Grandma’s Secret to Living to 100

There’s a ton of health advice out there these days.

And let me tell you something you probably already know – most of it is junk.

But, believe it or not, some of the best health advice you ever got probably came from your grandmother.

My grandmother used to dish out the same recommendation at practically every meal (and I bet yours did, too).

And following grandma’s advice could actually help you avoid heart disease and diabetes – and maybe add years to your life. 

The advice is this: Eat slowly.

Besides allowing you to fully enjoy your food, eating more slowly has been shown to reduce your risk of some of the biggest health threats of our time: heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

That’s because, according to the recent study released by the American Heart Association, eating more slowly reduces your risk of developing metabolic syndrome.

This is a cluster of conditions that includes abdominal obesity, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, and low HDL (“good”) cholesterol.

If you have any three out of the five listed, then you have metabolic syndrome. And metabolic syndrome increases your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

For the study, researchers studied over 1,000 people for over five years to see if how quickly they ate impacted their chances of developing metabolic syndrome. Here’s what they found:

• 11.6% of the fast eaters developed metabolic syndrome
• 6.5% of those who ate at a “normal” pace developed it
• Only 2.3% of the slow eaters developed metabolic syndrome

The faster eaters were also more likely to gain weight and have higher blood sugar levels.

How could something so simple make such a dramatic health difference? There could be a few factors involved.

For example, we know that the faster you eat, the higher the fluctuations in your blood sugar levels—a roller coaster that can lead to insulin resistance.

Plus, eating faster generally causes you to eat more because you haven’t given yourself a chance to feel full.

Whatever the reason, the connection is clear—and the solution is simple.

Slow down and savor your food. Grandma’s advice is still good advice, all these years later.

To a brighter day,

Dr. Richard Gerhauser, M.D.