Health Club

In most people's minds, nutrition is a core principal of good health. However, it doesn't matter how nutritious the food is if you aren't eating - and digesting - properly.

Here are some mealtime methods to ensure you are getting optimal benefits from your food.

Less Food is More Years
In my extensive research on the diets of centenarians, I found something that almost all of them had in common: they tended to eat less. Because many of the centenarians lived on a very modest budget, they were eating less than average and even fasting during especially lean times.

They largely followed the "three-quarters rule" which means that they stopped eating once they were three-quarters full. Many studies have shown that a reduction in caloric intake increased the life expectancy in animals, so it follows that the same would be true for humans. Take a hint from the centenarians and listen when your stomach tells you have eaten to the three-quarters mark.

Be Kind to Your Insides
I often tell my patients that their stomachs do not have teeth. By this, I mean that your stomach breaks down food with nothing more than gastric juice and acid. Keep this in mind when you are eating. For every bite of food, chew at least thirty times before swallowing.

This way, your stomach doesn't have to work as hard because your food is predigested in your mouth by the enzyme ptyalin that is in your saliva. As a result, you are able to more readily absorb the important vitamins and nutrients from your food. Another thing to consider is that eating too quickly leads to an increased production of acid, the result of which is the common problem of heartburn.

Try 5 Small Meals a Day
It is a cultural habit to eat three times a day. However, it is much better to eat smaller meals more frequently to give your digestive system the opportunity for optimal absorption. When you eat smaller portions four or five times a day, you are delivering a steady stream of nutrients, blood sugar, and energy to your body throughout the day.

Eating this way is also much less taxing on the digestive and metabolic systems. And take this into consideration: eating throughout the day keeps you from becoming famished and overeating at your next meal.

You Are When You Eat
That's right. It is true that "you are what you eat," as the famous saying goes, but also, when you eat is an important factor. The human body follows a circadian rhythm, and because of this, the same foods eaten at breakfast and lunch are processed differently than when they are eaten at dinner.

Studies have shown that when you eat your daily protein and fat at breakfast you tend to lose weight and have more energy; however, eating the same things at dinner tend to increase tendencies toward weight gain, increased blood pressure, and heart disease.

As a general rule, I suggest eating your last meal of the day by 7 p.m., and to end with another pertinent phrase: "eat late to gain weight."

Bon apetit! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!

-Dr. Mao

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To learn more about Dr. Mao and other natural health tips, go to askdrmao.com.

To purchase Dr. Mao's book, "Secrets of Longevity," click here.