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10 ESSENTIAL DIET TIPS TO LIVE LONGER (AND A BIG REVEAL)

April 7, 2019 4 Comments

Shocking stats released this week show that one-in-five lives are cut short by an unhealthy diet. What we eat is now a bigger killer than smoking. How can that have happened? Well, sadly, low-nutrient food is too easily available and often very cheap. But there are some very simple, effective ways to change our diets.

The report in The Lancet  found that too much salt, and too few whole grains, were the biggest killers: with each responsible for three million deaths each year.

The top ten most dangerous diets:

  1. Too much salt
  2. Too few whole grains
  3. Too little fruit
  4. Not enough nuts and seeds
  5. Too few vegetables
  6. Not enough omega 3 fatty acids
  7. Low levels of fibre
  8. Not enough polyunsaturated fatty acids
  9. Low levels of legumes
  10. Over-consumption of trans fats

We’ve spent five years on our age-well project testing recipes and ideas to help combat these killers. Here are some of our favourites from the blog:

  1. Use herbs and spices to flavour food rather than salt. We use this spice blendwith everything – vegetables, eggs, roast meat and fish.
  2. Our larders are full of cheap but exotic whole grains: wheat berries, freekeh and quinoa are a few of the best. But don’t forget the high-fibre benefits of a simple bowl of brown rice. Try our baked za’atar chicken or this kale and black sesame rice bowl
  3. Don’t use fruit solely for desserts and snacks. We like it in savoury dishes too. Try venison with blackberry and apple sauce or this sweet and sour cherry bowl
  4. We’ll top almost any dish with a sprinkling of nuts and seeds. Or eat a handful as a snack. Try this meat-free main: Walnut-stuffed sweet potatoes
  5. Our vegetable sauté isn’t really a recipe, more of a method.  It’s so adaptable, we come back to time and time again.
  6. We’ve made oily fish an essential part of our age-well diet. And eat it at least twice a week. We aim for smaller fish which are lower in mercury like sardines, anchovies and mackerel. Watercress and pea puree with smoked mackerel and spaghetti with sardines are good recipes to try.
  7. We kept fibre diaries while we were writing our book and get fibre from whole grains, beans and legumes.
  8. Try oily fish, sunflower seeds and walnuts to boost levels of polyunsaturated fats. This Walnut dip recipe takes minutes to make and goes with everything.
  9. We eat pulses every day. Try the roasted chickpeas shown in the photo or a soup like our Turkish red lentil soup
  10. There’s no way round this: avoid deep-fried and fast food.

There’s a good analysis of this report by the brilliant Bee Wilson in the Mail

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6892441/The-food-choices-make-blame-one-six-deaths-writes-food-historian-BEE-WILSON.html

DRUM ROLL PLEASE……

We’re so thrilled to share the cover of our book with you. It’s been a long time coming and we can’t believe that publication day is less than a month away. We love the spare, elegant design and the sub-title ‘Easy Ways to a Longer, Healthier, Happier Life’. Says it all!

The Age-Well Project is available for pre-order on Amazon now:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Age-Well-Project-Ways-Better-Longer/dp/0349419701/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3MWNNXMFXYUCW&keywords=the+age-well+project&qid=1554552833&s=gateway&sprefix=the+age-well+p%2Caps%2C128&sr=8-1

 

Susan

  • Conditions: Ageing
« CAN LAUGHTER HELP YOU LIVE LONGER? ONLY IF YOU’RE FEMALE…
EAT MORE MUSHROOMS: ITALIAN MUSHROOM SALAD »

Comments

  1. Helen Hosker says

    April 7, 2019 at 12:50 pm

    Are you doing any book signings/tours?

    Reply
    • Susan Saunders says

      April 11, 2019 at 4:55 pm

      Hello Helen

      We’re not doing a tour, but we’re giving a Guardian Masterclass on June 11th https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-masterclasses/2019/mar/04/the-age-well-project-preparing-for-a-longer-healthier-and-happier-life-annabel-streets-susan-saunders-health-wellbeing-course

      Do keep an eye on the events page of the blog (I need to update it!) for further events

      Susan

      Reply
  2. Nan says

    April 8, 2019 at 12:47 pm

    I will pre-order my copy today!

    Reply
    • Susan Saunders says

      April 11, 2019 at 4:51 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply

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Welcome to The Age-Well Project

Welcome to The Age-Well Project!
Here you’ll find easy changes for a longer, happier life. We’ve immersed ourselves in the science of longevity and distilled the research to make it work in our everyday lives. You can change the way you age: here’s how.

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SUGAR, CHOCOLATE, SADNESS AND BRAIN-BOOSTING BISCUITS

WHY ‘INFLAMM-AGEING’ COULD START IN THE GUT AND HARISSA-ROASTED VEGETABLE SALAD

POLYAMINES – THE NEW SECRET WEAPON FOR AGEING WELL & MOROCCAN SPINACH AND CHICKPEAS.

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What do you want to achieve for your bones?’ T What do you want to achieve for your bones?’ 

This interesting question came from Rebekah Rotstein, who has worked with the Royal Osteoporosis Society and is founder of movement system Buff Bones @gotbuffbones when Susan interviewed her for The Power Decade. 

We thought the answer was that we wanted them to be dense, because that would protect them in the years ahead. Rebekah invited us to view this another way, ‘Your goal is not just to have high bone density,’ she explained. ‘Your goal is to not fracture and to live a full, independent life. You do this by strengthening your bones and body. But you also need to maintain and improve your balance and responsiveness to avoid falls because falls lead to fractures.’

We’re big fans of the ‘brushing your teeth standing on one leg’ trick to add extra age-well benefits to this most regular of tasks by improving balance. When we do it, we can feel movement – and a bit of a wobble – in our feet. Rebekah explains that this movement is also a form of calibration, helping us maintain balance. She urges us to try this barefoot because, as we age, we lose dexterity in our feet: we want to be able to feel the messages they’re sending us.

There’s more on better bone health on the blog - link in bio

#longevity #womenover50 #agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevityblog #healthblog #agewellblog #over50bloggers #womenover50 #healthspan #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalhealth #bonehealth #osteoporosis #osteopenia #balance #buffbones
Beans for breakfast?! Yes please. On a recent trip Beans for breakfast?! Yes please. On a recent trip to Jordan, Annabel started her day with foul, made from fava beans. 

The Jordanians mash the cooked beans and serve them warm from a swan-necked vessel using a Harry Potter-ish long-handled ladle.  The beans are then drizzled and scattered with various spices, sauces and olive oil. 

Full of protein and fibre, it’s a great way to start the day. The (super-simple) recipe is on the blog, link in bio 

#longevity #womenover50 #agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevityblog #healthblog #agewellblog #over50bloggers #womenover50 #healthspan #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalhealth #breakfast #breakfastrecipes #favabeans
Grab some GABA! This neurotransmitter is linked to Grab some GABA! This neurotransmitter is linked to better sleep and mood - but needs progesterone to produce it. This is why post-menopausal women are more likely to experience insomnia and anxiety. 

But there are actions we can take to produce more GABA naturally. Save this post for future reference and check out our GABA blog post - link in bio

And save this for future reference 😊

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A three-page interview of Annabel in today’s @ob A three-page interview of Annabel in today’s @obsmagazine extolling the benefits of walking, and of being outdoors. Just in case you’ve had your fill of the coronation… ´Walking is freedom, an escape for the mind and the body.’ 

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