Dr. Valter Longo is the Edna M. Jones Professor of Gerontology and Biological Sciences and Director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California –Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, Los Angeles, one of the leading centers for research on aging and age-related disease.
Since 1989, he has been researching longevity and what it takes to become a centenarian, and beyond. Now, Dr. Longo is the director of the Longevity and Cancer Laboratory at the IFOM Institute of Molecular Oncology in Milan, Italy which may be one of the best places for him to continue his work; putting him closer to several Blue Zone areas like Sardiana, which was one of the first regions with exceptional longevity warriors identified by Dan Buettner.
Professor Longo’s core objectives are: “to offer treatment and other health services to patients with serious diseases and to those who seek to halt the onset of such diseases; to educate the public—both adults and youth—about how to live a long and healthy life; to sponsor research to develop innovative and creative treatment strategies that are affordable and accessible to all; and to identify ways to prevent specific diseases.”
1. The Longevity Diet
Can what you eat affect your health and lifespan? The answer is yes, and there is plenty of scientific evidence to support this, and when paired with regular physical activity, the longevity benefits are amplified.
Dr. Longo recommends a longevity diet that takes points from a variety of different things, like the Mediterranean Diet and the Okinawa Diet. Based on 25 years of global research, he wrote a book called The Longevity Diet, and he recommends following these longevity diet characteristics: mostly vegan, relatively low fruit intake, high vegetable intake, fish 3 or 4 times a week, high vitamin and mineral content, legumes, tree nuts, and whole grains.
During his research, he discovered that specific diets can activate stem cells and promote regeneration and rejuvenation in multiple organs to reduce the risk of diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and heart disease. His daily nutrition plan, together with periodic fasting-mimicking techniques, has yielded startling results in both lab and clinical trials.
He also recommends that people between the ages of 20 to 70 years old eat “no red meat, no white meat, maybe two to three eggs a week, at most, very little cheese and very little animal-based products.”
Additionally, there are 5 problematic foods that begin with the letter P that Dr. Longo suggests limiting: Potatoes, Pasta, Pizza, Protein, and Pane (bread).
Although he believes that the Problematic Ps can be good ingredients, they happen to be problematic because, in general, people eat far too much of them, and they become sugar very quickly, almost as quickly as table sugar.
2. Fasting
Dr. Longo recommends fasting as a safe way to contribute to extending longevity and is a proponent of periodically implementing a fasting-mimicking diet for 5 days at a time. He recommends confining all eating to within a twelve-hour window, “12 hours of fasting daily. Let’s say you eat between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. or 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.”
The fasting mimicking diet is aimed at triggering autophagy to remove damaged or dysfunctional cells to promote tissue and organ rejuvenation, and it involves eating a diet “high in unsaturated fats and low in overall calories, protein, and carbohydrates. Dr. Longo was a senior author of a study recently published in the journal Nature Communications that found mice on a fasting-mimicking diet experienced reduced biological age and lowered risks of developing diseases like diabetes, heart conditions, and cancer. He believes that “Those periods of fasting were probably key to maintaining functionality and staying younger.”
3. Stay Active and Move More
Spend less time sitting and focused on technology and gadgets, pick her head up, get up, and move more. Aim for at least 150 minutes a week because this can have a positive impact on your overall health. Try to have around 50 minutes of that physical activity, be strenuous movements that challenge you, to amplify the positive effects.
Go for a walk, take the stairs more, ride a bike to the store, park at the back of the parking lot, and walk to the water cooler or bathroom that is further away. “Some of these things have been abandoned, but they were very normal for the people that made it to 100 years of age.”
4. Sleep and Mental Health Matter
Dr. Longo says that it is very important to sleep well for overall wellness. He also suggests that maintaining positive mental health is vital for longevity.
A positive mental state is strongly linked to a longer, healthier life. Studies show that individuals with higher levels of positive mental well-being, such as feeling happy and functioning well, experience a lower risk of premature death. This includes a reduced risk of chronic diseases and a potentially longer lifespan.
In essence, cultivating a positive mental state is not just about feeling good; it’s a vital component of a long, healthy life. By prioritizing mental well-being, individuals can potentially increase their lifespan and improve their overall quality of life.
Sleep and mental health are deeply intertwined. Sleep problems and mental health conditions can create a vicious cycle where one negatively impacts the other. Adequate sleep is crucial for regulating mood, improving cognitive function, and enhancing emotional resilience. Conversely, poor sleep can exacerbate symptoms of mental health conditions like anxiety and depression and increase the risk of developing them. Prioritizing sleep is essential for overall well-being and mental health.
No Regrets
“I do everything that I preach. I don’t know if I hit the target all the way, but I certainly think it’s good to try,” says Dr. Longo. “I’d like to make it to 120. But whatever I get, it’s okay. At least I’ll have no regrets saying, ‘Well, I didn’t do all the right things.’”
This article was created at the WHN News Desk.
As with anything you read on the internet, this article should not be construed as medical advice; please talk to your doctor or primary care provider before changing your wellness routine. WHN neither agrees nor disagrees with any of the materials posted. This article is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis, recommendation, treatment, or endorsement. Additionally, it is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
