In Addition To Losing Weight, This Eating Pattern Makes You Long

Illustration of healthy eating (Freepik/Freepik)

JAKARTA - Eating patterns that can support longevity often involve foods rich in nutrients, low saturated fat, and contain a lot of antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins. In addition to losing weight, experts say diet can increase a person's chances of living longer.

Quoted by VOI from The Korea Times page on Thursday, November 21, 2024, experts suggest that achieving a healthier life is implementing a Mediterranean diet. Professor of Food and Nutrition at Yonsei University, Kim Hyung Mi said this diet is proven and beneficial for the health of the body.

"Right now, people are talking about aging slowly. Aging is natural. We can't stop aging. However, you can control the speed of aging," he said at a seminar in Gangnam, southern Seoul on Monday, November 18, 2024.

When you ask what is the best diet in the world, the answer is the Mediterranean diet. No doubt, this diet is always at the top of the list every year. You can think of it as the most balanced diet," he added.

Kim explained how diet options affect the rate of aging.

First and foremost, although many people think food is very important, food ultimately provides nutrition for my body. And nutrition itself creates health. So, you can see this as an important part, "he said.

Remember that it's not about eating a lot, but eating in the right amount the body needs. The human body requires 40 different nutrients. And both shortages and advantages cause health problems. And right now, globally, we are in a situation where deficiencies and excesses coexist, "he added.

He stressed that at a person's age stops growing high, aging begins. And especially for women, the aging process is accelerating around the age of 40, due to decreased estrogen, slowdown in metabolism, and muscle damage.

"Usia and weight correlate when metabolism slows down. Hormones of growth and sex decrease. When fat tissue increases, this ultimately causes inflammation. This then causes things like insulin resistance," he said.

He suggested that people reduce about 300 calories from daily intake after reaching the age of 40 years.

The main health problems for women that occur after middle age are obesity and metabolic syndrome. Cancer prevention is most important, because many cancers come from obesity. This has a major impact on women, especially breast cancer," he added.

Kim discovered the Mediterranean diet when his former patient cures his allergic reactions after spending time in Mediterranean countries. This experience sparked interest in the diet, prompting him to research how to put the Mediterranean diet into Korean diet habits.

"There was a lot of talk about Mediterranean food, but no one explained the meaning of the nutrition behind it. So, I started studying it and found that people living in the region ate fewer carbohydrates but stabilized blood sugar by consuming unsophisticated seeds," he said.

He knows that protein is very important in this diet, which is consumed in the right amount at any time eating mainly through fish and seafood rather than red meat. This can increase the risk of cancer.

A diet centered on fish and seafood produces high intake of omega-3 fatty acids and helps balance the ratio of omega-3 and omega-6. This content is important to prevent heart disease and other chronic diseases.

"The common Mediterranean diet consists of about 40 percent carbohydrates, 20 percent protein, and 40 percent fat. And this fat is of very high quality. Unlike the white fat found in meat, it is consumed from vegetable oils rich in omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9.

"In order to comply with the diet in Korea, we set the ratio at 5:2:3," he said.

He explained that daily calorie intake per meal should be set at around 400 for women and 500 for men. This emphasizes the importance of consuming salads and calcium-rich foods.

"If you look at the Mediterranean diet, it is better to understand it not only in terms of the importance of food itself, but in terms of how the nutritional components in food enter the body and maintain our health," he said.

An Italian chef Pietro Parisi stressed that the Mediterranean diet, although its nutrition is perfect, is easy to implement in everyday life.

He noted that living this diet is not only about eating, but also a commitment to living a healthy life.

The Mediterranean diet is not just a way of eating. This is a way of life that UNESCO has established as an intangible cultural heritage. This diet is characterized by low fat intake and consumption of high fruit s, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, nuts, fish, and olive oil, by consuming medium amounts of dairy products," he said.

And personally, when I talk about Mediterranean cuisine, I call it colorful cooking. I think the core of the Mediterranean diet is the harmony created by colors like orange and the color of various ingredients." he continued.