Valter Longo is at the moment in his mid-50s, however he hopes to stay one other 60 to 70 years.Longo is a professor of gerontology and director of the Longevity Institute on the College of Southern California.He’s additionally the writer of “The Longevity Food plan” and the creator of what he calls the fasting-mimicking weight loss plan, or FMD, an strategy to consuming that he believes may very well be a key to his purpose of residing to the age of at the least 120.In the end, Longo acknowledges how troublesome will probably be to achieve even 100 years previous, nonetheless he stays optimistic that his analysis will assist him get nearer.”I might say the connection to longevity is an obsession,” Longo informed “Good Morning America,” including that he began learning genes and longevity at age 18, and now focuses on diet as the important thing to an extended life.Longo described FMD as a short-term, low-calorie weight loss plan that’s designed to imitate fasting.The weight loss plan is designed to be finished 5 days in a row, thrice per yr, for a complete of 15 days per yr.On the remaining days of the yr when an individual is just not following FMD, Longo mentioned he eats throughout specified intervals of the day.”I all the time advocate 12 hours of fasting, and 12 hours of feeding, so say 8 a.m., to eight p.m., that is essential,” Longo mentioned, noting that he believes 12 hours of not consuming is the most secure strategy to fasting.Intermittent fasting, or time-restricted feeding, is the place you restrict the instances throughout which you eat, usually solely in an eight-hour time interval.Analysis exhibits that intermittent fasting might assist lower ldl cholesterol, lower insulin within the blood, ends in some weight reduction and reduces inflammatory markers for some. However it isn’t the one approach to obtain higher markers.A research printed within the journal Cell Metabolism in 2015 reported {that a} fasting-mimicking weight loss plan lowered the markers and dangers of growing old in mice. A trial of the fasting-mimicking weight loss plan was finished in folks, and analyzed this yr by Longo at USC.As with every new medical discovery, there are restricted research to verify that any particular weight loss plan can assure an extended life.”Though the research are promising, by most requirements, quite a lot of these research are restricted,” mentioned Dr. Darien Sutton, ABC Medical Contributor, including that individuals ought to all the time “have warning” after they see a simple reply to a multi-faceted downside.Editor’s PicksStudies to date counsel that avoiding ultra-processed meals, staying energetic and sustaining a various, balanced weight loss plan assist stop ailments long-term and thus stop probability of untimely demise.For these hoping to stay longer, it is vital to concentrate on threat components which can be in your management. For instance, coronary heart illness is the primary reason behind untimely demise in the USA, in line with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention.”How do you cut back these dangers? You are avoiding extremely processed meals, you are staying energetic, you are sustaining a balanced weight loss plan, avoiding an excessive amount of added sugar and most significantly, getting the suitable quantity of sleep,” Sutton mentioned. “These are the important thing ways in which we all know are examined and true in an effort to stay more healthy and stay longer.”Longo mentioned he additionally eats a modified model of the Mediterranean weight loss plan, which is related to an extended lifespan. The weight loss plan is wealthy in complicated carbs, good fat and lean proteins.”It ought to be a vegetable-rich weight loss plan with many of the proteins coming from vegetable sources,” Longo mentioned. “And there ought to be a combination … so legumes ought to be accompanied by nuts and by seeds … and entire grains, the entire grain cereals, these are those which can be superb.”Longo additionally suggests various the kind of fish you are consuming too, saying, “It is best to restrict the excessive mercury fish, like swordfish and tuna, and concentrate on the small fish which have much less mercury, but in addition rotate between various kinds of seafood and fish.”Whereas promising, any of those dietary adjustments include dangers to your well being, and folks ought to all the time discuss with their healthcare supplier earlier than making any adjustments to their weight loss plan.