©Arlene R. Taylor, PhD

Here are a few reminders when shopping for items that align with your Longevity Lifestyle.

1. Make a list. Without a list it is easy to fill your cart with items that may not represent a Longevity Lifestyle.
2. Take a magnifying glass so you can read the list of ingredients.
3. Shop after you have eaten a meal to help minimize impulse buying—or even impulse eating while you shop.

Additives - Avoid food additives (especially any that end in ‘ate’ such as monosodium glutamate); foods containing artificial colors, flavors, and/or preservatives; foods that have been sprayed with insecticides.

Beverages - Avoid artificially flavored, colored, sugary drinks, regular and diet sodas/drinks, canned juices, non-dairy creamers, and most artificial sweeteners. Avoid high sugar and/or high fat caffeinated beverages.

Choose pure water as your beverage of choice.

Chips - Avoid deep-fried anything, such as fried corn or potato chips.

Select baked chips containing vegetables, nuts, and ancient whole grains, free from hydrogenated oils and trans fats.

Dairy - Avoid butter; ice cream and toppings; colored cheeses. If using dairy products, select non-fat or low-fat products.

Eggs - Avoid fried egg products and use egg yolks sparingly.
If using eggs, lean toward poached, boiled, or baked egg whites. Select egg substitutes when available and appropriate.

Fats – Avoid shortening, lard; all hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, margarines, and trans fats.

Select healthier, plant-based fats in moderation (e.g., cold-pressed virgin olive for salad dressings; olive and coconut oil for recipes, and spray-on forms of coconut oil for cooking at high temperatures).

Fish - Avoid deep-fried fish or seafood.

Use sparingly (e.g., fresh white-fleshed fish; broiled or baked) to reduce exposure to mercury.

Fowl - Avoid all deep-fried fowl.

Select fowl sparingly, as it may be more dangerous than red meat in some areas. Bake, boil, or broil and remove skin prior to eating.

Fruit - Avoid canned and sweetened fruit.

Select fresh or frozen fruit, (preferably unsweetened), stewed, and dried (preferably unsulfured).

Grains - Avoid or minimize the use of white rice, white flour, and products made with them; other refined and highly processed foods; crackers and snack foods with hydrogenated oils and trans fats; most ready-to-eat commercial cereals due to high sugar content (make healthier granola).

Choose ancient whole grains such as quinoa, amaranth, rye, and millet. Select unsweetened, minimally processed cereals (e.g., old fashioned and steel cut oats); whole seeds (e.g., sesame, chia, hemp, flax, teff, and sunflower); baked vegetable-grain crackers or chips free of trans fats or hydrogenated oils. Minimize use of wheat and corn products.

Legumes - Avoid refried beans containing lard or high concentrations of other fats, especially hydrogenated oils or trans fats.

Select all types of legumes cooked in water with minimum amounts of salt. If using canned beans, make sure to rinse well and drain to remove excess sodium.

Meats - Avoid fatty cuts, especially of red meat products.

Less is more. If red meat is used, select lean cuts and use as a condiment rather than as a large main dish. Move toward plant-based proteins to reduce your potential exposure to arsenic-laced products and disease-causing organisms.

Nuts - Avoid nuts roasted with oil and salt and choose a variety of raw or dry roasted (unsalted) nuts.

Seasonings - Avoid excessive use of very hot spices.

Select all types of herbs (e.g., garlic, onion, rosemary, parsley, cinnamon, marjoram, cayenne, dill, curry, turmeric). Experiment.

Snacks - Avoid snacks with a high Glycemic Index or Glycemic Load.

Select healthier snacks with a low Glycemic Index or Glycemic Load (e.g., celery, jicama, carrot sticks, fresh fruit, hummus, guacamole) when you choose to have a snack.

Soups - Avoid canned or dairy-cream soups; commercial bouillon; red-meat stock.

Select soups and stews made fresh. Season with herbs.

Sugar - Avoid high fructose corn syrup; refined sugars; regular prepared syrups; milk chocolate; candy; artificial sweeteners.

Use sparingly pure unfiltered honey, unsulfured molasses, pure maple syrup, and dark chocolate.

Vegetables - Avoid deep-fried vegetables.

Select raw, fresh, and frozen (avoid overcooking); baked or boiled sweet potatoes, yams, squash; steamed veggies.