There are certain regions in the world where people live exceptionally long lives, and with low rates of chronic disease. Since diet trends come and go—making it confusing to know what to eat for good health—wouldn’t it be great if we simply knew the cuisine of people living in these “longevity regions?" As it turns out, we do. Researcher Dan Buettner has studied a few of these regions around the world and has come to some pretty concrete conclusions about diet and nutrition. The New York Times reports that Buettner recently conveyed his insights in a very personal and, frankly, delicious way—he cooked a “longevity” meal for a small group of friends. What may surprise some is that the meal cooked by Buettner didn’t really follow current Paleo and raw food trends. Buettner is convinced that a truly healthy diet will skew towards vegetarianism (with little or no cow’s milk), since people in the longevity regions eat meat and fish only occasionally. He has also noted that these regions eat lots of cooked foods, which may go against the grain for some raw food believers. On the other hand, Buettner did cook a meal full of vegetables and whole foods, a common theme among many current diet philosophies. The meal included broccoli soup (with a cashew cream), sweet potatoes and coconut milk, lentil and vegetable stew, and a dessert made from tofu. If you’re interested in reading more about Buettner’s research (including why Buettner approves of coffee, red wine, and sourdough bread), he has written a book called the “The Blue Zones Solution.”

Source: New York Times