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Living the Good Long Life by Martha Stewart (2013): What to eat and foods to avoid

Living the Good Long Life - book by Martha StewartLiving the Good Long Life (2013) is a guide to caring for yourself and others as you age after age 40. Diet is a small part of the book.

  • Longevity diet  – compare to Blue Zone diets or Mediterranean diet
  • Plant-based foods (vegetables, beans, whole grains, and nuts and seeds), good fats, calcium-rich ingredients, seafood, and lean animal proteins

Get a copy of Living the Good Long Life for recipes plus many other lifestyle recommendations including fitness, brain health, a positive outlook, everyday living, looks, home maintenance, and caring

Living the Good Long Life diet plan – food list

Foods to eat in Living the Good Long Life

  • Vegetables and herbs
    • Red – beets, red bell peppers, radishes, tomatoes
    • Yellow-orange – acorn squash, butternut squash, carrots, yellow peppers, sweet potatoes, sweet corn, pumpkin, yellow summer squash, yellow winter squash, yams
    • Green – artichokes, arugula, asparagus, avocado, broccoli, brussels sprouts, celery, chard, collard greens, cucumber, kale, leafy greens, mustard greens, snow peas, spinach, zucchini, fresh herbs e.g. basil, chervil, chives, parsley, tarragon
    • Brown – mushrooms such as maitake, shiitake, and reishi
    • White – cauliflower, garlic, fresh ginger, onion, parsnips, potatoes, scallions, shallots, turnips
    • Blue – eggplant
    • Frozen is fine
    • Eat unlimited amounts, aiming for at least five servings a day
  • Fruits
    • Red – red apples, cherries, red grapes, pomegranate, rhubarb, strawberries, raspberries, watermelon
    • Yellow-orange – apricots, cantaloupe, mango, peaches, pineapple
    • Orange-yellow – citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, grapefruits), papapya
    • White – bananas
    • Blue – blueberries, purple grapes, plums, raisins
    • Purple –  red and purple grapes, berries (blueberries, cranberries, blackberries), plums
    • Frozen is fine, or fresh-squeezed juice
    • Best is in season and purchased fresh from the farmstand
    • 1-2 portions of fruit a day
  • Whole grains
    • Barley, buckwheat/kasha, millet, old-fashioned or steel-cut oats, quinoa, whole-grain brown rice, brown basmati rice, wild rice
    • Home-made popcorn
    • 100% whole grain pastas/noodles including soba, kamut, spent, whole wheat
    • Whole-grain breads, whole grain or whole wheat crackers with at least 3 grams of fiber per serving
    • Aim for 3 ounces a day – a 1-ounce serving of grain is equal to 1 slice of whole-grain bread, or ½ cup of cooked pasta, or grains
  • Beans and legumes
    • Beans e.g. black beans, garbanzo beans/chickpeas, kidney beans, pinto beans, etc.
    • Other legumes e.g. lentils, split peas
    • Hummus
    • Good source of calcium
    • Try to eat 2 portions per day, such as 1 cup cooked beans, or 1 cup cooked peas/legumes
    • Cooking from scratch is preferable as canned beans tend to contain higher amounts of sodium
  • Nuts and seeds
    • Nuts e.g. almonds, brazil nuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts – also nut flours, nut butters
    • Seeds e.g. sunflower seeds
    • Choose unsalted wherever possible
    • Enjoy one 1-ounce serving of nuts and seeds per day
  • Seafood
    • Fish e.g. anchovies, herring, mackerel, sablefish, wild salmon, sardines, trout, tuna, whitefish
    • Shellfish e.g. clams, mussels, oysters, shrimp
    • Prefer fish that are sustainable and low in mercury
    • Eat a 3-4 ounce portion, 3 times a week
  • Lean animal protein
    • Poultry – chicken, turkey – with the fat and skin removed
    • Eggs, including the yolk if your cholesterol levels are normal
    • Try to consume a 3-4 ounce portion of poultry three or four times a week. Eat up to 3 eggs a week
  • Calcium-rich foods
    • Dairy sources of calcium – low-fat plain yogurt, cheese (cow’s, sheep’s, or goat’s), cream cheese, cottage cheese, milk
    • Up to 2 servings of milk and fortified soymilk per day. No more than 1 cup of plain yogurt daily. Up to 1 ounce of cheese a day
    • Non-dairy sources of calcium – fortified cereals, fortified soymilk, tofu,  green soybeans, white beans, collard greens, spinach and other leafy greens, salmon with bones, sardines with bones, molasses
  • Good fats
    • Monounsaturated fats, such as those in avocadoes, (extra virgin cold-pressed) olive oil, olives
    • Keep it fresh
    • Use olive oil often, but not more than 1 teaspoon per meal. Limit yourself to a single portion of avocado, about 1/3 of an avocado. Daily allowance for unsaturated fats of 28-62 grams
  • Beverages / liquid meals – to stay hydrated
    • Water
    • Herbal tea
    • Green or black tea
    • Green juice
    • Soups
  • Condiments, pantry, etc.
    • Unsalted or low-sodium broths, miso
    • Mustard, vinegar
    • Cereals with at least 3 grams of fiber and no more that 10 grams of sugar per serving (less is better) – and pay attention to serving sizes
    • Dark chocolate
  • Foods containing necessary vitamins and minerals
    • Calcium – as above
    • Chromium – whole-grain breads and cereals, lean meats, eggs, wheat germ, broccoli, garlic, red wine
    • Folate – dark green leafy vegetables, eggs, beans, enriched and whole-grain breads and bread products, fortified ready-to-eat cereals
    • Vitamin A – liver, dairy products, fish, darkly colored fruits, leafy vegetables
    • Vitamin B6 – canned chickpeas, fortified cereals, organ meats, fortified soy-based meat substitutes, bananas, avocadoes
    • Vitamin B12 – salmon, tuna, ground beef, beans, low-fat cottage cheese, fortified cereals, meat, fish, poultry
    • Vitamin C – citrus fruits, tomatoes, red and green peppers, potatoes, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, strawberries, cabbage, spinach
    • Vitamin D – fish liver oils, flesh of fatty fish, eggs from hens that have been fed vitamin D, fortified milk products, fortified cereals
    • Vitamin E – vegetable oils, unprocessed cereal grains, nuts, wheat germ oil, sunflower seeds
    • Vitamin K – dark green leafy vegetables (collards, spinach, kale), brussels sprouts, swiss chard, parsley
    • Zinc – oysters, lobster, crab, beans, nuts
    • For a healthier brain, eat omega-rich fish, leafy greens, dark chocolate, water
    • For healthy skin, eat more antioxidant-rich foods such as brightly colored produce, healthy unsaturated fats, green tea, and fiber
    • To fight heart disease, eat whole grains, oily fish, nuts, olive oil, beans
    • To stay mobile and reduce pain with arthritis, eat a lot of omega-3 fatty acids, e.g. in salmon, walnuts, flaxseed, and fortified eggs; eat a rainbow of produce to get antioxidants, and get vitamin D
    • To protect your vision, eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and fatty fish
    • Power foods include cruciferous vegetables (including broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, and brussels sprouts), leafy green vegetables, berries, onions, garlic, tomatoes
  • Eating habits
    • Slow down and savor each dining experience, taking the time to taste your food
    • Aim to be 80% full
    • Portion your calories into five or six smaller meals and snacks, eaten roughly 3 hours apart
    • Consume most of your calories in the first half of the day
    • Include a healthy protein (eggs, fish, yogurt, lean meats, nuts) in most of your meals
    • Start the day with green juice

Foods to avoid or limit with Living the Good Long Life

  • Fats and fatty foods
    • Minimize saturated fat – e.g. beef, red meats, whole milk dairy. Trim poultry fat. Daily allowance – 16-22 grams or 10% of daily calories
    • Avoid trans fats, often found in packaged foods such as cookies, crackers, and snack foods – daily allowance of less than 2 grams a day
  • Sugars
    • Minimize refined sugar
    • Minimize soda – try water and/or sugarless gum instead
  • Salty foods
    • Use sea salt where possible instead of table salt
    • Limit your daily sodium intake to fewer than 2,300 mg a day, and preferably 1,500 mg a day
    • Watch for sodium in processed foods, such as deli meats, hard salami, tomato sauce, canned foods, condiments, and prepared mixes
  • Avoid high-mercury fish
  • Health suggestions
    • If you get heartburn or indigestion, avoid spicy foods and large meals
    • If you have lactose intolerance, try low-lactose dairy products and cheese, or stay away from dairy completely
    • To keep your skin looking good, eat fewer white foods, food additives e.g. MSG, spicy foods, salty foods, alcohol
    • To reduce your risk of high blood pressure, reduce sodium, drink moderately, avoid high-fructose corn syrup HFCS
    • To reduce the risk of minor strokes, don’t fry your food – poach, bake, or roast instead
    • To protect your bones and joints, cut back on caffeine
    • To stay mobile and reduce pain with arthritis, avoid partially hydrogenated oils and vegetable oils high in polyunsaturates
    • To protect your hearing, steer clear of excess sodium
  • Avoid excess calories

There are no clear guidelines on alcohol or caffeine, but it appears these should be limited

Health benefits claimed in Living the Good Long Life

The diet in this book claims to reduce the risks for: bloating, cataracts, chewing problems, constipation, heartburn / indigestion / GERD, macular degeneration, premature aging, wrinkles

As always, this is not intended to be a replacement for professional medical diagnosis or treatment for a medical condition. Consult your doctor before starting a new diet. This page describes what the authors of the diet recommend – Chewfo is describing the diet only, not endorsing it.

Get a copy of Living the Good Long Life for recipes plus many other lifestyle recommendations including fitness, brain health, a positive outlook, everyday living, looks, home maintenance, and caring

How has this diet helped you? Please add a comment below.

{ 1 comment… add one }

  • Jaganmohan T M Reddy January 29, 2015, 8:41 pm

    Congragulations and thanks for colour coding

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