How to Eat for Longevity: 10 Science-Backed Habits

Let me tell you about Maria she’s 107 lives in Sardinia still grows her own olives and when I asked her secret she handed me a bowl of fava beans “eat these every day” she said “and stop rushing your meals” simple right but it changed everything for me after 20 years as a nutritionist I’ve sat with farmers in Okinawa grandmothers in Costa Rica shepherds in Greece and they all eat the same ten ways not fancy not expensive just stubborn habits I’ll break them down so you can steal them too

why this matters more now than ever
Remember your grandpa who smoked and ate bacon and lived to 90 yeah that world’s gone our food’s filled with plastic and poison I learned this hard way when my own blood sugar crashed at 40 despite eating “healthy” that’s when I started traveling to places where people live slow and die old here’s what works when modern food fails you

habit one become friends with beans
Maria taught me Sardinians eat fava beans like Americans eat chips daily yes daily soak them overnight with baking soda cook them slow with rosemary and garlic your belly might protest at first but push through soon you’ll crave them like I do now I keep jars of black beans chickpeas lentils in my pantry throw them in soups salads even brownies no joke

why it works that fiber feeds your gut bugs that make butyrate sounds gross but it heals your gut lining study of old folks found bean eaters had cells 9 years younger than their age

habit two paint your plate like a kid with crayons
My Okinawan buddy Hiroshi 102 grows purple sweet potatoes and bitter melon in his backyard his plate looks like a rainbow exploded when I copied him for six months my creaky knees quieted down here’s my fridge now

purple things eggplant grapes beets for your brain
red things tomatoes watermelon for your heart
orange things squash carrots for your skin
green things kale spinach for your gut

cheat code frozen blueberries in oatmeal taste like pie cost less than fresh

habit three close your kitchen after dark
I used to eat ice cream straight from the tub at midnight my Greek friend Yannis 98 scolded me “you torture your liver” now I stop eating by 8 pm first week felt like torture then magic happened woke up without coffee cravings vanished lost weight without trying

simple science your liver cleans house from 10 pm to 2 am if you’re digesting food it can’t do its job start with 10 hours if 12 feels impossible

habit four eat fats your great grandma knew
Forget vegetable oils in plastic bottles centenarians use

olive oil Sardinians drink a tablespoon daily
walnuts Ikarians snack on them like candy
fish fat Okinawans eat small oily fish whole

When I switched to real fats my skin stopped looking like a dried prune

habit five let your food get funky
My first kimchi batch exploded all over the ceiling but now I ferment everything why bother

sauerkraut cheaper than probiotic pills
kefir better than yogurt
miso heals your gut in minutes

start easy buy raw sauerkraut in fridge section add forkful to meals

habit six spice like your life depends on it
Turmeric stains everything yellow worth it centenarians use spices like medicine

cinnamon controls blood sugar
garlic fights colds
ginger eases aches

my lazy trick golden milk before bed warm milk turmeric honey feels like a hug

habit seven eat carbs like a peasant
Maria’s sourdough never spiked my blood sugar like store bread why long fermentation breaks down junk smart carb rules

eat carbs with fat like bread dipped in olive oil
choose ancient grains oats barley farro
cool starches potato salad beats hot fries

shocker cooled rice with vinegar like Okinawans eat raised my blood sugar 40 percent less than hot rice

habit eight drink like the elders
Ikarians brew wild herbs Sardinians sip dark wine Okinawans drink jasmine tea all

sugar free
plant based
shared with friends

I swapped soda for hibiscus tea my skin cleared up anxiety faded

habit nine cook low and slow
High heat makes food toxic centenarians mostly

steam veggies keep them bright
stew meats make them tender
bake fish in parchment

my shortcut instant pot dump beans veggies herbs push button walk away

habit ten eat like you mean it
Okinawans say hara hachi bu eat till 80 percent full tricks that helped me

use chopsticks even for pizza slows you down
serve food then put pots away
sip water mid meal

weird bonus food tastes better when you’re not stuffed

putting it together without going crazy
Last Tuesday I stress ate cookies at midnight next morning I had beans for breakfast Maria’s rule “one bad meal doesn’t ruin you one good meal heals” your plate looks like this

half colorful veggies
quarter beans lentils
quarter whole grains
drowned in good fats
buried in spices

final truth
Centenarians don’t count calories they eat food grown nearby prepared simply shared with love start tonight add lentils to your soup your cells renew every day feed them well they’ll carry you to 100

faqs real questions people ask me

can I eat meat?
Sure Sardinians eat lamb on Sundays Ikarians eat goat cheese just keep it small like deck of cards size and quality high grass fed wild caught

what about sweets?
Hiroshi eats sweet potato pie Maria dips dark chocolate in wine enjoy real treats not lab made junk

I hate cooking!
My lazy meal canned beans bagged salad precooked beets olive oil walnuts takes three minutes no stove

is organic a must?
Worry about dirty dozen like strawberries spinach save money on clean fifteen like avocados pineapples

when will I feel better?
Energy boost in three days better sleep in two weeks blood sugar improves in one month deep healing takes five years start now