Fuel Your Journey: An Essential Action for Vibrant Longevity
Of the five essential actions, perhaps none creates as much controversy as Fuel Your Journey. What we “should” eat is such a complicated question; it’s no wonder people are confused.
Doesn’t it seem like every few years, the science around nutrition shifts? Not just a little side step, but an entire leap?
Don’t eat butter. Eat butter!
Don’t eat fat. Eat fat!
Don’t eat eggs. Eat eggs!
Don’t drink coffee. Drink coffee!
You’ve got to remember, however, that what makes it to the top headlines is often driven by government policies that are themselves driven by the food industry. As Lawrence O. Gostin from the Georgetown University Law Center wrote: “‘Big Food’ is Making America Sick.”
If you step back, look at current research from not only longevity experts, but also from heart health doctors, dementia experts, and top nutritionists, they are basically all in agreement about how you should Fuel Your Journey.
Of course, we have vitamins and supplements to consider, as well, and they come with more tenuous and debated data and opinions; however, what food to eat and how to best nourish our bodies, has gotten fairly iron-clad. We are are quite confident now in our knowledge about and are mainly all in agreement with what constitutes nutritious and actual “food.”
We are quite confident now in our knowledge about what constitutes nutritious and actual “food.”
Examples of Fuel to Optimize Your Body and Mind:
Aging and brain health experts generally recommend a diet rich in whole, unprocessed foods, emphasizing specific nutrients that support cognitive function and overall well-being.
Here's a breakdown of the top food categories, a short breakdown of why they are healthy, and a few specific examples of each:
1. Leafy Green Vegetables:
Why: Rich in vitamins K, E, and folate, which are associated with cognitive protection.
Examples: Spinach, kale, collard greens, Swiss chard
2. Berries:
Why: High in antioxidants, particularly anthocyanins, which have been shown to improve memory and protect against oxidative stress.
Examples: Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries (think of the rich, deep colors of these berries and other nutritious foods)
3. Fatty Fish:
Why: Excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA, which is crucial for brain cell structure and function.
Examples: Salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout (small fish have less heavy metals than bigger fish like tuna - so keep that in mind, too)
4. Nuts and Seeds:
Why: Provide vitamin E, antioxidants, and healthy fats, supporting brain health and reducing inflammation.
Examples: Walnuts, almonds, chia seeds, flaxseeds
5. Olive Oil/Avocado Oil
Why: Contains healthy monounsaturated fats and antioxidants that protect against cognitive decline.
Use: As a primary cooking oil and in salad dressings (I personally prefer the taste of avocado oil.)
6. Whole Grains:
Why: Provide sustained energy and fiber, supporting overall health and indirectly benefiting brain function.
Examples: Quinoa, brown rice, oats, whole-wheat bread
7. Legumes:
Why: Excellent source of fiber, protein, and antioxidants, contributing to overall health and cognitive function.
Examples: Lentils, chickpeas, black beans
8. Eggs:
Why: Contain choline, a nutrient essential for brain cell membranes and neurotransmitter function.
Preparation: Versatile and can be cooked and eaten in so many ways. Of course, eggs used to be the easy to cook, cheap meal! Hopefully, the price of a dozen eggs will come down soon.
9. Dark Chocolate:
Why: Rich in flavonoids, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can improve blood flow to the brain.
Selection: Choose dark chocolate with a high cocoa percentage (70% or more).
10. Turmeric:
Why: Contains curcumin, a compound with potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that may benefit brain health.
Use: In cooking and as a supplement, if desired, but in general, eating nutrients rather than taking them in pill form, is general considered a better way to ingest them.
Books such as The Blue Zones, can be helpful on your journey. But all you really have to do is focus on a few basic principles:
Stick to a recognized plan such as the Mediterranean Diet. It emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and fish. A plan can be helpful because it helps to eliminate too many choices.
Or the MIND diet: This is also a fabulous meal plan to follow, and it’s considered, along with the Mediterranean Diet and the DASH diet, to be one of the top three most healthy diet “plans.”
Antioxidant-Rich Foods: To combat oxidative stress in your body (think of it like iron rusting), focus on foods high in antioxidants such as:
small red or kidney beans
wild or cultivated blueberries
cranberries
blackberries
Limit Processed Foods: Minimize consumption of processed foods, sugary drinks, and unhealthy fats, which can negatively impact your body and mind.
Stay hydrated…with water, not sugary sodas, energy drinks, or fruit juice.
Michael Pollan’s Books Helped Me Learn About Fueling My Journey
I often think about author Michael Pollan when I think about food. He wrote an excellent book called The Omnivore’s Dilemma, which I highly recommend along with most all of his books (including a fun audiobook on caffeine that I listened to on a plane a few months ago!)
In his other best-seller, Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual, he (now famously) instructs: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
Pollan also suggests these “food rules”:
Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.
Don't eat anything with more than five ingredients, or ingredients you can't pronounce.
Stay out of the middle of the supermarket; shop on the perimeter of the store.
Don't eat anything that won't eventually rot (Gross and true!)
Eat healthy wild or ethically raised meat that’s only had one bad day in its pampered, well-loved life.
His books are some of my all-time favorites, and some have been turned into delightful documentaries that you can find on Netflix, such as Cooked. I made (okay, I highly encouraged) all three of my children watch it to learn the history of cooking using the framework of its four main components: fire, water, air, and earth. So fascinating!
Wouldn’t Michael Pollan be a most excellent dinner party guest?!
I’m striving, through the Pounce Pot, to find the intersection in nutrition where all or nearly all experts agree. There are some controversial topics mainly surrounding meat and supplements, which we will explore in future blog posts.
However, research about the best food for most humans is very clear; Michael Pollan is most certainly right:
Eat food (not processed crap).
Not too much (eat until you’re 80 percent full and don’t snack).
Mostly plants (mostly fruits and vegetables with a small side of a healthy protein).
This seems to be the winning combination to Fuel Your Journey across the board. I’ll add: drink clean water.
We’ll explore other researchers’ ideas on nutrition in future posts.
For an explanation of the Five Essential Actions to achieve vibrant longevity and active pro-aging, read here.
The Five Essential Actions are:
Fuel Your Journey
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