In his latest book, Dr. Mark Hyman challenges people to rethink the process of aging helps readers identify a lifestyle that allows them to live their longest healthiest life. To do so, Hyman argues, it is critical for individuals to be mindful of their diet.
Food is essential to preventing, treating, and reserving disease, maintains Hyman, a practicing family physician and the Founder and Director of The UltraWellness Center. “Think of food as your farmacy. Literally. Food is not like medicine. It is medicine,” he writes in Young Forever: The Secrets to Living Your Longest, Healthiest Life.
But Hyman find that many people fail to see how significantly how food affects their lifestyle. He encourages eaters to connect the dots and select foods that support their mental and physical wellbeing. And because every person is unique, it’s important for eaters to be attuned to what works for their individual bodies. “I can tell you what to do,” Hyman tells Food Tank. “But if it doesn’t work for you, it doesn’t mean it’s right for you.”
That’s why Hyman cautions people not to get sucked in to particular diets. “It’s the obsession with a certain ideology that gets in people’s way,” he says.
Instead of dictating a particular way of eating, Young Forever offers general recommendations. Hyman suggests that people avoid diets high in starches and sugars, limit the amount of animal products and select high-quality products when possible, and to eat more vegetables. The book also highlights foods that are high in nutrients to help readers get started.
Young Forever also outlines additional conditions and lifestyle changes, which he calls “ingredients for health” that can help everyone improve their quality of life. These include exercise and movement, community, exposure to light, and clean air. He also identifies restorative practices such as meditation, which are “powerful tools for stress reduction.”
Listen to the full conversation with Dr. Mark Hyman on “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” to hear more about Young Forever, the link between a healthy diet and a healthy planet, and why “your body is your best doctor.”
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Photo courtesy of Monika Grabkowska, Unsplash
