Anyone have a good understanding of "Nutrition Dense" food?

ctooch99

So I was watching this documentary on aging called "How to Live Forever":
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1172957/
and the narrator discussed how residents of Okinawa Japan live amazingly long, active, healthy lives.

The key to their longevity (or at least a big part of it) seems to lie in their consumption of lower calorie, nutritionally dense foods. (ie - foods that have bulk and substance, are filling but have very low calories and high nutritional density - an example being raw Bonita Tuna and kelp).

Anyone having success with an Americanized version of low-cal nutritionally dense diet? If so, what are some of the foods you eat regularly and how many overall calories are you taking in? This type of dietary regime seems really appealing in it's benefits along with it's ability to satiate hunger and cravings...

VMarkV

The longevity of the Okinawans doesn't have to do with any particular foods they eat, many long lived cultures tend to have profound longevity due to the fact that they keep their cultural identities and are not influenced things like refined wheat, flour, GMOs, vegetable oils, inactivity from TV, videogames, technology, etc.

Nutritional dense foods are ones that contain high amounts of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc. but have little caloric value. Example, pretty much all green vegetables.
It's best to include both nutritionally dense foods and calorically dense foods to meet both macro and micro nutrient needs, but there are some foods that can fall into both categories such as whole eggs, liver, salmon, etc. You are going to have a very hard time eating enough nutritionally dense foods in order to meet macro and caloric daily goals.

ctooch99

The longevity of the Okinawans doesn't have to do with any particular foods they eat, many long lived cultures tend to have profound longevity due to the fact that they keep their cultural identities and are not influenced things like refined wheat, flour, GMOs, vegetable oils, inactivity from TV, videogames, technology, etc.

Nutritional dense foods are ones that contain high amounts of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc. but have little caloric value. Example, pretty much all green vegetables.
It's best to include both nutritionally dense foods and calorically dense foods to meet both macro and micro nutrient needs, but there are some foods that can fall into both categories such as whole eggs, liver, salmon, etc. You are going to have a very hard time eating enough nutritionally dense foods in order to meet macro and caloric daily goals.

Thanks for the info - in all fairness, the movie also cited the factors you mentioned above as well (for example, Okinawans do not "work out" they engage in physical activities daily as part of their lifestyle - like fishing with nets into their 80s and 90s). But one researcher also said their diet was one factor that prolonged their lives and so I was intrigued to learn more about incorporating more nutrient dense foods into my daily regimen.

Also there seems to be studies that low calorie/high nutrient density seems to be the way to go for good health?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calorie_restriction

ElizabethRoad

The longevity of the Okinawans doesn't have to do with any particular foods they eat, many long lived cultures tend to have profound longevity due to the fact that they keep their cultural identities and are not influenced things like refined wheat, flour, GMOs, vegetable oils, inactivity from TV, videogames, technology, etc.

I'm a little confused. You say it doesn't have to do with the foods they eat, but then name several factors that are to do with food.

ctooch99

The longevity of the Okinawans doesn't have to do with any particular foods they eat, many long lived cultures tend to have profound longevity due to the fact that they keep their cultural identities and are not influenced things like refined wheat, flour, GMOs, vegetable oils, inactivity from TV, videogames, technology, etc.

I'm a little confused. You say it doesn't have to do with the foods they eat, but then name several factors that are to do with food.

I think he means that the nutrient dense foods they eat are a natural part of their culture and that their overall longevity is the product of several cultural factors, not just their diet. That being said, the Okinawans kick butt and I definitely would like to understand more about nutrient dense foods..