Does eating less means longer life ?

How does eating fewer calories mean to increase your life expectancy?

Do you know why Japanese people eat their food on small plates? and there is not only one plate on their table but there are several plates because the food that they eat is less in quantity but it is diversified. If you will see their plates you will find multi-color meals on the plates. Like a rainbow on a plate.

But you will be having a question that why are you talking about Japan?

The answer is simple Japan is known for the most number of Centenarians as compared to other countries like America, India, or other great powers. As per the research, In Japan, there are more than 520 centenarians in the population of 1 million that is a significant number.

Kane Tanaka, who is a resident of Japan recently celebrated her 119th birthday. She had seen 3 centuries.

READ MORE ABOUT HER IN HERE

One question may arise that we can get malnourished if we will eat fewer calories?

We have seen above that Japanese people eat less but the quality of food that they eat is high. Their plate consists of highly nutritious items. Instead of getting the calories from food that has low nutritious value. For eg: If we compare 100 gms of Burger with 100 gms of oily fish then obviously the weight is the same and the calories of the burger are higher but the energy provided by them have a ground sky difference.

They eat a wide variety of vegetables and beans. Soy products like tofu, raw soybean, etc. are the prominent items in their diet. They also eat oily fish at least 3 times a week that gives antioxidant properties to their body.

So what is the science behind eating less i.e. proportional to a longer life?

A 1930s experiment on rats and mice have done in which calorie restriction is a key step. Dietary restriction of 30 to 50 % calories resulted in a longer life span.

You may be counter questioning that laboratory tests in rats and other organisms will not be the same as that done in humans. Yes, you are right but the point is the calorie deficit or dietary restriction.

Calorie restricted diet can be an anti-aging weapon for longer.

Simply if you eat more calories than your body is creating more free radicals and it can also be developed in excess if we are eating junk, fried foods, smoking, etc. These free radicals have the capability of damaging the cells of our body.

Antioxidants are present in more than 1000 healthy foods. Antioxidants are the chemicals that lessen or stop the growth of free radicals in our body which in turn prevents the aging process. 

I have told you that a nutrient-rich diet is a key to success. You should always have your plate less food but the food that is in it will be the quality food i.e. nutrient-rich. 

What a typical nutrient-rich diet should be?

A lot of vegetables (colorful veggies), whole grains like oats, buckwheat, rice, multigrain chapati, and the most nutritious is fish should be there in your diet.

Stay away from refined and sugary products. These foods are only increasing your dopamine (the feel-good hormone) for the short term and resulting in the loss of elastin and collagen from your skin cells thus making your skin saggy and wrinkled.

Water will be on top of any nutrient-rich items. Believe it or not, water is really great for your skin and body functions which promote aging. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. 

So, try eating on small plates instead of eating on large ones, and if you are eating less then eat high nutrients giving foods. By this, you will be losing weight and also you will be feeling energetic throughout the day.