Community and Love Add Years to Life

• Being in a long-term, satisfying relationship
• Having close friends

This lifestyle change is proven to reverse aging

We have heard from dietitians that severe methods of calorie restriction, such as skipping meals, can trigger our body’s ‘survival’ instincts, which are counterproductive to a healthy diet, causing unwanted fat storage.

While these undesirable effects are true, there is tremendous scientific evidence revealing that a reasonable level of calorie restriction is one of the surest ways to reverse the aging process.

• In a study dating back to the 1930s, Dr. McKay of Cornell University found that the life span of rats doubled when their calorie intake was cut in half. In addition to living longer, they were more healthy and youthful compared to control subjects. The rats who were allowed to eat to their heart’s delight were much weaker and led less vigorous lives.

• In the 1990s, Dr. Weindruch and Dr. Prolla at the University of Wisconsin measured gene expression in mice, rats, monkeys, and humans. It was found that caloric restriction positively altered gene expression by slowing the aging process.

• Dr Spindler at the University of California found that calorie restriction produces a genetic anti-aging profile, and resulted in a reversal of the majority of age related degenerative changes.

Quite simply, when our calories are restricted, our “youthful” genes are activated; alternately, an excess of calories causes our “aging” genes to be activated.

The good news is that it’s never too late to start. These studies went further to prove that anti-aging effects can be seen quickly even with the oldest test subjects.

A fantastic, living example of lighter diets providing a longer, higher quality of life can be seen in the tribes of the Vilcabamba region in Ecuador, the Hunza region in Pakistan, and the Abkhasians region in Georgia. These tribes have some of the highest longevity rates, with an incredibly high incidence of adults living to over 100 years old. Further, these tribes see a higher quality of life in their middle aged and elderly members. By eating just 50% to 60% of the calories that we eat in North America, they are able to live much more adept and healthy lives.

If you’d like to try it, start by reducing your daily intake by just 25 calories. The further you take it, the more results you’ll be able to see.

Source: There is a Cure for Diabetes by Dr Gabriel Cousens

Photo credit: Chris Kalani

Eat this to cut cellulite

Grapefruits are renowned to be the dieter’s fruit for good reason: studies have shown that adding one grapefruit to a diet each day can help burn fat.

Ken Fujioka, MD, of the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, California observed obese study participants, who were not dieting, add a half of one grapefruit before each meal for 12 weeks. Participants lost an average of 3.6 pounds even without any additional dieting effort (note that the study was sponsored by the Florida Department of Citrus).

What’s even more compelling is the fact that grapefruits contain the enzyme bromelain, which is both anti-inflammatory and skin-cleansing. Bromelain is also shown to help cut cellulite quickly.

If you’re going to indulge, make sure you eat it separately from other food groups. All fruits should be eaten alone, without the presence of other food groups such as vegetables, fats, or proteins (with the exception of leafy greens). Wait at least 20 minutes after eating a grapefruit before eating other foods.

Combining fruit with other groups inhibits digestion, causing food to improperly break down. This leads to fermentation in the stomach, causing gas to be formed. This also implies fat storage: if our bodies have trouble breaking something down, it means it also has a hard time expelling it. A food “in limbo” is thus converted to fat and stored in the body.

Sources:

• You Are What You Eat by Dr Gillian McKeith
• Eating for Beauty by David Wolfe
• Fitness RX Magazine