The ideal diet to stay eternally young

Although we currently know that an iron health It is accompanied by a good diet, in the history of the human being the necessary symbiosis between both concepts has not always been so clear. And when experts and doctors refer to a good diet, they refer to making varied meals, with nutrients that include vitamins, proteins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats and water so that your body feels energetic and you can face the day without problems.

But nowadays, health, although fundamental, is not the only thing that matters to humans when choosing their diet. In many cases vanity plays an important role, and that is why so many fad diets (although not justifiable) warn you that if you consume them you will get a perfect body and lose those kilos that you have wanted to get rid of for so long. And being thin is not the only goal to achieve: drink from the fountain of eternal youth It is also something to which many people aspire who decide to undergo 'liftings', 'peels' or treatments with hyaluronic acid and / or snail slime.

Experts say that the trick to living longer is to eat little to prevent oxidation and aging of cells

In that desire to always be young, there is not only an interest in staying as handsome as possible, there is also a deeper component, focused on the speed at which we are subjected and the inherent desire of the human being to stay forever in this world. For those who cannot afford to be so extreme as to go to a clinic where they are injected with hyaluronic acid every month, there is always the consolation of healthy eating, because there is something true and that scientists are still trying to understand better: the aging of cells is tremendously related to physical exercise and food.

As the writer David Ronson, who has been studying the subject for some time, explains in 'BBC': "I traveled to a town in Italy to continue my investigations. It is an aging and long-lived population working in the field. It turns out that they all follow common patterns, spend a lot of time working outdoors and eat small servings. "It is nothing new, since it is a topic frequently discussed by experts in recent years: eating little could lengthen life. Calorie restriction has a positive effect on cells, according to a study this year published in the journal 'Cell' that investigated the effects in rats.

I discovered that in this town of centuries-old people there were two products that were never lacking on the table: honey and milk (or derivatives)

The study gave the researchers high hopes, since aging is a risk factor for many diseases to occur (diabetes, cancer, dementia …) so, something that could fight or delay it, is good news. But Ronson dares to venture something else: "I think that the food restriction is good when you are 20, 30, 40 years old, but once you get older it is better to have a high protein diet to strengthen your body. "His conclusions came after observing that on the table of many of those long-lived Italians (some centenarians) there were two products that could never be missing: milk or some derivative of it such as cheese, and honey.

The Mediterranean diet, the ideal

The ideal Mediterranean diet pyramid is made up of a minimum of two servings of vegetables, cereals, olive oil, fruit and additionally nuts and derivatives of dairy products, trying to reduce the amount of salt by opting for other products that can give flavor such as onion, garlic or various spices. Not only it is considered the healthiest dietIt is fortunately also very varied. Food in small portions or quantities would perfectly comply with the maximum that we refer to in the article and, luckily, in our country it is not difficult to follow it.

Although physical exercise and diet play a fundamental role, having a purpose in life is also really important

But not only eating little at the beginning of your life and varied lengthens life, according to Ronson, something fundamental that he found in this Italian town where he did his research is that all the inhabitants continued to have a fundamental role in their family and a purpose in their life. . It is not unreasonable to think that this can be of great importance when it comes to living more or less years, because in Okinawa (Japan), considered the world's island with the longest population, come that dogma to the letter. In addition to a healthy diet and plenty of physical activity, Okinawans are part of a 'moai', a system of mutual help between friends who have known each other since childhood and who frequently meet to eat and chat.

They also have an 'ikigai', which is a purpose in life, something that only you can do as a personal mission, a goal that gives meaning to existence and what makes you get out of bed every morning. This serves to make the inhabitants feel useful, since when your 'ikigai' has been fulfilled that's when they're ready to leave this world. "Loneliness is as bad as smoking ten packs of cigarettes," explains Ronson. And it is not without reason, as much as you eat healthy, what is the use of living a long life if you do not have loved ones to spend it with?