Just finished reading “The Longevity Solution” by Dr. Jason Fung and Dr. James DiNicolantonio. It has good, evidence-based nutrition tips on what to do and what not to do to help improve health and longevity. What I enjoy about books like these is that they break down the body basics (mainly physiology and biochemistry) to understand how things work. It’s quite a departure from news articles about health today, which make a myriad of claims with little to no backing. These authors cited all the studies and publications they used.

The Longevity Solution covers the following areas, some more in depth than others:

fasting and calorie restriction
dietary protein amounts and types (plant vs. animal)
tea
red wine and coffee
salt and magnesium
healthy and unhealthy fats

More than giving specific rules, the authors provide enough information so people can custom-tailor the recommendations to suit their lifestyle and stage in life. If you’ve been reading about these subjects, not everything here will be a revelation, but having it all in one place is useful.

The writing is a bit more dense than the other two books I’ve read from Fung (I reviewed one of them last week). I must say I missed Fung’s witty, conversational tone. And the authors made specific product recommendations in almost every chapter, which tends to raise a flag for me. It’s not that they’re unwelcome, but I prefer them in a separate section and with more options offered compared to one particular brand or product.

All in all, it’s a useful guide to make small but significant changes in nutrition now and as we age.

Worth writing down