Can Eating Fewer Calories Extend Your Life?

A calorie-restricted diet helps monkeys live longer, healthier lives, a new study suggests.

Previously, research teams from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the U.S. National Institute on Aging (NIA) conducted separate calorie-restricted diet studies on rhesus monkeys. But the two teams had different findings.

 The conflicting outcomes "cast a shadow of doubt" on how calorie restriction might help to understand aging, said study co-corresponding author Rozalyn Anderson, an associate professor of medicine at UW-Madison.

The two teams decided to work together and reviewed the findings from both studies.

The researchers concluded that a calorie-restricted diet does help monkeys live longer, healthier lives. But age, diet, and sex must all be factored in to realize the full benefits of lower caloric intake, the investigators found.

For example, calorie restriction began at different ages in each study. The collaborative research team saw that calorie restriction was only beneficial for older monkeys.

The content of the diet made a difference, too, the study authors explained in a university news release. NIA monkeys were fed a "natural" diet. Monkeys at UW-Madison had a diet that included processed foods with a higher sugar content. The UW-Madison monkeys were heavier than the NIA monkeys.

The researchers also noted that female monkeys seemed to be less vulnerable to the bad effects of excess fat than males. The study teams believe this finding is likely similar in humans. However, studies in animals often fail to produce similar results in humans.

This post is from HealthDay and where I believe the information is valuable to humans, I don't agree completely with the test.

It's true that restricting calories can help you to become a healthier person, but that doesn't mean you should eat less of the same foods your eating now. If you're overweight, it is probably from making bad food choices and eating less of those same foods won't make your healthier. By eating a healthy diet, for example, the DASH diet, and not returning to your old diet even if you lose weight, will make you a healthier person. These are all recommended foods, but only eat red meat in small quantities about once a week.

Changing the food you eat and sticking to healthy foods will mean you don't have to count calories. You don't have to limit your food. You just have to follow some simple rules:

Don't eat anything the last couple hours before bed. Don't stay up late and do get up early. You want to get 7 or 8 hours of sleep during the night time hours.

Don't stay up late and do get up early. You want to get 7 or 8 hours of sleep during the night time hours.

Eat several small meals during the day, about 3 hours apart.

Don't drink calories. There are plenty of zero calorie drinks available.

Don't add a cream, sauce, or gravy to your food, you're just adding more calories. Use spices to season food.

Stick to eating fresh foods. No frozen foods, no processed or ready to eat foods and no manufactured foods like chips.

I'm going to share my secret with you. I had to stop eating out for the first several months. It will take time for your body to adjust to a new and different diet. I found that you can't ease into a new diet. When I tried to do it, I couldn't stop the food cravings. You have to cut out your old diet all at once. And when you start your new diet, don't expect to lose weight at first and don't try to restrict your food.

Your body will take a little time to get accustom to the new diet so eat as much as your have to, to stop the food cravings. You might even gain a little at the beginning but after that, the fat will start to disappear. This is a low-fat, heart healthy diet. Your doctor will be in favor of this. Talk to him about your new diet, he might want to change your medications.

You can tweet me at #ray0369

I write several blogs, check out some of my other sites.
gettingtoahealthyweight.blog
idropped40pounds.wordpress.com
howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight.blogspot.com
blogonlosingweight.com
blogonweight.blogspot.com
If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my Ebooks at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet.
There’s two ebooks. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my Ebook. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.
My new ebook is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. I’ll give you a discount coupon you can use at checkout. (PJ42H) not case-sensitive the price is $1.99 w/coupon