Contents
Do you know what unites the inhabitants of Crete, Scandinavia, the Japanese island of Okinawa, Abkhazia and the Vilcabamba Valley in Ecuador? They are most likely to live to be XNUMX years old. What’s the secret? Nutritionist Jacques Fricker and journalist Dominique Lati believe that it’s all about a balanced diet. They revealed its features in the book “The Best Diets of the World”.
Having carefully studied what the inhabitants of these regions eat, the authors of the book found many similar points. In short, in the traditional cuisine of these places there is a minimum of harmful fats and fast sugars, but vitamins and nutrients are more than enough. Essentially, it is simple country food prepared in an understandable way without over-processing.
The pattern is simple: a healthy diet does not lead to obesity, therefore, these people stay active longer and get sick less, which means they live longer. Although the centenarian diet is not intended to reduce weight, switching to it is easy to lose up to three kilograms in a month without additional restrictions.
General rules
Crete, Ecuador, Scandinavia, the Caucasus and Japan are separated by thousands of kilometers. However, there is surprisingly much in common in the diet of the inhabitants of these regions.
Fresh fruits and vegetables every day
A resident of Crete eats 700 g of vegetables and fruits per day, with which plant fiber, minerals, vitamins, polyphenols, etc. enter the body. The result is an antioxidant effect and a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and osteoporosis.
Vegetable proteins and slow carbohydrates for lunch and dinner
Rice and noodles in Okinawa, bread and dried fruits in Crete, buckwheat and millet in the Caucasus, corn and quinoa in Ecuador. The population of the regions of centenarians consumes these products in the proportion: 70% of vegetable proteins to 30% of animals. In Western Europe, the ratio is reversed. But vegetable fibers and slow carbohydrates reduce the risk of developing diabetes and high cholesterol.
Healthy fats
And in the Caucasus, and in Okinawa, and in Scandinavia, there is a lot of food rich in omega-3 acid, which protects the cardiovascular system and the brain. Fatty acids are found in fish, nuts, rapeseed, nut and soy oils. When buying fish, pay attention to when it was caught. Frozen fish loses its useful qualities after two months.
Spices and herbs
Many of them have been known since antiquity for their antiseptic properties. What is not a reason to abandon unleavened food in favor of seasoned with all sorts of spices and herbs? And recent studies show that turmeric, rosemary, sage, curry and pepper reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. It may also prevent the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Meat
Lamb, pork, chicken, rabbit – the diet of centenarians cannot be called vegetarian. Nevertheless, there is much less meat in it than in the diet of the average European. Moreover, it is of a completely different quality. Grown naturally on ecologically clean pastures without the use of antibiotics and food additives. The authors note that in fact, two to three pieces of meat of 100-200 g per week is enough to get the right amount of protein, zinc, selenium, iron and vitamin B12.
Beverages
Everyone knows that we should try to drink more water. But it shouldn’t be limited to her. The menu of centenarians includes green and black tea every day (contains flavonoids that protect cells from oxidation, which means aging), wine in a reasonable amount (a glass a day reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases and senile dementia by 35%), kefir and yogurt (improve digestion), as well as herbal decoctions.
Soup
Centenarians eat hearty soups almost every day. There are healthy options in every traditional cuisine: miso soup in Japan, chikhirtma and kharcho in the Caucasus, bean stew in Crete, soup with avocado and lupine seeds in Ecuador, fish soup with cream in Scandinavia.
Local features
However, the diets of centenarians of different regions have their own distinctive features, as well as special products that are interesting to pay attention to.
Okinawa: Zen-style Eating Out
The Japanese island of Okinawa has been nicknamed “the land of happy immortals”. After all, here is the largest percentage of people who celebrated the centennial anniversary. In addition, residents of Okinawan are much less likely to get sick with oncological diseases. The basis of the local diet is fish, seafood, seaweed, legumes and vegetables. But meat is consumed here twice as often as in the rest of Japan. Although it’s still not that much.
Special Products: tofu, rapeseed oil, soybeans, jasmine green tea, adzuki beans, shiitake mushrooms and bitter goya cucumber.
Crete: the spirit of the Mediterranean
Olive oil, sweet tomatoes, feta cheese, yogurt with honey – the Mediterranean diet is very popular and loved in Europe. Although most people associate it exclusively with vacation. And you can eat like that every day. Bake fish with herbs, dress salad with olive oil, lean on cheese and sour-milk products.
Special Products: olive oil and olives, goat milk and cheese, hummus, whole grain bread.
Despite severe weather conditions, these regions traditionally have many long-livers. Local food has never been rich and varied, and the diet directly depended on the time of year. Local residents are used to stocking up for the winter, so the national cuisine includes all kinds of pickles. The main dish here was and remains fish.
Special Products: salmon and herring, fish oil, rye bread, blueberries, cranberries, black currants, sauerkraut.
Ecuador: Centennial Valley
Gerontologists often visit the town of Vilcabamba to find out the secrets of the happy longevity of its inhabitants. The percentage of the elderly population here is four times higher than in other parts of Ecuador. Exhausted by the attention of scientists, the inhabitants of the valley even began to erase the dates of death on the tombstones of their deceased relatives.
In the Vilcabamba Valley, they eat mostly vegetables and fruits. The main dish is a soup made from millet, corn, beans, potatoes and plant tubers. Sugar is used only in unrefined form and in small quantities. A weekly portion of meat does not exceed 300 g per person.
Special Products: cassava, cocoa, chocolate, grilled meat.
Caucasus: mountain diet
The centenarians of the Caucasus and especially Abkhazia have also long been of interest to specialists from all over the world. Contrary to popular belief, meat is eaten here not so much and often. And mostly lean. But in large quantities they consume dairy products and cheese. Interestingly, the indigenous population almost does not use pure salt at all. Instead, they eat adjika – a spicy and aromatic sauce made from red pepper, dried herbs and garlic.
Special Products: beans, young cheese, homemade wine, matsoni, hominy and cornmeal cakes, wild herbs (nettle, amaranth, wild parsley, wild garlic).
About the authors: Jacques Fricker is a dietitian and nutritionist. He created a personalized nutrition system based on the key rules for the diets of centenarians. Dominic Lati is a journalist and writer who has authored several cookery books.