Nutritional Guidelines for Good Health and Longevity

Everyone has to eat to survive, so there is no getting around this step. Your pathway to optimal health and youthful vigor via nutrition may differ from some- one else’s, depending on your individual preferences and the foods available to you. Moreover, an emerging field of nutrigenomics is now starting to characterize how your unique genes interact with the foods you eat.

Poor nutrition can make you more vulnerable to illnesses and their health complications. Good nutrition, on the other hand, can lower your risk for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, and a number of other chronic health conditions. It can also help you do a better job of controlling any health problems you may

• Improve the heart-healthiness of your diet. Both French fare and a Mediterranean diet offer distinct health benefits. Particularly, the latter diet with its high content of olive oil, fish, and red wine is heart healthy.

• Eat fish at least four times per week. An increased intake of essential omega-3 fats may reduce your risk of heart disease, memory loss, and other health problems. Good types of omega-3-rich fish include salmon, mackerel, sardines, and herring. (If you can’t or won’t eat fish, consider using fish oil supplements.)

• Drink alcohol in moderation. One to two alcoholic drinks per day appear to be more beneficial than none, but don’t drink in excess of this amount.

• Eat at least three to five vegetables and two to three fruits a day. Choose colorful fresh or frozen produce, and eat whole fruits rather than drinking juices that lack fiber.

• Increase fiber-rich foods in your diet. Fiber lowers blood sugar levels and cholesterol. Good sources include berries, dried beans, prunes, whole wheat bread, brown rice, bran, fruit, vegetables, and nuts.

• Drink plenty of liquids. Try to drink at least four to six glasses of liquid each day, and eat foods with higher water content, like melons and vegetables.

• Spice up your foods. Onions, turmeric, black pepper,cinnamon, ginger, thyme, cumin, oregano, basil, sage, curry, and garlic all have positive effects on health.

• Eat more yogurt. The probiotic effect of yogurt with live cultures may improve your health by preventing illness and limiting inflammation.

• Consider using select herbal or other remedies. A limited number of herbal preparations may be effective in treating specific problems, such as ginger for vertigo and alpha-lipoicacid for diabetic neuropathy and possibly memory loss.

develop. This step will also lead you down a path to healthier eat- ing, including teaching you the importance of adequate intake of fish and moderate intake of alcohol for staying younger for longer, along with how to eat the right foods to get all the nutrients your body needs at any age.