The Importance of Produce, Nuts, and Pulses in Promoting Longevity

Assorted nuts

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Richard DiVenuto is a longtime business advisor with experience spanning a range of industries and a track record of building elite teams. One of Richard DiVenuto’s interests is strategies for health and wellness that promote longevity. A recent Health magazine article by the New York Yankees’ nutrition consultant delved into the topic of eating strategies that help extend life.

With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimating that just one in ten Americans consumes enough fruits and vegetables, making fresh produce a centerpiece of one’s diet is foundational. The recommended amount is one and a half to two cups of fruit and two to three cups of vegetables daily.

At the same time, nuts offer a “nutrition powerhouse” in their combination of fiber, healthy fat, protein, vitamins, and antioxidants. Also rich in essential minerals such as magnesium and potassium, nuts complement a wide range of dishes, from salads to stir fries, and can be incorporated into oatmeal through nut butter, and into baking with nut flour. A five-year study of more than 7,000 adults separated the into three distinct diets: low fat, Mediterranean diet with supplemental olive oil, and Mediterranean diet with supplemental nuts. Those who consumed more than three servings of nuts each week enjoyed a mortality risk that was 39 percent lower than the other categories.

Limiting meat intake was also found to be important, with one option being replacing meat with lentils, peas, beans, chickpeas, and other high-protein pulses. At the same time, it makes sense to seek out avocados for the ready source of healthful fats they provide and their easy substitution for meat in sandwiches.