4 ways to increase your lifespan – and quality of life

(SOUTH YARMOUTH) – There are many podcasts, articles and videos out there these days that promote ways to improve your longevity and quality of life, such as fasting and austere diets. And, while Bourne Internal Medicine Physician Miguel Prieto, MD, says there is new and credible science behind many of these claims, there are more practical ways for people to improve their quality of life and increase their lifespan.

According to Dr. Prieto, if the average person does just these four things by the time they are 50, they can increase their longevity by 12-14 years:

Eat a plant-based diet

“If you are unable to do that, I tell my patients to eat only what is in nature,” said Dr. Prieto. “Cookies don’t grow on trees. And do not eat anything from the deli department, which includes cheese. Eat mainly fruits and vegetables, with mainly fish and poultry (If you still want to eat meat) about twice a week or less.”

Eliminate processed foods and eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables

“We need to de-flour our diet,” he said.

Studies show that foods rich in antioxidants, when eaten with foods that are highly processed or not as good for you, will decrease the damage from those foods, he said. “Say that you eat pancakes, you should have them with berries and it will cut the insulin spike (from the pancakes) by 50 percent,” he said. Studies also show that avocado, when added to a traditional hamburger with all the high-fat, high-sugar toppings, will cut an insulin spike greatly, according to Dr. Prieto.

Insulin spikes occur when your blood sugar rises quickly after you eat sweet, highly processed carbohydrates, causing your glucose levels to drop abruptly and triggering hunger. Over time, insulin loses the ability to effectively decrease your glucose, a process called insulin resistance, which can lead to Type 2 diabetes.

Increasing the amount of protein in your diet is actually not good for you, he said. “If we eat the amount of protein that is recommended, 0.8 grams per kilogram (of weight), it comes to about two ounces per day,” he said. “But Americans have between 100-120 grams per day, or double the recommended amount. That puts strain on your kidneys and that causes cellular damage.”

Studies involving the bacteria in the stomach show that bacteria that feed on meat, only, release compounds that are toxic, he said, which leads to higher incidence of chronic medical conditions, depression and dementia.

Dr. Prieto recommends the MIND diet (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurogenerative Delay), which is a combination of the DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet. The MIND diet was developed by a team of researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago that tested it on participants in the Rush Memory and Aging Project, which has been studying seniors since 1997. Researchers found that the MIND diet reduced the incidence of Alzheimer’s and other dementia by close to 54 percent.

Dr. Prieto suggested that people not view their diet as depriving themselves of things.

“It’s not about what you can or cannot do, it’s about being smart about what we eat, so we don’t hurt ourselves,” he said. “Our bodies do have the ability to repair, but if we overwhelm the repairing mechanism, that’s what we’re spending all our good energy on. That’s why people who don’t eat well are constantly tired.

Stay physically active

To achieve the best results, you should move your body in some kind of cardiovascular or aerobic exercise for at least of 150 minutes per week at mild or moderate intensity, or 75 minutes for high intensity, said Dr. Prieto. “Studies show this is the holy grail,” he said.

Stay socially active

People who are isolated have a higher incidence of depression and dementia, he said. “A new study published about twelve weeks ago shows a five-fold increase in the incidence of heart attacks in isolated individuals, he added.

“I want you to cultivate joy,” Dr. Prieto said. “Doing things that interest you and that you like are key. We cannot be happy about what is happening in Ukraine; we cannot be happy about what’s happening with inflation; we cannot be happy about a lot of what we hear on the news. But we can still enjoy a sunset; we can still enjoy a lunch with friends. So, you need to cultivate joy. You need to be selective about what you let inside your mind.”

By, Robin Lord, Cape Cod Health News