Food Portion Control and Calorie Restriction for Peak Performance, Longevity and Optimal Health by Ralph Teller

Eating natural foods and eating only the amount of calories our bodies need to be strong and fit is part of a greater lifestyle choice and philosophy. A healthier lifestyle philosophy is to live prudently and efficiently, consuming only what we need. Many of our modern lifestyle diseases, such obesity, hypertension and heart disease are the result of eating heavily processed foods, more calories than our bodies need and consuming excess salt and trans fats and hydrogenated oils. Our food habits also impact our resting heart rate - an important health indicator. See Your Resting Pulse Rate an Important Measurement of Health, Fitness and Longevity.

Numerous studies (with yeast and mammals) clearly indicated that longevity is significantly enhanced with a calorie restrictive diet. In these studies it is possible this enhanced life span is in part due to adaptation ability that maximizes utilization of the lower calories creating some metabolic efficiency. These studies also support the conclusion that the quality of the restricted calories can be as important a factor as portion control.

There is a relatively new theory that low-calorie diets activate genes designed to help animals endure hard times, which boost cellular repair mechanisms. There is evidence that almost all animals, including humans, may have a similar suite of genes.

The challenge for each of us is to find the right mix of calorie count with the best calorie quality to reach our optimum body weight that sustains a high but efficient metabolism.Calorie intake needs to support and maintain a high metabolism that supports an active lifestyle and routine that includes vigorous exercise.Portion control should not sacrifice a high metabolism as the objective is not to live a longer but weaker and restrictive life, but to instead lead a longer, stronger and more vital life.Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps consumes 10,000 calories to support his ideal metabolism needs.

The quality of our calories is very important. A high quality nutritious diet helps us achieve metabolic efficiency.The highest nutritional food is that produced naturally and organically.Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are packed with nutrients. Processed food is devitalized of essential vitamins, minerals and energy and is filled with empty calories. Natural food has been produced capturing the energy of the sun.

In many instances, organically grown food has a higher nutrition content than artificially fertilized mass produced foods. As most European farms are smaller than the large American farms, European farmers are able to build and maintain rich soils by fertilizing their land with manure (mostly cow) instead of artificial and incomplete fertilizers used by large American farmers. Rich soils produce a higher crop yield with a higher nutrient content. American organic farming attempts to follow the European experience.

Overweight and large waiste circumference size are strong indicators for developing Type 2 Diabetes. See Natural Ways to Help Prevent and Treat Type 2 Diabetes .