Seventh-day Adventist is a branch of Christianity whose members live longer than any other Americans.  These conservative Protestants do not smoke, drink, or dance and follow a biblical diet of grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables.  The diet is plant-based and also very low in sugar, salt, and refined grains. Small amounts of meat, dairy, and eggs are eaten and both coffee and alcohol are discouraged.  Long term studies have shown that those Adventists who most strictly followed the religion’s teachings, including the dietary pieces, lived 10 years longer than those who didn’t.

Top longevity foods of Adventists:

• avocados-high in potassium and low in salt
• Salmon-known to have heart-healthy properties
• Nuts-linked with lower rates of cholesterol, blood pressure, and chronic inflammation
• Beans-an important daily protein source
• Water-6 to 8 glasses of water daily
• Oatmeal-slow cooked and high in fiber
• Whole wheat bread-100% whole wheat
• Soy milk-used on cereal and in herbal teas it is high in protein and low in fat

Taken from National Geographic’s  “The Blue Zones-The Science of Living Longer”

I love most of the foods eaten by the Adventists and include them regularly in my daily diet.  I must admit that even though my main drinks are water and green tea, I also include a little coffee and wine.  Look at the above list and if these foods are not already a part of your regular diet, put a few of them on your grocery list.

The salad pictured in my blog is one I made with leftovers on a bed of arugula.  It included salmon, sweet peppers, zucchini and a few olives thrown in for good measure.