Through TV programs like National Geographic and research studies we have heard and seen that certain diets and foods can actually slow the aging process and may actually make one live longer.  Recently a lot of publicity has been given to Okinawa and how it has the oldest population in the world.  More people in Okinawa are living to be over 100 years old than anywhere else in the world.  Some even live to be over 110 years old.  How is this possible?  Is it due to their diet?  Do they follow a calorie restricted diet and is there something we can take from this and add to our diet to prolong the lives of the average person?

Well, first of all let’s define what exactly a calorie restricted diet is.  Basically the average human being needs to consume 2500 calories per day.  So, by definition, a calorie restricted diet would mean less than 2500.  Researchers studying calorie restriction and diet use 1800 calories as the optimum measure for reduced caloric intake.  It is low enough to give noticeable and measurable results, but not low enough to cause dangerous weight loss and deficiencies.

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It is interesting to note that according to research studies based on inhabitants of the island of Ryukyu in Okinawa that the average Okinawan diet averages between 1400 and 1500 calories.  This is 300 or more calories less than the 1800 typically used in caloric restriction diet studies.  Now, just because one eats less calories per day does not mean they are constantly hungry as one might think.  This is because foods have varying caloric importance.  For instance some foods like green leafy vegetables to include  spinach, Romaine lettuce, etc… have a very low caloric imprint or density.  This means you can eat far more of these foods and not have to worry about packing on the pounds. 

Other foods that may be high in fat, cholesterol and calories like sausage,  processed meats, fried foods, etc… are on the other end of the spectrum with a very high caloric imprint or density.  So with these high caloric impact foods it takes a lot less to really start adding on the calories and packing on the pounds.  What is interesting here is that with calorie restriction diets and the Okinawan diet, the diet mainly stresses low caloric impact foods.  Their diet consists mainly of fish, rice and plenty of vegetables.  Basically their diet is a high protein, high vegetable, low calorie, low sugar and very low fat diet (the Okinawan diet of fish provides a higher level of healthy fats like the Omega 3 fatty acids which are naturally found in pink and red fish like salmon and tuna). 

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This is very different from the American diet.  We excel in fat, empty or high impact calories, sweets, fattier meats (beef), and lesser amounts of fruit, grains and vegetables.  Due to our diets very high caloric impact or density we tend to have a much higher daily caloric intake almost double that of the Okinawans (2500 vs. 1500).  Many Americans are way above this average at 4,000 and above.  This is easy to achieve just by stopping by a fast food restaurant and ordering a large cheeseburger, French fries and a coke.  Just watch the Academy Award nominated documentary by Morgan Spurlock entitled Supersize Me.

The documentary showcases the fast food diet and how it can and will ruin your life if you let it.  It also shows what’s wrong with the American diet and what needs to be changed.  Now, this is a stupid question, but are there any McDonald’s, Wendy’s or Burger King’s in Okinawa? And if one of these chains were ever allowed to operate in Okinawa what do you think would happen to the average life span of Okinawans?  It would plummet and become more like ours.  According to the documentary Supersize Me, it only took 30 days to completely ruin Morgan Spurlock’s health and it took many months of a complete vegan diet to get it back!  Many fast food meals easily exceed the entire average daily caloric intake in Okinawa in one meal (supersize them and you can very quickly approach 2000 calories in one sitting)!

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So, basically through all the research and studies it is quite obvious that the average person needs to change their diet to become healthier and live longer lives.  Now, the nutritional science behind this shows that what basically happens is that by over eating we increase the levels of free radicals which reek havoc on our bodies cells and over time this can actually speed up the aging process.  By eating a lower caloric diet (eating just what we need – eating to live, not living to eat) we lower the levels of free radical damage, cholesterol and fat build up and will live healthier lives.

Yes, other factors do play a role in determining the length of the lives we live like genetics, outside factors like pollutants, unfortunate incidents like car accidents, radiation exposure ( Chernobyl and Bikini Atoll of the U.S. Marshall Islands), etc…  However, by eating a better diet high in lower impact calorie foods, limiting sugars and bad fats and restricting our diet a little we can have a better and healthier life – that is a fact!  Try it yourself for just one week and see how much better you will feel.  Stick to a diet mainly of fish, rice, green, leafy vegetables and whole fruit (whole fruit is healthier than fruit juice as its sugars take longer to breakdown and cause less glycemic stress).  After just a few days your mind will be clearer, you’ll have more energy and feel much healthier and maybe even a little more youthful.  You won’t want to go back.