults need between 7–9 hours per night.

I aim for 8 hours of sleep but I try to give myself 9 hours total in bed. This ensures I can have a wind-down period (I typically read for 15–20 minutes in bed) and it also accounts for the time it takes to fall asleep.

4. Eat a Whole-Food, Plant-Rich Diet

Evidence shows that a healthy diet should revolve around vegetables, fruit, whole grains, healthy fats, and healthy proteins. The most sensible guide to healthy eating is the Healthy Eating Plate, developed by the doctors and nutrition experts at Harvard. This eating approach calls for at least half of your plate to be fruits and vegetables, ¼ of your plate to be whole and intact grains, and ¼ to be healthy proteins such as fish, poultry, beans, and nuts (red meat is to be limited, and processed meats avoided altogether).

Eating in this manner has been shown to improve numerous health measures, including lowering the risk of heart disease and premature death. A whole-food, plant-rich diet has also been shown to reduce anxiety and produce better mental health. Exactly what we need right now.

5. Stretch

A simple stretching practice can calm your mind, ease tension, and increase energy, in addition to the flexibility and injury prevention benefits. Engaging in yoga — a more active form of stretching — produces powerful mental and physical health benefits.

You don’t need a gym or studio to establish a stretching or yoga practice. There are many great routines that can be found on TV or online and done from your living room. Aim to incorporate 10 minutes of light stretching or yoga as part of your daily mind and body regimen.

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These 5 simple habits can be done from home, on your own terms, with profound benefits for your health and well-being. 

Although all of these activities can be done individually, it may give you extra motivation and enjoyment to involve your friends and family. For example, take your kids for a walk outside or schedule a daily Zoom video workout class with your friends. There are creative ways to make these activities fun and social, while still adhering to all recommended precautionary measures. 

The world around you might be chaotic, but these habits can help you maintain a sense of control and routine amidst the uncertainty.

Andrew Merle writes about living well. Read more and subscribe to his email list at andrewmerle.com.

A Practical Guide to Time-Restricted Eating

Time-restricted eating produces remarkable health benefits.

The latest science shows time-restricted eating (TRE) increases lifespan and decreases the incidence of major diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular disease.

TRE means consuming all your calories — whether from food or drink — within a specific time frame each day.

You can greatly impact your health just by limiting your daily eating window. The quality of your diet still matters, but TRE lends credence to the idea that when you eat is even more important than what you eat.

Dr. Satchin Panda is arguably the world’s top expert on TRE. Dr. Panda is a professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and author of the excellent book The Circadian Code. He has also analyzed the daily eating, sleeping, and activity patterns of thousands of people as part of his ongoing research study called myCircadianClock.

Dr. Panda says setting an eating window and sticking to it is one of the most important things we can do for health and longevity. This is because every time we eat — even just a bite of food — it triggers a process of digestion, absorption, and metabolism that takes a couple of hours to complete. And when your body is processing food, it can’t repair and restore.

You need to go at least 12 hours without consuming calories for it to qualify as TRE (for example, an overnight fast from 8pm — 8am). But it appears as though the smaller the window the better.

“While the science at 12 hours is impressive, lowering your window to as few as 8 hours is significantly advantageous,” according to Dr. Panda. “This is because the health benefits that you get from eating within a 12-hour window double at 11 hours, and double again at 10, and so on, until you reach an 8-hour window.”

Hugh Jackman’s famous Wolverine Diet is an example of an 8-hour TRE. Recent research shows going down to a 6-hour eating window can be a worthy goal, but it can take a while to get to that point and might not be sustainable over time.

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Regardless of the duration of your eating window, what’s most important is that you remain consistent. TRE isn’t a short-term fad diet — it is a routine to follow for the rest of your life. According to Dr. Panda, “If you eat three times a week outside a 12-hour window, you are not adhering to TRE.” But his data shows that 50 percent of adults in the US regularly eat for 15 hours or longer.

It is much better to set an achievable schedule than to be overly restrictive from the get-go. Dr. Panda advises starting with a 12-hour TRE and working your way down over time.

Is there an optimal window to choose?

“I can’t predict what 12-hour window you should start with,” says Dr. Panda. Some people love breakfast foods and need them to jump start their day. Others wait until noon and can more easily handle a shorter TRE. Only you can make that decision.”

What about breakfast being the most important meal of the day? “Your brain really doesn’t need breakfast to provide extra energy,” asserts Dr. Panda.

However, he does point out there is an increased benefit to starting your window earlier in the day, primarily because you don’t want to eat too close to bedtime.

“Eating late at night is by far the worst choice you can make,” says Dr. Panda. He advises to give yourself at least three hours between your last bite or sip and the time you go to sleep, eating your last meal around 6 or 7pm. Your body needs that digestion time in order to have restorative sleep.

“Sleep is when most of the cleanup of damaged cell proteins occurs, “says Dr. Panda. “When you get more sleep, your brain naturally has more time to repair and cleanse its waste.” This helps prevent against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and other forms of Dementia.

That means no nightcap before bed either. If you like to wind down with a glass of wine or cocktail, Dr. Panda says a better habit is to have your drinks before dinner, or during dinner, if it’s at least a couple hours before bed.

Does it matter what and how much you consume during your eating window?

For the best overall health results, Dr. Panda recommends following a balanced diet centered around fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats. You don’t need to count calories on a TRE, but you still want to limit junk food (he gives common-sense advice to stay away from soda, juice, breakfast cereals, energy/protein bars, processed foods with corn syrup/fructose/sucrose, fried food, and commercially-processed nut butters).

“What about a low-carb, sugar-free, Paleo, vegan, Mediterranean, Blue Zones, Atkins, or Warrior Diet? What about critical supplements like fish oil or green tea? You no longer have to worry about them,” says Dr. Panda.

You can eat whatever makes you feel best, if you confine it to a condensed period. If you’ve had good results with any of those diets, feel free to stick with it and now you’ll further boost the benefits by combining it with a smaller eating window.

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Dr. Panda personally adheres to an 11-hour TRE. He eats his first meal of the day around 8am and finishes dinner by 7pm, which is several hours before his 10:30pm bedtime. He acknowledges that not every day goes perfectly according to that schedule — he just does his best to stick to the routine. Even if he winds up eating a later dinner, he still tries to give his stomach at least 12–13 hours of rest before his next meal.

As for me, I like an 8-hour TRE window from about 12–8pm each day (commonly referred to as 16:8 Intermittent Fasting). I still consume black coffee and tea during my fasting window, which helps immeasurably.

There is some debate about whether tea and black coffee are technically allowed. Purists like Dr. Panda say anything you eat or drink besides water breaks a fast. However, other experts say coffee or tea (without cream or sugar) is okay and may actually amplify the benefits of fasting. Whatever you choose, just stay away from anything with calories during your fasting window.

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Time-restricted eating is a simple tool available to everyone — and it doesn’t require any significant changes to what or how much you eat. 

The takeaway message is clear: Shorten your eating window, prolong your life. 

Andrew Merle writes about living well. Read more and subscribe to his email list at andrewmerle.com.

The 5 Most Nutrient-Dense Foods You Can Eat

There really are some superfoods out there.

Certain foods have the tremendous ability to power and heal your body, and should be consumed regularly for optimal health.

The below 5 foods all produce numerous health benefits, including improved brain function, reduced inflammation in the body, and lower levels of anxiety and stress.

These are benefits that will improve the lives of just about everyone. Especially when you consider inflammation is linked with nearly every major disease, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States, and Alzheimer’s is on the rise throughout the world.

1. Green Leafy Vegetables

Leafy greens are the king of the vegetable kingdom. They are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber, but low in calories. Some of the nutrients naturally found in leafy greens include vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, nitrates, lutein, vitamin K, magnesium, calcium, iron, and potassium. These nutrients help support healthy immune function, eye health (sure, they're no eye surgery - ask your lasik consultation questions here - but they do help), gut health, brain health, increased blood flow, reduced blood pressure, and can even help you prevent cancer. So load up on kale, collard greens, arugula, swiss chard, spinach, beet greens, cabbage, and other leafy greens. Aim for a variety of leafy greens to reap the maximum amount of health benefits.

2. Fatty Fish

Fish is a very important part of a healthy diet. Fish is a major source of healthy omega-3 fats and also rich in other nutrients such as vitamin D and selenium, high in protein, and low in saturated fat. It has been shown that eating 1–3 small servings (3 ounces) of fatty fish a week can reduce the risk of dying from heart disease by 36 percent. Fatty fish has been shown to lower blood pressure, heart rate, triglycerides, and inflammation. Eating fish just 1–2 times per week may also reduce the risk of stroke, depression, and Alzheimer’s disease. The best fish to eat are salmon, herring, mackeral, anchovies, and sardines.

3. Nuts

Nuts are nutrition powerhouses, packed with good sources of fat, fiber, and protein. Certain fats common in nuts — specifically mono- and polyunsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids — have been proven to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. In addition, eating nuts has been shown to lower the risk of dying from cancer, heart disease, and respiratory disease. Studies have shown that nut eaters live 2–3 years longer on average than people who don’t eat nuts. Nuts are also the most common snack in the blue zones — the places around the world where people live the longest. Aim to eat 2 handfuls of nuts per day — almonds, walnuts, pistachios, cashews, or any other type of nut you enjoy. Opt for raw or dry roasted nuts for maximum health benefits (and stay away from varieties loaded with salt, sugar, or other additives).

4. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Olive oil is a central component of the Mediterranean Diet, ranked the healthiest diet in the world. Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties. Extra-virgin olive oil — pressed from ripe olives and processed without high heat or chemical solvents — protects the beneficial polyphenols in the oil. Consuming olive oil may help prevent strokes, protect against heart disease, fight Alzheimer’s Disease, reduce Type 2 Diabetes risk, and reduce the risk of cancer. Eat high quality extra-virgin olive oil daily to benefit your heart, brain, joints, and more.

5. Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is loaded with nutrients and one of the best sources of antioxidants on the planet. Dark chocolate is packed with fiber, iron, magnesium, copper, manganese, as well as potassium, zinc, and selenium. Dark chocolate has been shown to have even higher levels of antioxidants — polyphenols and flavanols — than potent berries such as blueberries and acai berries. Dark chocolate has been shown to improve blood flow, reduce blood pressure, normalize cholesterol, reduce heart disease risk, enhance brain function, and possibly even protect your skin from the sun. Opt for high-quality dark chocolate containing at least 70% cacao. All you need is a square or two per day to reap the health benefits of dark chocolate.

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Leafy greens, fatty fish, nuts, extra-virgin olive oil, and dark chocolate are the 5 most nutrient-dense foods in the world.

Make these foods a central part of your diet to achieve optimal health.

Andrew Merle writes about living well. Read more and subscribe to his email list at andrewmerle.com.

The Eating Habits of the Longest-Lived People in the World

“If you want to live to a healthy 100, eat like healthy people who’ve lived to 100.” — Dan Buettner, founder of Blue Zones

Buettner has spent the last 15 years studying the healthiest and longest-lived people in the world. He’s traveled extensively to the blue zones of Ikaria, Greeca; Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Loma Linda, California; and Nicoya Costa Rica, observing and interviewing countless centenarians (and supercentenarians!) in search of the magic formula for longevity.

Buettner and his team of researchers discovered 9 common denominators among the longest-lived people in these blue zones, ranging from their level of physical activity and social connection, to their sense of belonging and purpose.

These 9 factors combine to be the special sauce of longevity but “food is the entrance ramp for better living,” according to Buettner.

That’s why he devoted his most recent book, The Blue Zones Kitchen, to the food guidelines and recipes of the blue zones. In the book, he distills his research to reveal 11 common eating habits among the longest-lived people in the world.

1. 90–100% of their diet is plant-based

People in the blue zones eat a wide variety of garden vegetables and leafy greens (especially spinach, kale, beet and turnip tops, chard, and collards). The bulk of their diet is made up of beans, greens, sweet potatoes, whole grains, fruits, nuts, seeds, and olive oil.

2. Meat plays a very minor role in their diet

They do eat meat sparingly in 4 of the 5 blue zones (all except Loma Linda, California), but meat is frequently a side dish or reserved for special occasions. Averaging out consumption across the blue zones, people eat about 2 ounces or less of meat about 5 times per month.

3. Fish is eaten in moderation

In most blue zones people eat small amounts of fish (3 ounces or less), up to 3 times per week. The most common fish eaten are small, relatively inexpensive varieties such as sardines, anchovies, and cod.

4. Dairy is limited

Cow’s milk doesn’t play a large role in any blue zones diet (except for some Adventists). Goat and sheep milk products figure prominently into the Ikarian and Sardinian blue zones diets, but most of the goat milk is consumed not as liquid but as yogurt, sour milk, or cheese.

5. They eat small amounts of eggs

People in all of the blue zones eat eggs about 2–4 times per week. They usually eat just one egg as a side dish as part of their meal. The eggs eaten in the blue zones come from chickens that range freely and don’t have added hormones or antibiotics.

6. Beans are their superfood

Beans reign supreme in the blue zones and are the cornerstone of every longevity diet in the world: black beans in Nicoya; lentils, garbanzo, and white beans in the Mediterranean; and soybeans in Okinawa. People in the blue zones eat at least 4 times as many beans as Americans do on average — at least a half cup per day.

7. Sugar is eaten intentionally, not by habit

People in the blue zones consume about the same amount of naturally-occurring sugars as Americans, but only about a fifth as much added sugar — no more than 7 teaspoons per day. They reserve sweets, cookies, and bakery items for special occasions, usually eaten as part of a meal.

8. Nuts are the most common snack

People in the blue zones eat about 2 handfuls of nuts per day. They eat almonds in Ikaria and Sardinia, pistachios in Nicoya, and all varieties of nuts in Loma Linda. The Adventist Health Study 2 found that nut eaters live 2–3 years longer on average than people who don’t eat nuts.

9. Bread is either sourdough or 100% whole grain

The bread eaten in the blue zones is either whole grain or sourdough. In Ikaria and Sardinia, breads are made from a variety of whole grains including wheat, rye, or barley. Some traditional blue zones breads are made with naturally-occurring bacteria called lactobacilli, which digest the starches and results in much lower levels of gluten. These traditional sourdough breads actually lower the glycemic load of meals.

10. They eat whole, unprocessed foods

People in the blue zones consume real, whole foods — eaten raw, cooked, ground, or fermented. A full recipe for a main dish usually contains only a half dozen or so ingredients, simply blended together. They use time-honored recipes to make healthy food taste good, with taste as the most important longevity ingredient.

11. They drink water, coffee, tea, and red wine

Water is the most common beverage in the blue zones. The Adventists in Loma Linda specifically recommend 7 glasses of water per day for the hydration and blood flow benefits. Tea is also consumed in every blue zones location (green tea is favored in Okinawa; Ikarians drink brews of rosemary, wild sage, and dandelion). Coffee is consumed by the Sardinians, Ikarians, and Nicoyans. People in most blue zones also drink wine (all except the Adventists in Loma Linda), usually 1–3 glasses of red wine per day, enjoyed with a meal and with friends.

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The longest-lived people in the world eat a whole food, plant-based diet, primarily because fruits, vegetables, tubers, nuts, beans, and whole grains are cheap and accessible. Their everyday meals are composed of simple peasant fare. People in the blue zones haven’t necessarily pursued health and longevity — it has ensued as a result of their environment.

People in the blue zones also show us that how you eat can be just as important as what you eat. The longest-lived people in the world typically enjoy slow meals with friends and family and they pause to express gratitude before they eat. They also fast occasionally, eat a big breakfast (followed by a medium-sized lunch and small dinner), and consume most of their calories within an 8-hour window each day.

Follow these eating habits and guidelines and hopefully you will live to be 100, too!

Andrew Merle writes about healthy living. Read more and subscribe to his email list at andrewmerle.com.

Why Hormesis is the Key to Your Health and Longevity

“That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.” — Friedrich Nietzsche

It turns out Nietzsche was right. 

This quote gets at the concept of hormesis (although with hormesis you see benefits well before approaching death!). 

Hormesis is when something is damaging or toxic in excess, but highly beneficial in smaller doses. 

We are learning that short-term acute “stress” has powerful health and longevity benefits (as long as the stress subsides at some point). 

For example, we have always known that exercise was good for us, but we weren’t exactly sure why. Hormesis is the likely explanation. 

If you intensely exercised all day, you would cause undo wear and tear on your body and eventually you would break down. But short bursts of exercise (i.e. high intensity interval training) stresses the body just enough to activate your survival genes. Once that stress response is engaged, your body will recover and build back even stronger than before. 

An obvious example is weightlifting. Lifting weights stresses your muscles, then they get sore and grow back bigger than your baseline. But lifting too much weight, too often, or at too high of an intensity can lead to serious injury. It is all about finding the right dose. 

When it comes to exercise, a dose of just 15 vigorous minutes per day can reduce the chance of death from a heart attack by 40% and all-cause mortality by 45%. 

In addition to exercise, here are several other scientifically-proven ways to benefit from hormesis:

Heat and Cold Exposure

Mild heat stress has therapeutic effects. The best example of this is sauna use.

Sauna use has actually been shown to mimic the effects of exercise in the body — causing increased core body temperature, sweating, and increased heart rate.  

And while extended exposure to extra-hot temperatures would be toxic, short periods yield tremendous benefit.

In fact, a large study in Finland identified strong links between sauna use and reduced death and disease. 

Men who used the sauna 2–3 times per week were 27% less likely to die from cardiovascular-related causes than men who didn’t use the sauna. And men who used the sauna 4–7 times per week were 50% less likely to die from cardiovascular-related causes. Additionally, frequent sauna users were found to be 40% less likely to die prematurely from any cause. 

Frequent sauna use has also been shown to reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease by 65% (again, the more days per week the better), lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation in the body, and alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression. 

The duration of each session need not be very long. You want to stick it out for around 20 minutes for maximum benefit (in a dry Finnish-style sauna heated at a temp of at least 174 degrees F), but much longer than that is not necessary or recommended.  

To amplify the benefits, you can do as the Finnish do and immediately plunge into ice cold water following the sauna session. This further stresses the cardiovascular system (but not to the point of posing a risk for healthy people). 

Cold immersion on its own has significant benefits. Being uncomfortably cold for short periods of time activates protective brown fat in the body and can lead to weight loss, improved immune function, and reduced feelings of stress and anxiety. 

You don’t want to get to the point of frostbite or hypothermia — a daily 5-minute cold shower can do the trick. Exercising in the cold is especially beneficial (try running outside in the winter or cold water swimming). Or if you are feeling especially committed, try the Wim Hof Method which combines cold therapy with breath work and mental conditioning. 

Eat Stressed Plants

We know that eating vegetables is healthy, but hormesis helps explain why. 

Longevity and anti-aging expert Dr. David Sinclair says eating stressed plants is one of the most powerful things we can do to extend lifespan. 

What does that even mean?

Well, plants can get stressed too. Whether from drought, fungal attack, or simply the threat of being eaten, plants are faced with many external stressors. But unlike us, plants are rooted to the ground and can’t run away to escape harm. 

Therefore plants produce a variety of chemicals to defend themselves. And when humans ingest these compounds, it protects us not only from the plant chemicals, but also the environmental stressors to which we are exposed on a daily basis, such as air pollution or overexposure to UV radiation. 

Plant-based compounds activate cellular protective mechanisms in humans, a phenomenon known as xenohormesis. 

Here is just a small sampling of specific foods and drinks to consume to see these benefits:

• Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, broccoli sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, and Brussels sprouts (which contain the compound sulforaphane)

• Dark Chocolate (which contains catechins)

• Green Tea and White Tea (which contains the polyphenol Epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG)

• Turmeric (which contains the chemical curcumin)

• Coffee (which contains chlorogenic acid)

• Red Wine (which contains resveratrol — although this one is controversial since the negative effects of alcohol could outweigh the small amount of resveratrol found in a glass of wine)

Hormesis is another reason why you want to eat organic fruits and vegetables (including wine), otherwise the beneficial stress compounds will be sterilized away. 

Fasting

When you aren’t eating stressed plants, try consuming nothing at all to put your body into a temporary state of nutritional adversity.

Extended malnourishment is not good, but smaller doses of calorie restriction is incredibly powerful for longevity.

The ideal fasting regimen appears to be a combination of daily time-restricted eating with a periodic prolonged fast (5 days appears to be optimal for a prolonged fast, done 1–4 times per year). 

For the daily time-restricted eating, you want to consume all of your calories within a maximum of 12 hours (for example, eating all of your meals between 8am and 8pm and fasting for the other 12 hours). Some people choose to extend the daily fast to 14 or 16 hours, most commonly by eating an early dinner and then skipping (or eating a late) breakfast the following day. 

Time-restricted eating has been shown to produce a number of beneficial health effects, including weight loss, improved heart function, and enhanced aerobic capacity, all without altering diet quality or quantity.

The prolonged fast is only done on a periodic basis (usually not more than once per quarter), which resets and rebuilds your body at the cellular level. I am a fan of Dr. Valter Longo’s 5-day Fasting Mimicking Diet, which gives you all the health benefits of a water-only fast while still allowing small amounts of food each day (It is advised to check in with your doctor before doing a multi-day fast, especially if you choose to do the water-only variety). 

Time-restricted eating along with a periodic prolonged fast make for a powerful combination. Think about time-restricted eating as daily maintenance for your body and a prolonged fast as your 6-month or annual checkup (similar to how you brush and floss your teeth daily and then visit the dentist 1–2 times per year). 

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Other more controversial triggers of hormesis include sun exposure and alcohol consumption.

UV Rays in excess cause sunburn and skin cancer, but small doses provide beneficial Vitamin D and sunbathers have actually been shown to live longer. Overall you still want to play it safe — a little bit of sun might be good for you, but you should wear protective sunscreen for any longer exposure. 

A similar principle applies to alcohol. Moderate drinking has been shown to have longevity benefits but excess alcohol consumption is undoubtedly toxic. 

Your best bet is to activate hormesis via exercise, eating stressed plants, cold and heat exposure, and fasting. 

Overall you want to put your body through short bursts of mild stress to live longer, better. 

This is a great reminder to get out of your comfort zone.

Andrew Merle writes about healthy living. Read more and subscribe to his email list at andrewmerle.com.

30 Anti-Inflammatory Foods You Should Be Eating

Inflammation is linked with nearly every major disease, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.

In fact, chronic inflammatory diseases are the most significant cause of death in the world.

We would therefore be smart to keep inflammation in check. But the Standard American Diet (SAD) — full of refined sugars and carbs, unhealthy oils, and processed food —promotes the excessive inflammation we’re trying to avoid.

It is hard to stay away from the toxic food that is all around us, but our health depends on it. This article is intended as a guide to the foods you should avoid — and more importantly to the great foods you can eat — to reduce inflammation in the body.

Although it can be very challenging, here are a few key principles for foods to avoid:

• Avoid foods with high fructose corn syrup and trans fats

• Avoid foods with added sugar and flour

• Minimize high heat cooking (above 375 degrees F) and avoid fried foods

• Stay away from unhealthy vegetable and seed oils, including corn oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, and sesame seed oil.

And now here is a list of 30 anti-inflammatory foods, herbs & spices, and supplements to enjoy:

Foods

1. Fatty fish (including salmon, sardines, herring, tuna, and mackeral)

2. Leafy greens (including spinach, kale, arugula, and collards)

3. Berries (including blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries)

4. Tea (including green tea, white tea, and herbal teas)

5. Shiitake mushrooms

6. Garlic

7. Cucumbers

8. Pineapple

9. Cherries

10. Dark chocolate

11. Extra-virgin olive oil

12. Flax seeds

13. Nuts (including walnuts and almonds)

14. Pumpkin seeds

15. Fermented foods (including sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and miso)

Herbs & Spices

1. Ginger

2. Turmeric

3. Cinnamon

4. Cloves

5. Rosemary

6. Oregano

7. Allspice

8. Thyme

9. Sage

10. Marjoram

Supplements

1. Omega-3 EPA/DHA (from fish, krill, or algae oil)

2. Vitamin D3

3. Green Tea Extract

4. Curcumin

5. Garlic

If you focus your diet around these foods and still experience pain and inflammation, consider removing gluten and/or dairy to see if that helps. Additionally, nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, white potatoes) have been reported to cause inflammation in some people, and could be eliminated if all else fails (but otherwise should be eaten for their nutrition benefits).

I hope this list help you navigate your dietary choices to keep inflammation at bay.

Andrew Merle writes about healthy living. Read more and subscribe to his email list at andrewmerle.com.

4 Lifestyle Habits For A Longer Life

I am always looking for ways to maximize health and longevity.

There isn’t anything I can do about my genes, but research shows that only 20% of how long we live is dictated by genes, whereas the other 80% is dictated by lifestyle.

Therefore I am most interested in the lifestyle habits that lead to a long and healthy life.

Fortunately, one of the world’s leading longevity experts recently revealed his findings after 25 years of research on aging.

David Sinclair, PhD, is one of the world’s most renowned scientists, best known for discovering why we age and how to reverse it. Dr. Sinclair is a Professor of Genetics and co-Director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging at Harvard Medical School, and he has been named by Time magazine as “One of the 100 most influential people in the world” and among the “Top 50 People in Healthcare.”

In Dr. Sinclair’s new book Lifespan: Why We Age — and Why We Don’t Have To, he distills a quarter-century’s worth of research into some simple things we can do to live longer.

These tools and tactics are available to nearly everyone, regardless of age, location, or socioeconomic status.

1. Fasting

Calorie restriction is incredibly powerful for longevity.

“After 25 years of researching aging and having read thousands of scientific papers, if there is one piece of advice I can offer, one surefire way to stay healthy longer, one thing you can do to maximize your lifespan right now, it’s this: eat less,” says Dr. Sinclair.

You don’t need to constantly deprive yourself — even once-in-a-while calorie restriction yields tremendous health benefits.

Specifically, a periodic 5-day calorie-restricted diet called a Fasting Mimicking Diet has been shown to rebuild the body at the cellular level. The diet (developed by another top longevity expert, Dr. Valter Longo) calls for about 1100 calories on day one and 800 calories per day on days 2–5, consisting primarily of vegetable soups, low-sugar energy bars, and supplements.

People who completed this program once a month for a period of three months lost weight, reduced body fat, lowered blood pressure, and had lower levels of a hormone called IGF-1 (low levels of IGF-1 have been closely linked with longevity). An average person could complete this protocol 3–4 times per year and expect measurable anti-aging benefits.

There are other popular fasting methods these days, including skipping breakfast and having a late lunch (the 16:8 diet), eating 75% fewer calories for two days a week (the 5:2 diet), skipping food altogether for a couple days per week (Eat Stop Eat), or — on the more extreme end — not eating at all for an entire week each quarter, as longevity guru Dr. Peter Attia does.

“Over time, some of these ways of limiting food will prove to be more effective than others,” says Dr. Sinclair. “However, almost any periodic fasting diet that does not result in malnutrition is likely to put your longevity genes to work in ways that will result in a longer, healthier life.”

The earlier you start a fasting protocol the better, says Dr. Sinclair — perhaps after age 40, when molecular decline really starts to take effect.

Dr. Sinclair (who is 50) personally skips a meal or two each day, but that is primarily due to his busy schedule as opposed to a conscious effort. Lunch is the meal he skips most often.

2. Eat A Low-Protein, Vegetable-Rich Diet

When you do eat, you want to focus on vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, and limit meat, dairy, and sugar. That is the dietary pattern of centenarians in all of the Blue Zones, the places around the world where people live the longest.

Photo by Anna Pelzer on Unsplash

“There isn’t much debate on the downsides of consumption of animal protein,” says Dr. Sinclair. Study after study has demonstrated that heavily animal-based diets are associated with high cardiovascular mortality and cancer risk.”

He says processed meats such as hot dogs, sausage, ham, and bacon are especially problematic, with hundreds of studies showing a link between these foods and colorectal, pancreatic, and prostate cancer.

That doesn’t mean you need to stay away from red meat altogether. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate a plant-heavy diet, but they did consume some red meat and fish in moderation. But in general, you should opt for plant protein instead of animal protein if you want to live longer. Meat and dairy — and to a lesser degree chicken, fish, and eggs — all activate an enzyme in the body called mTOR, which is associated with shorter lifespan. Not surprisingly, it has been shown that vegetarians suffer lower rates of cardiovascular disease and cancer than meat eaters.

Dr. Sinclair recommends only eating animal protein when recovering from physical stress or injury. He personally eats mostly plants and avoids eating other mammals, but he will occasionally eat meat on days when he works out. He also minimizes consumption of sugar, bread, and pasta (he gave up desserts at age 40 but does steal tastes from time to time).

3. Exercise

Calorie restriction and eating a low-protein diet puts our bodies into a beneficial state of nutritional adversity, but Dr. Sinclair says physical adversity is also important to trigger our survival circuits and prolong longevity.

Exercise puts a productive level of stress on the body, shifting cells into survival mode and causing us to grow back stronger. People who exercise just 150 minutes per week — the equivalent of a half hour of jogging five days a week — have been shown to have aging markers that are 9 years younger than those who have a more sedentary lifestyle.

Another recent study showed that running just 4–5 miles per week — which can be achieved in less than 15 minutes per day for the average person — reduced the chance of death from a heart attack by 40% and all-cause mortality by 45%.

But not all exercise is created equal — intensity does matter. “It’s high-intensity interval training — the sort that significantly raises your heart and respiration rates — that engages the greatest number of health-promoting genes,” according to Dr. Sinclair.

He says you’ll know when you are doing this level of vigorous activity when it feels hard — your breathing will be deep and rapid at 75–80% of your maximum heart rate, you’ll be sweating, and you won’t be able to say more than a few words without pausing to catch your breath. This level of physical exertion activates the body’s defenses against aging but stops short of doing any permanent harm.

Dr. Sinclair’s personal exercise routine includes going to the gym most weekends for weight lifting and jogging. He also walks a lot throughout the day and takes the stairs whenever possible.

“Exercise turns on the genes to make us young again at a cellular level,” he says. “Would a combination of fasting and exercise lengthen your lifespan? Absolutely,” concludes Dr. Sinclair.

But there is still more we can do.

4. Cold/Heat Exposure

Exposure to uncomfortable temperatures is another proven way to activate your longevity genes.

When we are taken out of our temperature comfort zone, our survival response is engaged, causing changes in our breathing pattern, blood flow, and heart rate.

Specifically when we are uncomfortably cold, we activate protective brown fat in the body. In fact, it has become clear that calorie restriction has the effect of reducing core body temperature (it seems all our longevity mechanisms are linked).

Additional “cold therapy” can be achieved by simply going for a walk in a t-shirt on a cold winter day, leaving a window open overnight while you sleep, or taking a cold shower. In particular, exercising in the cold supercharges the production of beneficial brown fat.

But moderation is important. “Similar to fasting, the greatest benefits are likely to come for those who get close to, but not beyond, the edge,” says Dr. Sinclair. “Hypothermia is not good for our health. Neither is frostbite. But goose bumps, chattering teeth, and shivering arms aren’t dangerous conditions…and when we experience these conditions often enough, our longevity genes get the stress they need to order up some additional healthy fat.”

Heat exposure has benefits as well, but the way it works is less clear. We know that frequent sauna users have reduced rates of heart disease and premature death, but we don’t know exactly why.

“Either way, one thing is clear: it does us little good to spend our entire lives in the thermoneutral zone,” says Dr. Sinclair. “Our genes didn’t evolve for a life of pampered comfort.”

On days when he goes to the gym, Dr. Sinclair has a personal practice of hanging out in the sauna and then dunking in an ice-cold pool. He also tries to stay on the cool side during the day and when he sleeps at night.

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These 4 lifestyle habits — Fasting, eating a low-protein diet, exercise, and cold/heat exposure — all produce a mild kind of stress on the body that activates cellular defenses without causing too much damage.

It turns out that not all stress is bad — we just need to use it to our advantage.

These simple anti-aging practices are available to all of us today, regardless of where you live, how old you are, or how much money you make.

There are plenty of technological and pharmaceutical advancements on the horizon — and Dr. Sinclair details what’s coming in in his book — but we can get started with what’s in our control right now. There is only upside.

“Ten additional healthy years is not an unreasonable expectation for people who eat well and stay active,” says Dr. Sinclair.

I hope these tips help you achieve a life of prolonged health and vitality.

Andrew Merle writes about healthy living. Read more and subscribe to his email list at andrewmerle.com.

Eating, Fasting, and Exercising for Maximum Longevity

Dr. Valter Longo is arguably the world’s top longevity expert.

He has spent over 25 years conducting research on aging, nutrition, and disease all around the world. Dr. Longo is the Director of the Longevity Institute at USC in Los Angeles and the Director of the Longevity and Cancer Program at the IFOM Institute of Molecular Oncology in Milan, Italy.

Last year he summarized his research in the international bestseller The Longevity Diet, which explores the science behind stem cell activation and regeneration to slow aging and optimize health.

I recently had the opportunity to interview Dr. Longo about what we can all do to maximize healthy longevity.

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Dr. Longo says it is possible to live to a healthy 100 (and beyond) and he recommends a three-pronged approach to achieve that objective. Dr. Longo’s protocol includes a daily longevity diet, a periodic five-day “Fasting Mimicking Diet,” and exercise. He says these are the three most important components for healthy longevity. Let’s break them down.

Daily Longevity Diet

The Daily Longevity Diet includes both what and how to eat on an everyday basis.

“The daily longevity diet is essentially a vegan plus fish diet,” Dr. Longo told me. He says that while it is possible to be vegan and healthy, many purely vegan diets end up in some type of malnourishment. Therefore small amounts of fish (no more than 2–3 times per week) are included for the Omega-3, vitamin B12, and protein content — all of which are hard to get in sufficient quantities in a 100% vegan diet.

The daily longevity diet is nutrient-rich, centering around vegetables and legumes (beans, chickpeas, etc.), plus nuts, olive oil, and whole grains. Protein intake is low but sufficient — about .35 grams of protein per pound of body weight (which comes to about 45 grams of protein per day if you weigh 130 pounds, 70 grams of protein per day if you weigh 200 pounds). Protein comes primarily from legumes and small amounts of fish, since other animal products (meat, poultry, eggs, cheese) are discouraged. Not surprisingly, sugar should also be minimized.

In terms of alcohol, Dr. Longo says small amounts (less than 5 drinks per week) have been shown to be neutral or perhaps even beneficial for health and longevity (although the potential benefits are minor). So alcohol in small quantities is allowed, but he says you should avoid alcohol altogether if cancer or another condition runs in your family for which alcohol is a high risk factor.

Overall, it is a sensible daily diet that closely resembles the Mediterranean Diet. But Dr. Longo’s recommendations also specify how much to eat and when.

Dr. Valter Longo

“I say it’s important to eat more,” says Dr. Longo. If you are eating the best stuff, he encourages you to load up during meal times. That’s because if you are eating a high-fiber diet filled with vegetables and legumes, then your stomach will become full without craving more food continuously throughout the day. “Lots of fiber is very important so you don’t get hungry,” he says. “You’re not going to be hungry two hours later because the stomach is still busy processing everything and so you don’t feel like eating right away.”

Dr. Longo says this is especially true if you are eating a pound of legumes per day, which is about the amount needed for a 150-pound person to get enough protein.

He also recommends eating within a 12-hour window each day (for example from 8am — 8pm) and fasting for the other 12 hours. “Eat for about 12 hours a day — not much shorter and not much longer,” he says. “There are negatives on both sides.”

If you fast much longer than 12 hours, Dr. Longo says that can lead to problems with gallstones and shorter lifespan. So if you are fasting for 16 or more hours each day (for example following the 16/8 Intermittent Fasting method), you should reconsider your approach. “If people fast too often they seem to live shorter, says Dr. Longo. “Fast too often meaning they do 16, 18 hours every day of fasting.”

This approach is especially problematic if you are skipping breakfast, which has become a popular trend among intermittent fasters. “People that skip breakfast live shorter,” Dr. Longo told me emphatically. He says this finding is surprising to many people in the longevity field, but study after study proves it out.

But eating all day and all night is also a problem. “The people that eat for 15, 16 hours a day, they also don’t do so well because they become overweight, obese, and they develop insulin resistance,” says Dr. Longo. So 12 hours on, 12 hours off seems to be the sweet spot.

For healthy people, Dr. Longo says 3 healthy meals per day plus a low-sugar snack is perfectly acceptable. People who are overweight or obese should consider replacing one of the meals with a snack. But the snack could still have lots of volume — for example, a big salad with olive oil would be an ideal snack (or smaller third meal) if somebody has weight problems.

That covers the fundamentals of the daily longevity diet, including what to eat, how much, and when.

The next pillar of longevity is a periodic 5-day dietary intervention called the “Fasting Mimicking Diet,” which resets and rebuilds the body at the cellular level.

Fasting Mimicking Diet

Dr. Longo first discovered the Fasting Mimicking Diet about 11 or 12 years ago when he was studying the effects of fasting in combination with chemotherapy for cancer patients. That combination proved to be very beneficial, but adherence was low. The patients did not want to do a water-only fast, and the oncologists didn’t want their patients to fast.

But through this process Dr. Longo learned what the fasting was doing at a cellular level, and he set out to develop a system to fool the cells into entering a fasting-response mode while still allowing the patient to eat. That’s how the Fasting Mimicking Diet was born. It has all of the benefits of fasting, without the suffering.

From a practical standpoint, the Fasting Mimicking Diet is a periodic 5-day calorie-restricted diet. It is 100% vegan, low in protein, low in sugar, and high in good fats. You consume about 1100 calories on day 1, and then about 800 calories per day on days 2–5.

The specific foods you eat include vegetable and grain-based soups, kale crackers, olives, nut-based bars, Algal Oil (rich in Omega-3), vitamin and mineral supplements, as well as drinks and teas (Hibiscus, Spearmint, etc.) that mimic what the body produces naturally during fasting. You can order ready-made kits from Dr. Longo’s company ProLon (Dr. Longo donates 100% of his profits to charity and research).

The specific ingredients included in the Fasting Mimicking Diet have been shown to promote beneficial bacterial growth. “The microbiota — the positive, protective bacteria that we have in the gut — is greatly altered by these cycles of the Fasting Mimicking Diet,” says Dr. Longo. This is not the case with water-only fasting, so Dr. Longo suspects it is the prebiotic content of the diet that feeds the good bacteria and allows that good bacteria to clear out the bad bacteria.

The Fasting Mimicking Diet appears to cause what Dr. Longo calls multi-system generation.

“What happens if you shrink an organism and then you re-expand it?,” Dr. Longo questioned. “What seems to happen — and we’ve shown it over and over and over — is that when you shrink it, you get rid of lots of junk. Bad cells, damaged cells, damaged cellular components. And then when you re-expand, you utilize stem cells and other templates to rebuild. And when you rebuild, you rebuild younger or brand new.”

It is a powerful dietary intervention that works in combination with the healthy daily longevity diet.

In terms of how often to do the 5-day Fasting Mimicking Diet, that depends on your baseline level of health. If you are young, eat a perfect diet, and exercise regularly, you might only need to do the Fasting Mimicking Diet once a year. But that’s if you are doing everything exactly by the book. If you eat pretty well and are generally healthy, then maybe twice a year is appropriate. But for most people — especially those with slightly elevated cholesterol, blood pressure, and fasting glucose — 3 or 4 times per year is recommended.

Dr. Longo says a healthy person can do the Fasting Mimicking Diet without medical supervision, but if you have an existing disease or medical condition, it is best to consult with your doctor before beginning the protocol.

Exercise

Let’s get this out there right away — Nutrition is the most important factor for longevity. Exercise is a distant 2nd.

“I would say exercise is very far away from nutrition in terms of longevity,” says Dr. Longo. “This is very clear from animal studies that diet is really superior.”

The important thing regarding movement seems not to be exercise, but routine physical activity. Dr. Longo points out that centenarians and people with record longevity (for example, in the Blue Zones) do not consciously exercise. But they are very physically active — growing gardens, walking, dancing, going up and down stairs, and moving naturally all throughout the day. “Lots of physical activity — I think that’s essential,” says Dr. Longo.

He urges people to walk everywhere possible and always take the stairs — a simple and practical recommendation that can make a tremendous difference in your life. “If you live 30 minutes away from your work and every day you just do that, you’re already 80% of the way there,” says Dr. Longo. “And if you just go up the stairs 300 or 400 steps a day, that’s already very good.”

The data shows that dedicated exercise does provide some additional benefit as well. “If you look at the meta-analysis, the epidemiological studies, it seems that exercise can make things a little bit better and reduce mortality further, in addition to physical activity,” says Dr. Longo. “So absolutely it is good.”

Dr. Longo recommends 150 minutes of exercise per week. And he says some of that (10–15%) should be vigorous, really pushing yourself. Bursts of intense exercise seem to be very beneficial to the body, perhaps because the body gets stressed and slightly damaged, and then re-builds stronger (similar to the process that takes place during fasting).

At the end of the day — between routine physical activity and dedicated exercise — Dr. Longo says a good goal is 10,000 steps and 20 flights of stairs. Your cell phone keeps a record of these totals, so it is a good practice to check and track how you are doing.

Dr. Longo’s Personal Routine

“My personal routine is pretty much what’s in the book,” Dr. Longo told me.

He eats a small breakfast, starting his day with tea and bread with low-sugar jelly. He then doesn’t eat anything until lunch.

For lunch, he often eats two courses — for example, a big salad with anchovies, followed by roasted or steamed calamari. He eats all of that along with bread or pasta.

Dr. Longo spends close to half the year in Milan and confessed that when he’s in Italy, he tends to gain a little bit of weight. When he starts to put on unwanted weight, he adjusts his lunch accordingly. “If I’m in weight gain mode, then I remove for sure the bread or the pasta for lunch,” he told me. “But I also oftentimes remove the second course.”

For dinner, he eats just about the same thing every day. He has a big dish that is filled with legumes, vegetables, and small amounts of starches. For example, the dish might have 10 ounces of chickpeas, 4 ounces of mixed vegetables, and only 2 ounces of pasta.

And then he has multiple variations of that meal. For example, the chickpeas and mixed vegetables might be swapped out for beans and broccoli. So there is a little bit of variety, but these rotations always follow the same nutritional profile.

This high-fiber diet keeps him full between meals and he typically only has one snack during the day. “Usually I have dark chocolate — like 85% dark chocolate — as a snack,” he said.

As for exercise, he does 40 minutes every other day on his home exercise bike. He puts it on the steepest uphill setting, making it hard to pedal, and then he turns up the intensity for about 4–6 minutes of the workout. On the weekend, he might go outside for a run or bike ride, but his home exercise bike is most convenient during the busy work week.

When in Milan, he also walks 45 minutes each way to work, and he never takes an elevator anywhere.

My Personal Takeaways

Dr. Longo is undoubtedly one of the leading experts in the field of health and longevity. He lays out a very sound plan grounded in 25 years of science and data. I am confident that following his protocol would result in a longer and healthier life.

As for me, I have been a habitual exerciser for much of my life. So I already more or less follow his exercise recommendations. And I eat pretty well — although I am certainly not perfect, and there have been periods in my life when my diet was not so great. Going forward, I will do my best to follow Dr. Longo’s Vegan/Pescatarian daily diet — but I am sure I will cheat and have the occasional burger and fries. Not to mention some potato chips and dessert.

That’s why I think the Fasting Mimicking Diet intervention could really be a game-changer. Very few people eat a perfect diet every single day, and some of the joy in life is eating indulgent foods. But if you can eat a good overall diet and then essentially reset and renew your body with the Fasting Mimicking Diet, that is a very enticing proposition.

I plan to try my first Fasting Mimicking Diet next month. I will report back with my experiences.

Until then, I hope you have found Dr. Longo’s recommendations helpful and applicable to your own life.

Andrew Merle writes about healthy living. Read more and subscribe to his email list at andrewmerle.com.

To Best Heal the Body, You Have to Heal the Mind

Dr. Sanjay Gupta has experienced all sides of the global health system.

As a practicing neurosurgeon, Dr. Gupta has been a member of the western medicine system for over 25 years.

He is also the Chief Medical Correspondent for CNN, and since 2001 has covered the most important health stories in the United States and around the world.

Dr. Gupta has also long been in search of the secrets to living life to the fullest. This quest recently took him to the longest-lived and happiest cultures around the globe — far-flung locations across Turkey, Japan, Italy, Norway, India, and Bolivia — for the CNN Original Series “Chasing Life.”

I recently talked with Dr. Gupta about the keys to health and longevity, based on all of his learnings from medicine, journalism, and experiences around the world.

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Dr. Gupta is a big champion of the medical advances that have taken place in the United States, but he is concerned about the current health trends.

“The United States is the only country in the developed world to have decreases in life expectancy three years in a row,” he told me. “Nowhere else in the developed world has that happened, and it hasn’t happened in the United States for 100 years.”

Dr. Gupta points out that the problem is mostly self-inflicted — driven by drug overdoses, suicides, and liver cirrhosis from alcoholism.

“These are called the ‘deaths of despair’ because there seems to be a psychological stress that’s really driving this,” he says. “So we can focus on the big-budget heart disease therapies and cancer therapies — and we should continue to do that — but until we deal with the psychological stress that is pretty unique to Americans, it’s going to be very hard to make progress in terms of life expectancy overall.”

Dr. Gupta has seen first-hand that other countries are doing a better job protecting against these psychological stresses. In fact, the one commonality he found across all of the healthiest and happiest societies — the ones outliving Americans — is the presence of true social connection.

Dr. Gupta acknowledges that the idea of social connection is a bit of a soft concept, but he says social bonds are critical for health and vitality. “I think for many people, especially in the United States where rugged individualism is sort of the mantra, you see social time as a luxury,” Dr. Gupta told me. “In places where you actually invest in people being social, that ends up being really protective against many of the toxic stressors I was talking about.”

Prioritizing social connection over individual achievement is a good first step toward fixing what ails us. Next, I wanted to dig deeper into other major pillars of health — specifically diet and exercise.

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Dr. Gupta has studied the medical literature and seen diet and exercise routines from around the globe, so I wanted to know what he practices in his own life.

As it relates to diet, he said healthy eating really comes down to two basic things. “Eat a plant-based diet as much as possible and avoid added sugar,” he says.

As Dr. Gupta approaches his 50th birthday, and with a family history of heart disease, those are the two main dietary rules he now follows (which requires some discipline since he confesses to having a bit of a sweet tooth).

Credit: CNN

He is also a big proponent of intermittent fasting. “And I’m not talking about a day at a time,” he says. “I’m talking about a few days at a time where you’re doing very low calories.” That can mean only 300 calories a day plus water for several days in a row.

Dr. Gupta says this type of fasting creates a sort of evolutionary pattern in your body — your young cells become more likely to survive and reproduce, and your old and low-performing cells tend to die away. The result is a greater percentage of cells in your body that are young and productive.

He says this whole process actually feels quite good. “At day two of intermittent fasting, when all of the sudden your body starts producing brand new young stem cells to replace the old poor-performing cells, people almost universally describe that as euphoric,” he told me. You might think a multi-day, low-calorie fast would be highly uncomfortable, but Dr. Gupta says it is just the opposite.

Dr. Gupta is also a habitual exerciser — and his exercise routine is also built around two primary principles. The first is engaging in some form of exercise every day. As a triathlete, Dr. Gupta engages in cardio and high-intensity interval workouts focused on running, swimming, and biking. But he also includes resistance training as an important part his routine.

His other big exercise rule is simply to avoid sitting whenever possible. “Any time you’re about to sit, ask yourself if you really need to,” he advises. Dr. Gupta says sitting for long periods of time disables the body’s natural defense mechanisms. The body is essentially sent a signal that it can shut down and stop working. Dr. Gupta points out, “If you look at many societies, it’s just old people who sit. Young people are either lying sleeping or they’re standing and walking.”

It’s pretty simple — If you want to age fast, take a seat. If you want to stay young, get up and move around. “Moving naturally throughout the day is not a particularly hard thing to do,” says Dr. Gupta. “It’s how we humans were designed to move.”

Dr. Gupta also says sleep has become a larger priority in his life — especially as he has gotten older — and he uses trackers to objectively measure and monitor his sleep. “I’ve noticed more than before if I don’t sleep well, I pay the price in terms of productivity the next day,” he says.

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Putting it all together, I asked Dr. Gupta to share the No. 1 thing he recommends people do to age well and live their best life.

As he thought about his answer, he started envisioning a future in which diet, exercise, and sleep will be personalized and optimized on an individual basis. For example, while he thinks his diet and exercise routine is a good one, he acknowledges that it may not be perfect for everybody. But in the future, Dr. Gupta thinks artificial intelligence and other technology will yield programs tailored to the specific needs of each individual. Until then, he says it’s important to simply get the basics right in terms of diet, exercise, and rest.

And that’s when he arrived at his No. 1 recommendation.

“Ultimately, what’s always still going to be within our control is how we take care of our minds,” Dr. Gupta told me. “I believe that in order to best heal the body, you have to heal the mind.”

Truly dedicating time to healing the mind on a regular basis — much in the way that we would heal a broken bone or an ill-functioning heart — is Dr. Gupta’s top piece of advice.

Credit: CNN

And he says healing the mind and fighting back against psychological stress is much easier than people realize. “Even simple things like truly practicing gratitude changes your mind so rapidly and effectively that I think everything else follows from that,” he says.

Dr. Gupta says his daily gratitude practice has positively changed his life more than any other habit.

His gratitude practice includes writing — actually putting pen to paper every morning. Instead of immediately reaching for his phone first-thing, he pulls out his journal from the closet. And then he just spends five minutes writing. “It’s a combination of things that I want to do that day, but also all the things I’m grateful for from the day before,” he told me.

“It takes five minutes. My brain is different — I can tell you — at the end of those five minutes than before.”

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Taking care of your body is important, but the true secret to health and longevity is taking care of your mind.

Andrew Merle writes about living well, including good habits for health, happiness, productivity, and success. Subscribe to his email list at andrewmerle.com.