5 Healthy Diet Tips That Will Change Your Life and Help You Live Longer

Leading a healthy lifestyle is so much more than hitting the gym every once in a while, and even when you do, you should consider taking your workouts into the great outdoors more often. A truly healthy lifestyle entails regular exercise, nurturing de-stressing habits like meditation and healthy hobbies, and of course, eating right. In fact, nutrition is the best way to invest in your health and overall well-being, because what you put in your body will have a profound effect on your health over the span of years and decades.

Remember that adhering to a healthy diet is a journey, a lifelong one, and that by eating healthy continuously you will experience the positive effects of quality, wholesome foods. Just like unhealthy habits won’t ruin your health immediately, you can’t expect a healthy diet plan to elevate your health in a day — it takes time and dedication. That said, it will all be worth it when you start living your best life, so let’s take a look at how you can start changing your diet today to change your life and improve your longevity.

Antioxidant-rich foods elevate our quality of life

There are many ways in which we can inadvertently and over time shorten our lifespan, one of which is through the foods we eat and the substances we consume from our environment — such as tobacco smoke. Unhealthy foods and substances like smoke and alcohol are all detrimental to our health, and they support the production of free radicals in our body. We produce free radicals when we break down the food we eat and when we’re exposed to numerous harmful substances.

These unstable atoms speed up cellular aging and breakdown and they have been linked to heart disease, cancer, and many other illnesses. While free radicals do shorten your lifespan, you can minimize their effect and how much of them your body creates by eating antioxidant-rich foods.

Some of the foods with the highest quantity of antioxidants include grapes and berries in general, garlic and onions, whole grains and vegetables from the entire color spectrum, seafood, and of course, various nuts. Add these foods to your diet and you will not only create tastier meals, but you will also get plenty of antioxidants into your system. 

Getting rid of junk food and vices

It should go without saying but we need to emphasize it — you can’t lead a healthy life if you indulge in unhealthy foods and vices. Remember, you can’t outperform a bad diet, and no matter how much you exercise or how well you sleep, unhealthy foods will always diminish your quality of life. It can be easy to reach for junk food when you’re stuck indoors, but it’s important to adhere to healthy eating while working from home. 

If you haven’t already, now is the time to start weeding out the unhealthy foods and substances from your life in order to increase your longevity. This is a process, though, and nobody expects you to eliminate all those vices from your life immediately. Eliminate them one at a time, substitute junk food with healthy meals, and remove yourself from temptation to achieve success.

Beans are great meat substitutes

Not enough praise can be said for beans and legumes in general, and in many ways they are a “superfood” you should definitely include in your diet. However, it’s not just about the quality of beans, it’s that you can use them as a great substitute for meat products if you are trying to transition to more of a plant-based diet.

There are many reasons why you would want to make this transition, especially if you want to lead a healthier and longer life, and beans and legumes can help you make a healthy switch. For example, haricot beans are a rich source of quality protein and antioxidants, as well as healthy fats and carbs. In a practical sense, eating beans regularly can help lower cholesterol, get plenty of fiber in your diet to help with gut health, elevate your heart health, and provide your body with crucial minerals like phosphorus, copper, magnesium and iron.

A calculated approach for a longer life

Of course, we need to remember that there is no cookie-cutter solution to a healthier and longer life. Instead, you need to follow a healthy diet plan, preferably one that’s designed just for you and your needs, and you need to be calculated in your approach.

For example, it can be a good idea to limit your calories every once in a while, or commit to fasting on occasion just to give your stomach, liver, kidneys, and bowels a break and a chance to recuperate. Keep in mind that digesting food is taking on the body, and the liver especially has a difficult job to do, so you should focus on consuming functional food as well. Everything passes through the liver before it enters your bloodstream, because the liver is a sort of a gatekeeper that prevents toxins from entering your system.

The liver regenerates itself and heals over time, but it needs help from you every once in a while. With all of that in mind, be sure to eat more mindfully and consider intermittent fasting as a way to give your body a chance to revitalize.

The Mediterranean Diet may boost your long-term health

Lastly, research has shown over the years that the Mediterranean diet can be especially beneficial to fighting aging and cognitive decline. Researchers have been very keen to uncover the reasons behind the longevity of Mediterranean peoples, and unsurprisingly, the research shows that the high intake of seafood coupled with a predominantly plant-based diet is the main driver of longevity.

But most importantly to you right now, the Mediterranean diet is something you can easily follow and introduce into your everyday life. Simply research Mediterranean foods and dishes, follow the delicious recipes, and enjoy the health benefits they bring. 

Over to you

In the end, there is no single solution that will help you live longer. You need to combine healthy eating with a number of other healthy habits to lead a healthy life, so be sure to make the first and most important step by introducing these diet tips into your daily routine.