How should one eat for a long and healthy life? What do centenarians eat? Through extensive research, health experts and nutritionists have identified ten dietary preferences common among long-lived individuals.
1. Drinking Congee
In terms of eating habits, centenarians all have a fondness for congee. The famous economist Ma Yinchu and his wife Zhang Guijun were both centenarians, and they especially enjoyed drinking congee. Every morning, they would mix 50 grams of oatmeal into 250 grams of boiling water, let it steep for two minutes, and it would be ready to eat. They did this every day, without fail.
2. Millet is the Best Tonic
Elders favor millet, considering it the best nutritional supplement. The frail and sick often use millet to nourish their bodies. Millet benefits the five vital organs, strengthens the stomach and intestines, replenishes fluids, and builds muscles and bones. A famous physician from the Qing Dynasty said: "Millet is the most nourishing. The 'milk' from boiled millet porridge is superior to ginseng soup." This shows the wisdom behind centenarians' preference for millet.
3. Corn as a Staple Food
Corn is a staple food that centenarians cannot do without. The American Medical Association conducted a survey and found that among Native Americans in the United States, there were no cases of hypertension or arteriosclerosis, which was attributed to their diet of old corn. Medical research has discovered that old corn contains large amounts of lecithin, linoleic acid, grain alcohol, and vitamin E, which helps prevent hypertension and arteriosclerosis.
4. Drinking Milk Every Day
Drinking milk is a common habit among centenarians, especially those living in cities. It is said that there are currently 25,000 centenarians in the United States, 80% of whom are women, and their common dietary habit is drinking milk. Centenarian Benning drinks two glasses of milk a day, sometimes more, so at the age of 100, she showed no signs of osteoporosis.
5. Eating an Egg Every Day
Eating an egg every day has become a common habit for centenarians. Dr. Chen Hanshan, a centenarian and renowned economist, followed a nutritional plan that he called the "three ones": "an egg in the morning, a glass of milk in the evening, and a big apple in between." He ate more vegetarian and less meat in his three daily meals, scientifically arranging his diet to achieve good health.
6. A Preference for Sweet Potatoes
Eating sweet potatoes is a major liking of centenarians. Medical research has found that sweet potatoes have five major benefits: 1. They nourish the blood and benefit the middle jiao, being rich in nutrients; 2. They relax the intestines and promote bowel movements; 3. They replenish qi and generate fluids, enhancing immunity; 4. They contain anti-cancer substances and can prevent and fight cancer; 5. They resist aging and prevent arteriosclerosis.
Medical experts say that sweet potatoes contain a large amount of mucoprotein, which can prevent the atrophy of connective tissue in the liver and kidneys and enhance the body's immunity. They also have the effect of eliminating active oxygen, thus avoiding cancer induced by it. Furthermore, because sweet potatoes contain relatively high levels of calcium and magnesium, they can prevent osteoporosis.
7. Everyone Loves Tofu
Elders generally love tofu. They say: "Fish causes internal heat, meat causes phlegm, but cabbage and tofu ensure peace and safety." The book "Sui Xi Ju Yin Shi Pu" states: "It can be made everywhere, affordable for both the poor and the rich, truly the great master of vegetarian food. It can also be used in non-vegetarian dishes. Those frozen in winter are especially delicious."
The main components of tofu are protein and isoflavones. Tofu has the effects of replenishing qi, tonifying deficiency, lowering blood lead concentration, protecting the liver, and promoting metabolism. Regular consumption of tofu is beneficial for health and intellectual development. For the elderly, eating tofu often has a good therapeutic effect on conditions like arteriosclerosis and osteoporosis.
8. A Love for Chinese Cabbage
Chinese cabbage, an ordinary vegetable, is the favorite of the elderly. Mr. Qi Baishi, a master of traditional Chinese painting, once created a painting of Chinese cabbage, calling it the "king of vegetables" and praising it as "a hundred vegetables are not as good as cabbage." The elderly often say: "Eat cabbage for half a year, and the doctor can enjoy a leisurely life." Chinese cabbage contains minerals, vitamins, protein, crude fiber, and carotene. In terms of medicinal effects, it has seven major benefits: nourishing the stomach, benefiting the intestines, sobering up, promoting bowel movements, lowering lipids, clearing heat, and preventing cancer.
9. Never Without Radish in Winter
Centenarians' diets in winter never exclude radish. They say: "Eat radish in winter and ginger in summer to stay healthy all year round." Zheng Banqiao, one of the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou," wrote a couplet: "Green vegetables, radishes, and coarse rice; a clay pot, natural water, and chrysanthemum tea." "Radish with tea" was Mr. Zheng's secret to health preservation.
Radish is a true health food for the elderly. Traditional Chinese medicine believes it can resolve stagnation, aid digestion, treat coughs and hoarseness, stop vomiting of blood, alleviate thirst, stop dysentery, relieve headaches, and promote urination. Eating it raw can quench thirst, clear internal heat, resolve phlegm, stop wheezing, and aid digestion. Eating it steamed can aid digestion, strengthen the spleen, and has nourishing effects.
10. Carrots
Carrots are also a favorite of the elderly. Carrots are rich in vitamin A and extremely rich in carotene. Research shows that carrots provide various nutrients needed to resist heart disease, stroke, hypertension, and arteriosclerosis.
Carotene can only be absorbed by the body when dissolved in oil. Therefore, experienced elderly people often slice or shred carrots and stir-fry them with oil, which can preserve over 79% of the carotene. Slicing and stewing with meat can preserve up to 95% of the carotene. Carrots also promote the exchange of substances in the brain and enhance memory. Eating a plate of shredded stir-fried carrots before studying is beneficial for consolidating memory.