Diversity 30

Diversity 30: Summary

In this article, I discuss the critical role of dietary diversity in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Research shows that a varied diet, including a wide range of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats, significantly contributes to better health outcomes. I emphasize the need to aim for 30 different varieties of plant-based foods each week rather than just five a day. I also recommend incorporating a mix of seeds and nuts to enhance nutrient intake. Please take action to diversify your diet for better health!

What makes a healthy diet?

Diversity in your diet does. Dietary research shows that best health results come from diets that include a wide variety of vegetables, fruits such as berries and apples, whole grains and pulses. Some oily fish is beneficial and animal protein should be moderate.

The evidence

A recent report of 30 years of follow-up in two USA studies: the USA Nurse’s Health Study and Health Professionals Follow Up study 1 , They found that 9,771 (9.3%) of 105,015 participants [66% women], studied from early 50’s onwards had an ideal diet and they achieved ‘healthy aging’, compared with those whose diet was poor. The good diet doubled their chance of living to 75 without chronic disease or dementia.

So far so good – how do you do this?

The Big 4 – Essential Supplements Over 50

Supplements for Over-50s

Lots of possibilities – 4 essentials

If you are over 50, there are the essential vitamins minerals and supplements you need in order to support health, then there are lots of other possibilities used to reduce inflammation and enhance your protection against life threatening illness.

This post is about the essential minimum 4 you need.

The Dirty Dozen

The 'Dirty Dozen' and EDC's

Cancer causing pesticides, perfumes & preservatives. Cancer prevention? Here is an easy win.

Avoid known chemical cancer-causing dangers: choose your food intake and manage your environment. This is important for you but very much more important for your children and grandchildren because action now can prevent them ever getting certain cancers.

The key take home message is: 

1. Minimize your pesticide exposure.
2. Avoid EDC's [endocrine disrupting chemicals].

Nutrition, supplements and cancer

Nutrition is not the cure for cancer – but ….

Nutrition cannot eliminate your cancer; neither is homeopathy an alternative to proper chemotherapy. The Bristol Cancer Help Centre Scandal in the 1990's made that clear to the whole UK. [1]

BUT if you DO have a cancer diagnosis or as in my case, your spouse has, or a close family relative is affected, then naturally you are asking – "Does anything we do at home make a difference?"

Medium Chain Triglyceride Oil

Why MCT oil can be beneficial

There is proven value in weight control, migraine and cluster headache, Minimal Cognitive Impairment [MCI], and in achieving muscle gain in frailty management.

Although there are many internet claims of sleep improvement there are no human studies of value to prove this.

Musculoskeletal Problems

Summary

Musculoskeletal deterioration is a major cause of loss of function as we age. From 50 onwards loss of muscle, bone mass and collagen lead to reduced strength, susceptibility to fracture, and problems with joints. When somebody is 70 and these problems have been going on for 20 years, they frequently are frail. Frailty is a specific term for a tragic inability to perform daily acts of living and consequently reduced independence. When we say ‘so and so is looking old …’ what we mean is they are looking frail.

Managing Sugar

Sweet enough! Managing the sugars in your diet

You have a 'sweet tooth' and crave sugary things. OK, it's not a weakness, it's genetic ie you can blame it on your parents*. However, sadly the consequences of this are entirely your responsibility. If you are struggling with your weight, then you need a sugar [reduction] strategy, and that is also critically important for a good HealthSpan and Alzheimer's avoidance. A high sugar diet means blood sugar spikes after eating which leads to insulin resistance [lots of metabolic issues] and fat storage. You choose.

Ageing Internally

Are you older on the inside than you look on the outside?

From the foods you eat and how you exercise to your friendships and lifestyle goals — it all influences how fast or slowly your body ages.

Eat well

If you look at your eating habits, even just small changes can make a difference in the way your body ages. Bad habits need to go! 

Focus on eating mindfully and making healthier choices, the chances are you'll have more energy and you'll lose weight. Studies have shown that what we eat may be one of the most important lifestyle modifications each of us can make to significantly increase our HealthSpan and add quality years of enjoyable life as we age. It’s all about having a balance. Aim to fill up your plate with ‘the good stuff’. Good means a rainbow plate of many colours, to get the full spectrum you need.

Reducing Cardiovascular Risk – Statins

Maximum prevention of cardiovascular disease [CVD] – the safety and usefulness of statins

This matters because CVD is a major killer: both cardiovascular death or hospitalisation [Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events = MACE] are almost entirely preventable by lowering blood pressure <120/80, avoiding smoking, and reducing apolipoprotein B concentration [ApoB-‘bad cholesterol’ most of which is LDL-C – this being what is usually measured]. Few if any of you will be smokers in 2023, but many of you have non-optimal BP [see previous InfoSheet on this] and less than perfect cholesterol patterns.

Curcumin - The Mellow Yellow Health Tool

Focus on...

Some more detailed examination of the benefits of curcumin and the problems with formulation.

Why is this useful?

There are lots of necessary supplements for the over 50’s [protein, ‘Vitamin’ D, vitamins B12 and B9 [Folate], Magnesium, Zinc …] At this point if you have followed my recommendations, you are rattling and considering the expense.

So when it comes to other additional agents, they must be really beneficial.

Curcumin [one of the active ingredients in dietary turmeric -that golden spice that stains your kitchen yellow when you have a curry] should definitely be on your list.

But … eating more Curry is not the answer.

New thoughts on B12, omega 3 & Multivitamin replacement

Here are some thoughts on B12 0mega 3, zinc and a variety of other nutrients that are components of a multivitamin tablet.

Top Line recommendations

1. Magnesium Taurate 300 mg at bedtime [1 capsule]
2. Zinc citrate 30 mg at bedtime [Pure brand = 1 capsule]
3. B12 oral spray 2000 mcg daily.[Better You B12 boost]
4. Centrum Silver Adult Over 50: 1 daily.
5. Vegan Omega 3 4G daily [Nutravita brand = 2 capsules]

Gastric Reflux: Critical Stuff & Common-sense Advice

Focus on … 

Three things you need to know:  

Associated problems
Investigations 
Treatments that work

Especially, what are practical measures to help symptoms and what unhelpful dietary or drug advice should I avoid?

It’s a Bug’s Life: offer love and take care of your microbiome

You have more bacteria about you - on your skin, in your gut and all the other nooks and crannies – than there are actual human cells in your body. More importantly they do stuff that matters. Whether that is for good, or evil depends on which bacteria are in your particular crowd. This matters for the critical aims we have in respect of longevity. The goal in its simplest terms is reduce inflammaging and prevent dementia, mainly Alzheimer’s Disease [AD]. But apart from the relationship between the mouth microbiome and AD the inflammation associated with a bad microbiome in the gut triggers AD, heart disease, atopic conditions such as asthma, eczema and rhinitis, irritable bowel, inflammatory bowel disease and is a contributing cause for obesity.

Ultra-Processed Foods

All Ultra-processed foods are problematic, even plant-based options

It seems so easy, so modern-day! After a busy workday, your ready meal is in and out of the microwave in 7 minutes. Well - that really helps! Unfortunately, speedy food is not always healthy food.

Supernutrition #6: Anti-inflammaging Supplements

The story of super-supplements – truth or fiction?

Although my usual nutritional message is “optimum diet, no need for additives or multivitamin preparations” and nobody needs extra vitamin C if they eat fruit and vegetables… as far as anti-ageing is concerned, to get potent anti inflammaging activity you need a supplement.

For example, to reach the recommended daily intake of 800-1000mg of quercetin takes more onions, coffee, dill etc than any of us want to consume. Similarly, curcumin (the potent anti-inflammatory agent in turmeric) is very poorly absorbed from food and only a supplement will make any impact [and avoid a very yellow mess in your kitchen].

Supernutrition #5: Hormones, Diet & Body Composition

Hormones diet and body composition

The three principal sex hormones, Oestradiol (E), Testosterone (T) and Progesterone (P) all interact with diet, metabolism and body composition. Ghrelin and Leptin moderate intake and insulin determines fat storage. Thyroid function regulates energy metabolism. Anyone with weight problems (too much or too little) may need hormone evaluation and/or treatment. Reduction in output of E & T post menopause or in 60+ men has adverse consequences that you may wish to counter.

Supernutrution #4: Eight easy ways to lose central fat

Eight genuinely easy ways to shift dangerous central fat and prolong HealthSpan

The following 8 strategies have scientific evidence to support them and obvious logic. Critically none of them require you to go hungry.

I don’t deal here with hormone issues but will do so next week.

Supernutrition #3: The dangers of central fat

How do I lose my dangerous central fat?

This is important for your HealthSpan- This is not ‘fat-shaming’ just the truth that accumulating central fat increases your risk of fatal and life-diminishing diseases, shortens your life, and reduces the quality of your life. But you probably know that, deep down.

Clearly, keeping slim is difficult for many: so what do we know that is useful if you need some help, what are the myths?

Supernutrition #2: Must haves & Best nots

As well as your rainbow plate there are some other nutrients that are essential.

Ideally, a significant proportion of your energy comes from the fat content of your diet rather than from high glycaemic carbs [refined wheat, potatoes, white rice etc] because these cause high sugar peaks after consumption. The best oil and fat choices are healthy and good for you. The demonisation of fat in the last century is now recognized to be completely misleading and one of the causes of our current obesity epidemic. I will use ‘fat’ to mean oil or solid foods.

Supernutrition #1: Use a Rainbow Plate to turbocharge your anti-ageing strategy

Supernutrition to lower your biological age doesn’t come from a single faddish ‘superfood’, but from a diet packed with the multiple beneficial nutrients that reduce inflamm-aging, promote immunity and reduce dementia and cancer risk.

YES! you can influence these outcomes by your food choices: in fact, it is absolutely the best way [alongside daily exercise]. The key dietary components to achieve this are adequate protein intake, lots of polyphenols and flavonoids, an appropriate choice of oils and fats and attention to trace element and vitamin content. Polyphenols and flavonoids are the chemicals in food that do the anticancer/ anti-inflammatory work.