The Okinawa Diet Plan

Dear Friends,

One of the most important findings in longevity research has been that eating fewer calories increases life span. The initial evidence was based on observations of the low calorie intake of the Okinawans and their long life expectancy, by modern day Gerontologists—Craig Wilcox PhD, Bradley Wilcox MD, MS, and the Dean of the group Makoto Suzuki MD. Together they have authored the New York Times best selling book: The Okinawa Diet Plan

The elders of Okinawa Japan are among the leanest and longest lived people on earth. More than any other population, older Okinawans are slim and agile, and their minds are clear and lucid. Few suffer the lifestyle related diseases like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity that are so common in their Western counterpart.

In this inspiring CNN clip, Secret of Long Life in Okinawa you will see one of the many typical 90 year olds who still climb trees to pick fruit. You will meet Gerontologist Dr. Craig Wilcox and see a few of the old people who are members of a society with the highest percentage of centenarians of any place in the world. Their secret: (1) The Okinawa Diet, (2) Plenty of exercise and work, (3) A good healthcare system that focuses on prevention and (4) They have a sense of community that values optimism. Older people are active and respected.

An Okinawan reaching 110 years of age has typically had a diet consistently averaging no more than one calorie per gram of food and has a BMI of 20.4.

The diet consists of a relatively low intake of calories … The principal focus of the diet consists of knowing how many calories per gram each food item contains. The proponents of this diet divide food into 4 categories based on caloric density. The ‘featherweight” foods, less than or equal to 0.8 calories per gram which one can eat freely without major concern, the “lightweight” foods with a caloric density from 0.8 to 1.5 calories per gram which one should eat in moderation, the “middleweight” foods with a caloric density from 1.5 to 3.0 calories per gram which one should eat onlhy while carefully monitoring portion size and the “heavyweight” foods from 3 to 9 caories per gram which one should eat onlhy sparingly.

Watching your Caloric Density (CD) enables you to eat plenty of food without getting plenty of calories. Calculating CD is simple- a popular breakfast cereal lists a serving size at 3/4 cup or 32 grams. The number of calories per serving is 110. The CD is 110/32 = 3.4.

An even simpler approach than counting calories is to use The Okinawa Diet Caloric Density Pyramid. The CD values of many common foods have already been calculated and then ranked in the CD pyramid. Examples of Featherweight foods with a CD of less than 0.7, food that you can eat as much as you want are water based vegetable soup (CD- 0.3); apples, berries, peaches, and most other fruit (CD- 0.6); broccoli, squash, green peas and most other veggies (CD- 0.5); fat free yogurt (CD- 0.6); and tofu (CD- 0.6).

The Okinawa Diet Food Guide Pyramid emphasizes eating healthy fat, calcium, flavonoid and omega-3 rich foods. Whole grains and other good carbs along with vegetables make up the base of the pyramid.

The Okinawa Diet Plan introduces a delicious diet that emphasizes the right carbs — low-Glycemic Index, good carbohydrates and healthy fats and proteins, resulting in a calorie-lite diet that cuts hunger and maximizes fat loss rather than the water loss seen in many low carb diets. Definately, worth your checking out.

Sincerely yours,

Seann Bardell
BioImmersion.com

Clinical Note:

In today Clinical Notes we are highlighting in our video blog the Wild Blueberry Daily and the Wild Blueberry Extract. The blueberry has also been called the “brainberry” for its ability to protect the brain from the oxidizing effect of free radicals. In this day and age with the increasing levels of oxidative stress and rising incidence of Alzheimer’s and other neurological stress related diseases, regular consumption of blueberry makes tremendous sense.

The Last Quiz Answer:
This gorgeous creature is the legendary Black Mamba, regarded as one of the most dangerous and feared snakes in Africa. The black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) is the longest venomous snake in Africa, averaging around 8.2 feet, and sometimes growing up to 14 feet. It is known to be capable of reaching speeds of around 12 miles per hour, traveling with up to a third of its body raised off the ground.

Before the advent of black mamba antivenin, a bite from this fearsome serpent was 100 percent fatal, usually within about 20 minutes. Unfortunately, antivenin is still not widely available in the rural parts of the mamba’s range, and mamba-related deaths remain frequent. Fortunately, Mambas are shy and will almost always seek to escape when confronted.

It is always a treat to catch up with Jamie Oliver and see how his very important and motivating Food Revolution is going. This season Jamie has taken on the goal of transforming the LA School System student food program. Here is a recent episode—We Are Going To Go Guerilla Enjoy!!!