Review of The Longevity Diet: Discover Calorie Restriction--the Only Proven Way to Slow the Aging Process and Maintain Peak Vitality (Paperback)

This book complements Doctor Roy Walford's books very nicely.

The basic idea is that, by designing a diet which is lower in calories, but adequate in vitamins, minerals, etc., you can live a lot longer.

Dr. Walfords books introduce the idea, explain the evidence for believing that it will work, and tell you how to get started on such a diet.His books tend to be a bit technical, though very well written.You should at least read "The Anti-Aging Plan" by Roy and Lisa Walford before jumping into "The Longevity Diet."

"The Longevity Diet" isn't just a rehash of Dr. Walford's work.The authors' discuss the human, nontechnical side of the plan.How do you change your eating habits?How do you deal with cravings for ice cream, or social situations where you are expected to feast with others?

One of the recommendations involves keeping a diary of what you eat, and what situations make you over-eat, so that you can plan strategies to overcome them.You also use the food diary to count your calories, and nutrition.

They cover a number of other topics, introducing some recent developments, such as the ORAC index of foods, which tells you which foods are the best anti-oxidants (Blueberries), and the idea of energy density, which has to do with eating foods which have few calories in a large volume of food.

Other topics include Exercise, Relaxation techniques, major Theories of Aging, and the balance between Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.

For those who don't know, here's a synopsis of the CR (Calorie Restriction) movement:

In the 1930's, some researchers at Cornell discovered, by accident, that if you feed mice less than the normal amount, they live A LOT longer.

Further research indicated that if you feed them a diet very low in calories, but with complete nutrition (vitamins, minerals, etc.), the mice can live EVEN LONGER.In the most extreme situations, they can almost double the life span of mice.

Later, scientist started looking for a way to make a pill (or something) which would allow people to live longer.The only known way of making something live longer was to restrict it's calories, so they began to study caloric restriction.The idea was to make a pill which has effects similar to calroic restriction.This accomplished nothing fast.

Along comes Roy Walford of UCLA.Walford thinks the life extending pill is a great idea, but he's pretty sure it isn't going to be developed in our lifetime.Having a keen sense of the obvious, Walford recommends that people start practicing caloric restriction themselves.It works on every other species for which it has been tried, and it has the same biological effects on human cholesterol, blood pressure, etc. as it has on other species. WHY NOT???

By all means buy this book!While you're at it, pick up "The Anti-Aging Plan."Also, grab a copy of the Walford's free software at http://www.walford.com/software.htm .





Product Description
At last, a book that synthesizes the increasingly popular concept of calorie restriction (CR)--a life-extending eating strategy with "profound and sustained beneficial effects," according to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
The Longevity Diet offers clear, straightforward principles for devising an effective eating regimen to live longer and reduce the risks of virtually all the diseases of aging. The concept is simple and flexible---eat fewer calories and choose foods carefully. And it is supported by science: studies on lab mice and other mammals have led to lifespans the human equivalent of which are over 140 years, and many suggest that the benefits extend to humans.
Longtime CR practitioners and experts Brian M. Delaney and Lisa Walford clearly explain the relevant health and nutrition guidelines and provide all of the tools you need to make the appropriate dietary changes. The results can be dramatic: those who follow CR have quickly lowered their cholesterol and blood pressure and reduced body fat. Find out why a growing number of people are choosing the Longevity Diet lifestyle and let this book empower you to achieve a lifetime of healthy eating and living--whether your priorities are to live longer, reduce disease risks, lose weight, or simply feel and look healthier.

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