It's not just a diet, it's a lifestyle. The attitude to diet and life focuses on the tranquil detachment of soul, reflecting the eastern philosophy of the balance of heaven and earth, Yin and Yang.
What is a "longevity diet"
Originating in Japan, the "longevity diet" can now be seen as a combination of Buddhism and western vegetarianism - promoting the integration of zen Buddhism into the lifestyle diet and eating natural organic plants. The attitude to food and life focuses on the tranquil detachment of soul, reflecting the Oriental philosophy of balance of heaven and earth.
Here, food emphasizes the balance between Yin and Yang in terms of taste and texture; food with heavy Yin is cold, sweet and negative; food with heavy Yang is hot, salty and positive. Some foods are fast because they are "poisonous".
People who believe in longevity diets are sensitive to the natural world and believe that daily food and food quality affect human health, mood and happiness. Natural food is close to the earth, and less processing chain is better for the human body and soul.
Early longevity diets include several training stages, with the ultimate diet consisting of brown rice and water. But today's generation has combined their vegetarian experiences with improvements. It is called a "longevity diet" because a healthy diet is resistant to some cancers and chronic diseases.
What does the "longevity diet" eat
The longevity diet encourages the use of locally grown, organic, natural foods and traditional cooking methods (such as boiling, cooking, steaming). Grains, vegetables, beans, fermented sauce, soup, supplemented by nuts, seeds, fruits, and so on.
Want to treat food and life with the state of mind that makes oneself calm only, savor carefully when edible, chew slowly, can adjust according to oneself individual circumstance in the specific life, can differ according to season, climate, daily activity, age, gender.
The macrobiotic diet advocates that food is best kept in its original state, while fatty meats, alcohol, soft drinks, coffee, pasta, hot peppers, and various preservatives are excluded from the diet, and these extreme foods are believed to upset the balance.
Here's a list of foods to live longer:
Whole grains (especially brown rice) : 50-60%
Vegetables (and seaweed) : 25-30%
Beans: 5% 10%
Nuts, seeds, fruits: 5%-20%
Soup made with the food listed above: 1-2 cups daily
(food choices can vary according to your needs.)
Halcyon detachment should also pay attention to nutritional balance
The American dietetic association says that a long-lived diet, as long as it is carefully planned and well balanced, is really good for human health. Its low fat, high fibre and phytochemical properties are good for preventing disease, and soy products can help reduce estrogen-related cancers, such as breast cancer.
But the institute's experts warn that people who eat a longer diet should be more aware of their nutritional balance, especially their lack of vitamin D,B12, iron, protein, and calcium.
If you're interested in the longevity diet philosophy and want to try it, don't worry, it's not easy to change one's lifestyle. You can gradually increase the ratio of brown rice to whole grains, from eating less to eating less stimulating and balanced foods, and gradually increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables, etc. After all, "gradual" is also a requirement for a long life diet.