How to reduce calorie intake and prolong life by 50%

The vast majority of what you see in grocery stores is filled with sugars, refined carbs, and saturated fat. These harmful substances are becoming the root cause of the obesity epidemic.

How can you not only achieve your optimal weight, but also keep it forever? Be patient. The heart of your weight loss plan should be a diet that focuses on a balanced mix of low-starchy vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats.

Calorie restriction of the diet will help you lose weight gradually over time and, upon completion, maintain the desired weight for a long time.

Remember: sugar is bad for you! There is overwhelming clinical evidence that its consumption is associated with an increased risk of type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity, metabolic syndrome. There is no doubt that refined sugar in all its many forms tops the list of the most dangerous carbohydrates.

In recent years, the incidence of obesity, including among children, has been on the rise, and this is alarming. The growth of this indicator is directly related to the excess of sugar in the diet.

Among other things, there are many sugar-laden convenience foods, from cereals, cakes, cookies and candy to frozen foods for microwave cooking. If you want to stay healthy, you need to teach your taste buds to enjoy food without the stimulation of sweets.

Most of the calories from fat should be obtained from sources of healthy omega-3 fats, such as fish, nuts, avocados, and extra virgin olive oil. Consume as little saturated fat as possible: it should make up 3-7% of the calories in your diet.

Avoid whole milk products such as ice cream, cream, butter, and cheese. Avoid fatty lamb, pork, and beef.

Limit your poultry intake to small portions of white chicken. Eliminate all trans fats from your diet, including margarine, baked goods, chips, and deep-fried snacks. Discard deep fries.

Add spices to your food. A study of type II diabetics found that as little as 1 gram of cinnamon per day (or 0,25 teaspoons twice a day) significantly reduced blood sugar and fatty acid levels, as well as cholesterol levels.

In addition, curcumin (turmeric), a spice added to curries and other dishes, has been found to have powerful anti-inflammatory effects that can help fight cancer, Alzheimer’s and other diseases.

A study published by Diabetes Care in 2004 found that vinegar also dramatically lowers blood sugar and insulin levels after a meal.

Include vegetables pickled in vinegar in your diet, as well as dressings for salads and vegetable dishes that contain vinegar.

So, you have given up on unhealthy foods. And now the most important secret. With one simple change in your diet, you can gradually get closer to your ideal weight and maintain it forever. All you need to do this is to consume as many calories daily as you would at your optimal weight. It really works!

Regardless of your current weight, you will gradually reach your optimal weight. At the same time, there will be no feeling of hunger, because by following a diet, you will replace high-calorie sweet and fatty foods with more wholesome and less high-calorie foods. This will allow you to eat more than ever and not be hungry. The main thing is the right choice of food.

Now determine your activity level.

1. Sedentary lifestyle: lack of regular physical activity, walking from time to time – physical activity, mainly characteristic of everyday life.

2. Moderately active lifestyle: a combination of various daily activities (work, rest, etc.) or a regular exercise program equivalent to walking or running 2,5-5 km daily, combined with physical activity typical of daily life.

3. Very active lifestyle: a combination of various daily activities (work, rest, etc.) or a regular exercise program equivalent to walking or running more than 5 km daily, combined with physical activity typical of daily life.

You are already close to your goal! All that remains is to find the right calorie intake that matches your optimal weight and activity level.

– Good health should be the ultimate goal. Optimal body weight is just one aspect of a healthy, prosperous and long life. If you focus on making sustainable lifestyle changes that lead to long-term health benefits, weight loss will automatically follow.

– Choose foods that you can eat for a long time. If you start to impatiently count your days on the diet before returning to old eating habits, your weight loss plan will fail.

– Avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates. By the way, they cause addiction, similar to tobacco and narcotic, and refusal from them really provokes withdrawal syndrome. However, cravings for such foods will disappear in one to two weeks if you really “quit”.

– Exercise is your friend. Lack of movement contributes to weight gain, while an active lifestyle contributes to weight loss. You need to strive for at least a moderately active lifestyle.

In 1982, the Journals of Gerontology published the first study of calorie reduction in the diet, and its tempting promise of significantly prolonging life gained public attention. In that work, the life expectancy of experimental rats, which received normal food, was about 1000 days. And rats that received the same amount of essential fatty acids, proteins, minerals and vitamins, but with the number of calories cut by a third, lived for about 1500 days.

And a longer life was good too. Rats that received fewer calories were more energetic and passed the maze better than the control animals. Their immunity was stronger, and the incidence of diabetes, cancer and cataracts was lower. Today, more than 2000 similar studies have been carried out, which have confirmed that these results are repeated in experiments with other animals.

When you reach your ideal weight, you can go a little further and reduce your calories again. Usually, before starting a meal, the Japanese say: “Hara hachi bu.” This means “the stomach is 80% full.” Once again sitting down at the table, the Japanese try to remind themselves not to overeat, and by eating 20% ​​fewer calories, they prolong not only their youth, but also their life.

Japan knows many examples of taiji practitioners and instructors for centuries. In addition, this country has the highest life expectancy in the world (82,1 years). Therefore, feel free to use the principle of “hara hachi bu” and eat 10-20% fewer calories than required to maintain your target weight.