For me,
eating less and loosing 30 pounds of body weight in the last two years has
significantly lowered my average morning fasting blood sugar and four month A1C
readings; and, has resulted in my cardiologist reducing my blood pressure
medicine dosages in half. I feel
stronger and more energetic, and I exercise in some way on a daily basis. I sleep soundly and dream every night. My waistline measurements have decreased from
44 inches to 40 inches. My current goal
is to reach a body weight of 230 pounds, and a waist of 38 inches, at a height
of 6’6”. Consequently, I plan to
continue my efforts to eat less, but eat nutritious meals.
I doubt I
can live longer by eating less, but the likelihood of reducing the significant
possible negative health effects of my Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure
seem worth the effort.
Is fasting one day a week reasonable
for me? I am currently not sure about this approach to
reducing caloric intake, since I actively exercise each day. Maybe skipping dinner twice a week might be
an option. Comments??
“While
human calorie restriction doesn't have the same impact on life span, it does
provide numerous benefits, such as a greatly lowered risk for most degenerative
conditions of aging, and improved measures of health. In recent years, human
studies of long-term and short-term calorie restriction have comprehensively
demonstrated these benefits. Many researchers believe that the evidence to date
shows the practice of CR will in fact extend the healthy human life span, but
there simply isn't enough data yet to pin down the effects on life expectancy.
It is plausible that they are at least as good as those resulting from
exercise. If so, it could mean a difference of 5-10 years of life.”
“Calorie
restriction (CR) extends life span and retards age-related chronic diseases in
a variety of species, including rats, mice, fish, flies, worms, and yeast. The
mechanism or mechanisms through which this occurs are unclear. CR reduces
metabolic rate and oxidative stress, improves insulin sensitivity, and alters
neuroendocrine and sympathetic nervous system function in animals. Whether
prolonged CR increases life span (or improves biomarkers of aging) in humans is
unknown. In experiments of nature, humans have been subjected to periods of
nonvolitional partial starvation. However, the diets in almost all of these
cases have been of poor quality. The absence of adequate information on the
effects of good-quality, calorie-restricted diets in nonobese humans reflects
the difficulties involved in conducting long-term studies in an environment so
conducive to overfeeding. Such studies in free-living persons also raise
ethical and methodologic issues. Future studies in nonobese humans should focus
on the effects of prolonged CR on metabolic rate, on neuroendocrine
adaptations, on diverse biomarkers of aging, and on predictors of chronic
age-related diseases.”
- Caloric Restriction and
Aging, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Calorie restriction (CR), or caloric restriction,
is a dietary regimen that is based on low calorie
intake. "Low" can be defined relative to the subject's previous
intake before intentionally restricting calories, or relative to an average
person of similar body type. Calorie restriction without malnutrition has been
shown to work in a variety of species, among them yeast, fish, rodents and dogs
to decelerate the biological aging process, resulting in longer maintenance
of youthful health and an increase in both median and maximum
lifespan.
Live
Longer: The One Anti-Aging Trick
That Works by Robert Roy Britt.
The
Longevity Diet by Lisa Waldford and Brian M. Delaney
