The 3 Healthiest Diets on Earth

Fuel Up, Don't Fill Up - eating less is just as important as eating right. A lot can be gleaned from 3 of the world's longest-standing cultures. While eating the right sorts of foods as outlined in this hub will add to your life, eating less is just as important.

Okinawans are 5 times more likely to live to 100+ than Americans are, because of a practice the Japanese call hara hachi bu. This is the concept of eating until you are only eighty percent full. Needless to say, you have no way of knowing when you are exactly that full, but the message should be clear - Never stuff yourself.

If you combine the diets described in this hub and follow the general guidelines provided, you'll be surprised that weight loss and a feeling of relief comes your way sooner than expected and without you laying all kind of hardship on yourself. You'll also experience the beneficial effects of a lowered blood pressure and higher energy levels.

The healthiest diet on earth is probably a Japanese diet.

This island population in Japan lives longer than any other in the world, prompting meticulous study over the past thirty years that focus on diet.

Much like in the case of the the Sardinians, some of the Okinawans' protein derives from fish, but most of it comes from a daily bowl of miso soup accompanied by a few ounces of tofu (soy).

A side serving of cabbage is packed with vitamin A, while half a cup of purple sweet potatoes offers up high doses of vitamin C, and whole grain brown rice provides carbs. Okinawans send it all down with a cup of green tea, which decreases the risk of prostate cancer and heart disease.

The second healthiest diet on earth is an Italian diet.

The Italian island of Sardinia flaunts an extortionate number of male centenarians, and there are a number reasons for this: tons of sun and a relaxed attitude are two, but a healthy diet is also key.

French anchovies glazed with olive oil provide protein and deliver essential omega 3s, while green eggplant contains nasunin for the protection of the brain. Sun-dried tomatoes are rich in lycopene, - the dread of prostate cancer, - and pecorino sheep cheese is high in calcium. Favorable carbs derive from carasau and gnocchi bread, both made with high-fibre, whole-grain semolina flour.

Sardinians also tend to enjoy a glass of fine red wine to thin the blood.

The third healthiest diet on earth is a Canadian diet.

These eastern Canadians whose diet is extremely heavy on local fish and vegetables live to 100 twice as often as their New Englander neighbors. A main course of 4 ounces of Atlantic salmon provides protein and essential omega 3s. It also covers vitamin D, good levels of which are often difficult to come by in sun-deprived regions.

Heirloom potatoes dish out kukoamines, which lower blood pressure, and chanterelle mushrooms offer high levels of immunity boosters such as ergothioneine. A spinach salad is rich in methilenedioxyflavonol glucuronides, which is plain English for the cancer-killing nanotechnology of mother nature.

Feel like having dessert? A half cup of blueberry, which have proper levels of antioxidants and have been linked to anti-aging. 

• Always eat slowly. Take your time to smell the food and marvel at its colors. It takes about 10 minutes for the stomach to signal to your brain that you've had enough. Neurophysiological fact.
• Eat a portion no bigger than the size of your palm. This basic principle has been emphasized many times over.
• Don't feel compelled to finish everything on your plate. You are responsible for your own well being. And you are not a food disposal machine.
• Use smaller plates to invite less food. Eat less and more regularly. Snack on foods in their raw state to avoid getting hungry when you're not supposed to eat.
• Hydrate well with every meal. Thirst is often mistaken for hunger. If you think you've had enough for the day, but you still feel hungry, drink.
• Second servings are not your cup of tea. It's not anyone's cup, to be exact.
• Drink just one glass of beer or wine a day. It's enough to thin blood, more is likely to take its toll on the liver.