Core Tip: A good body is the prerequisite for longevity, and a healthy diet is the prerequisite for a good body. Most of the world's centenarians have a common trait: a healthy diet. So, what does their healthy diet look like?
● Pakistan: Eating Whole Grains for Health In Pakistan's Hunza region, people in their eighties and nineties can still work in the fields, and many live healthily past the age of 100. According to field research by British medical experts, the Hunza diet is primarily plant-based, with a preference for whole-grain flour, fruits, green vegetables, potatoes, and sesame; they also enjoy drinking a moderate amount of wine made from grapes, mulberries, and apricots. Additionally, the Hunza Valley is rich in glaciers and rivers, and the water here is rich in minerals and can be consumed year-round. These unique natural conditions are highly beneficial for the health of the local population.
● USA: Love for Nutritious Soups American seniors place great importance on drinking soup. The U.S. "Dietary Guidelines for the Elderly" emphasize that fluid intake is crucial for people over 70, and soup should hold a significant place in their diet. The secret lies in the fact that the digestive capacity of the elderly is far less than that of the young. When eating the same food, young people can absorb 95%, while the elderly can only absorb about 50%. After cooking, soups not only taste good and are nutritious but are also more suitable for the elderly's chewing ability and gastrointestinal function.
● Ecuador: Less Meat, More Vegetables Vilcabamba, Ecuador, is recognized as the longevity capital of the Western Hemisphere, with over 20 centenarians among a population of about 5,000. The people of Vilcabamba are primarily vegetarian, favoring beans, corn, bananas, sweet potatoes, rice, and mangoes, and rarely eat animal-based foods and high-calorie foods.
● Greece: Cooking with Olive Oil Greece itself is famous for its healthy population, but in Sými, you will find the true old Greeks. They are very old, but for the people of Sými, they are still young, with people in their seventies and eighties remaining healthy and full of vitality. Sými has a small population of only 2,700, but a large proportion of its residents are centenarians and in their nineties. The people of Sými eat highly nutritious, moderately caloric foods, consume large amounts of local fruits and vegetables, get a good amount of essential fatty acids from fish, use olive oil regularly in their cooking, eat whole grains instead of refined carbohydrates, ingest plant-based proteins, drink wine in moderation, and also enjoy regular exercise.
● Italy: A Preference for Tomatoes Located in southern Italy, the village of Campodimele is world-famous as a "village of eternal youth." Visitors to the village are amazed to find that local 90-year-olds can still ride motorcycles through the streets. The villagers rarely get sick and have almost never seen a doctor. These elderly Italians, eating the same grains as everyone else, maintain a vibrant youthfulness. What is their secret? It turns out that the food these Italians favor year-round is fruits and vegetables, with their most beloved being the tomato. In Italian, the tomato is called "pomo d'oro," meaning "golden apple." There is also a European proverb that says: "When the tomato turns red, the doctor's face turns green."