April 2, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Making Healthy Choices To Live Into Your 100s:

Paleo, gluten-free, raw, Mediterranean, or some other diet: which is best? One day nuts are the fountain of youth; the next they are the scourge of all dieters – and studies seem to back up both claims.

The truth is, if you want to have overall vibrant health, abundant energy, and an appropriate weight for years to come, you don’t need a fancy diet that is trending now. You just need to eat like the many long-living centenarians that have come before you. Here are five simple takeaways for how to eat like a centenarian.

1. Make plants the centerpiece of your meal.

A major common characteristic of centenarians around the world that helps them live so long is that they eat a plant-based diet. The centenarians I met in China eat lots of fresh vegetables, protein-rich beans, sometimes fish, and very little meat or modern processed foods.

As a result, they have much lower rates of the top diseases facing modern society, including heart disease, cancer, liver disease, and degenerative diseases.

While studying centenarians all around the world, I found that the same few extraordinary foods came up over and over again in their diets: sweet potatoes, corn, peanuts, pumpkin, walnuts, black beans, sesame seeds, shiitake mushrooms, green tea, and seaweed.

I try to always keep these longevity foods on hand – particularly all kinds of dried seaweed and dried mushrooms, which are incredibly healthy and easy to add to any soup or stew. 

2. Eat five smaller meals a day.

Centenarians tend to eat smaller meals than the average portions we are used to here. They also get a healthy amount of physical activity and are part of strong communities, which gives them the satisfying feeling of connection and happiness.

As a nod to these habits, I recommend eating five smaller meals a day, which gives you a steady stream of energy throughout the day without that weighed down feeling you get after a heavy, big meal.

Think of Spanish tapas, the delightful snack-sized dishes that allow you to eat slowly and savor the food’s flavor while enjoying conversation with family and friends.

3. Eat from a simpler time: Think seasonal, local, and unprocessed.

These centenarians still have eating habits from a world of the past – a simpler world in which food was usually sourced locally, fresh, in season, and free from pesticides and other chemicals. The priority for centenarians has always been to take time to cook a healthy meal and to gather together to enjoy it, in contrast to the disconnected, thoughtless way we eat today, in which the priority is convenience and quickness. Don’t forget, not so long ago, we in the U.S. also ate mostly what grew seasonally and locally – and the unhealthy, flavor-packed foods of today were an expensive luxury, not the norm.

4. Do what works for you.

Your body is your laboratory. Notice the effect food has on you right after eating a meal. For example, nightshades may work for some, but not for others. Make adjustments as you notice foods affecting your digestion or energy level. We can slowly but surely heal ourselves when we pay attention to how our food affects us; in the process, we regain our instinctive nature to listen to our bodies, eat well, and enjoy life more.

5. Commit to gradual and lasting change.

Start where you are and make changes gradually, because then you will be more likely to create new healthy habits without feelings of deprivation. It’s never too late to change your habits. Your body wants to live to be 100 and all you have to do is get out of its way by incrementally replacing bad habits with good habits. For example, my recommendation is that you gradually cut back on sodium, sugars, gluten, dairy, and alcohol; at the same time, gradually incorporate more produce in your meals and try making them from scratch.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!

in News
<>Related Posts

Hands Off the Phone: SMPD Launches Distracted Driving Enforcement Campaign

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

One Text Could Cost You: SMPD Goes Into Heightened Alert in April The Santa Monica Police Department is stepping up...

Board of Supervisors Votes to Break from LAHSA, Create Independent County Homeless Department

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

With Billions on the Line, LA County Moves to Centralize Homeless Response Los Angeles County is making a dramatic shift...

Montalvo Custom Tailors Offers Complimentary Wardrobe Recovery Services to Fire Victims

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

Tailoring Confidence: Montalvo Helps Residents Rebuild Wardrobes with Grace Montalvo Custom Tailors, a staple of luxury menswear in Los Angeles...

Caruso Sets Expected Timeline for Palisades Village Reopening: Report

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

Caruso recently told a local outlet that bringing life back to the village is essential Palisades Village remains closed in...

County Moves to Clear Fire Debris from Unresponsive Properties

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

The County plans to launch additional efforts, using data and community partners to reach roughly 1,000 unresponsive owners The Los...

County Report Finds Malibu School District Proposal Fails to Meet Standards: SMMUSD

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

The LACOE feasibility study stems from a 2017 petition by the City of Malibu to form its own school district...

Nonprofit Warns of Heavy Metal Contamination in Santa Monica Bay

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

The contamination is linked to storm runoff carrying toxic debris from burned structures and scorched land in the Palisades, Topanga,...

(Video) Spending an Afternoon at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Go To Pacpark.com For Tickets and More Information. Go To https://t.co/PUWlOc89JQ For Tickets and More Information.#amusementpark #rides #rollercoaster #summer #spring...

Matū Kai to Debut in Brentwood With Grass Fed Wagyu and Global Flair This Week

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Farm-To-Fork Beef, Wood-Fired Flavors, and Sustainability Meet on San Vicente The team behind Beverly Hills’ acclaimed steakhouse Matū will soon...

USC Launches Free Soil Testing to Assess Post-Fire Contamination

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Residents Can Submit Samples to Check for Lead and Other Toxins A new program led by researchers at the University...

Los Angeles County’s Measure A Raises Sales Tax On April 1, And It’s No Joke

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Culver City, and Malibu Will See Higher Increases Starting April 1, Los Angeles County residents will...

Malibu Schedules Two Key Public Meetings for Wildfire Recovery and Insurance Guidance

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

City Officials to Provide Technical Support and Insurance Market Updates at Two Meetings Malibu residents affected by recent wildfires are...

Santa Monica Launches Public Search for New City Manager

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Nationwide Job Posting Seeks Leader to Guide City’s Future The City of Santa Monica has officially launched a nationwide search...

Palisades Youth Soccer Team Fundraises to Compete in Sweden Tournament

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

The team is raising funds through GoFundMe, with donations aimed at covering travel costs, accommodations, and fees A youth soccer...

Seven-Bedroom Venice Pad on Shell Ave. Hits Market at Under $7M

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

The home sits on a 5,740-square-foot lot and includes a two-car garage A newly listed property in Venice, featuring modern...