Eat Less, Live Longer (and Healthier!)

Eat Less...Live Longer!

Since the 1930s, research has been conducted that theorizes not only do organisms live longer when restricting calories, but also are less likely to succumb to disease such as diabetes, cancers, etc. The why's and how's are addressed, with some articles and statistics for further self-research...

As always: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a diagnoses or treatment for any disease, nor a replacement for advice from a doctor.

It's not just about eating less

Calorie restriction should not be confused with nutrient restriction. The opposite is true: one must maximize the nutrient content while minimizing calorie content. How is this done?

Through a diet low in calories and high in nutrients. Mainly a diet of raw, organic foods and "superfoods."

Learn MORE: There is a research based diet conducted at UCLA over many years, which you can learn more about by visiting: The Anti-Aging Diet.

The "Why" and "How"

Research has shown a decrease of 30% of daily caloric intake has the following benefits: decreased heart disease, less occurance of cancers and insulin resistance (diabetes). How is this accomplished? The studies suggest several reasons but the main reason was found to be less damage from free-radicals.

Free-radicals are produced in the body by everything we do, from eating to exercising, to simply functioning. The body is always at work converting the foods we eat into energy that is delivered to the cells. Free-radicals are essentially cells with a missing electron, that bind to other (vital) cells in our body and cause damage. The key to solving this issue is antioxidants. Antioxidants bind to the free-radicals in our body so they don't have a chance to cause the damage. Therefore, eating a diet high in antioxidants (such as vitamin C) help to reduce this damge. However, a problem lies in the question of whether we consume enough antioxidant rich foods to counteract the damage done by the amount of food consumed (not taking into account the chemicals and bacteria we consume with our food that our body must work to get rid of). By eating less, it slows metabolic processes, which reduces free-radical production and damage, which then in turn slows the aging process.