Daily musings #587 - Wednesday, 31 August 2022

Many complex problems have extremely simple answers. Yet hard to practice. One of the proven patterns that have been studied extensively in that long life is correlated to eating less than what the body needs. Just that one thing.

Lots of weight loss diets are predicated to work based on a calorie deficit. Typically like 500 calories per day until you reach the target weight. In most cases, people who use diet as a weight loss mechanism often put back all or most of their weight over a period of years after the diet ends. Only a few outliers often keep it continually off, which requires hard work and persistence.

This seems to reflect in the Okinawa diet used by this island population in Japan.

But the research seems to be conclusive on calorie restriction. If one eats 10% less and the body is in borderline hunger all the time, it seems to correlate to a longer life. Or so it seems. A simple answer perhaps to a complex problem. Something that I need to experiment with, try and stabilize as a standard practice.

More at:

This Japanese 80% diet rule can help you live a longer life, says longevity researcher - https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/10/japanese-80-percent-diet-rule-can-help-you-live-longer-says-longevity-expert.html

It's simple: Eat less, live longer - https://www.thesunchronicle.com/opinion/columns/oreste-darconte-its-simple-eat-less-live-longer/article_a499d580-e37f-5d81-a547-b34ba84fbab6.html

Why Eating Less Means Living Longer - https://www.science.org/content/article/why-eating-less-means-living-longer

Can Calorie Restriction Extend Your Lifespan? https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2020/can-calorie-restriction-extend-your-lifespan/

Eat less, live longer - https://neurosciencenews.com/caloric-restriction-longevity-15812/

Does eating less make you live longer and better? An update on calorie restriction - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5685139/