Can Food Impact Your Lifespan by the Minute?
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About the Show
On this episode, Chuck Gaidica is joined by Shanthi Appelö, registered dietitian for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Together, they discuss how a study from the University of Michigan states that certain foods can increase – or decrease – your lifespan by the minute.
In this episode of A Healthier Michigan Podcast, we explore:
- Food substitutions or additions one can make to better their nutritional intake
- Portion sizes and frequency of food consumption
- Tips on how to stay motivated making changes in the long term to ensure good health
Transcript
Chuck Gaidica:
So can eating a hot dog reduce your lifespan by 36 minutes? This is A Healthier Michigan Podcast, episode 135. And coming up we’re going to explore a recent study that suggests there is a tie between how certain foods may impact our lifespan by the minute. Welcome to A Healthier Michigan Podcast. It’s a podcast that’s dedicated to navigating how we can all improve our health and wellbeing through small, healthy habits that we can all start implementing right now. I’m your host, Chuck Gaidica. Every other week, we sit down with a certified health expert and we discuss topics of nutrition and fitness and a lot more. And on this episode, we’re going in deep on food choices and how they literally could weigh in and weigh in differently and impact your lifespan. This is really intriguing and it could be something that impacts our lifespan by the minute. With us today, registered dietitian for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is Shanthi Appelö. Shanthi, good to see you again.
So can eating a hot dog reduce your lifespan by 36 minutes? This is A Healthier Michigan Podcast, episode 135. And coming up we’re going to explore a recent study that suggests there is a tie between how certain foods may impact our lifespan by the minute. Welcome to A Healthier Michigan Podcast. It’s a podcast that’s dedicated to navigating how we can all improve our health and wellbeing through small, healthy habits that we can all start implementing right now. I’m your host, Chuck Gaidica. Every other week, we sit down with a certified health expert and we discuss topics of nutrition and fitness and a lot more. And on this episode, we’re going in deep on food choices and how they literally could weigh in and weigh in differently and impact your lifespan. This is really intriguing and it could be something that impacts our lifespan by the minute. With us today, registered dietitian for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is Shanthi Appelö. Shanthi, good to see you again.
Shanthi Appelö:
Good to see you.
Good to see you.
Chuck Gaidica:
With all of your background and your master’s in public health and nutrition and I just know you from episodes we’ve done in the past, you’re the last face I would imagine is going for the hot dogs. Am I right or wrong? Do you eat them?
With all of your background and your master’s in public health and nutrition and I just know you from episodes we’ve done in the past, you’re the last face I would imagine is going for the hot dogs. Am I right or wrong? Do you eat them?
Shanthi Appelö:
I am not a huge hot dog fan, but I feel like if you’re at a ballpark, you need to have one.
I am not a huge hot dog fan, but I feel like if you’re at a ballpark, you need to have one.
Chuck Gaidica:
Yeah, that’s true. Well, I was at a two year old birthday party over this past weekend and I had one. So now here we are recording this idea about this study that’s come out from U of M, and I’m thinking, “Man, I better shovel the oatmeal and try to make up for lost ground from what I did over the weekend.” But that’s kind of what we’re focusing on, this study that came out from the University of Michigan that talks about how certain foods could impact our lifespan, which is really intriguing. And of course this will get a lot of chatter because they’re literally attaching minute by minute counts to certain foods that can be helpful in our health or maybe detrimental. So for instance, we’re talking about hot dogs, but here’s this idea that you could reduce a healthy life and maybe even your lifespan by 36 minutes if you consume a hot dog. Conversely, they say if you eat nuts, didn’t say salted or not, but generally probably not, you could increase your lifespan by 26 minutes. Are you buying this idea that we can get this down to the minute like this?
Yeah, that’s true. Well, I was at a two year old birthday party over this past weekend and I had one. So now here we are recording this idea about this study that’s come out from U of M, and I’m thinking, “Man, I better shovel the oatmeal and try to make up for lost ground from what I did over the weekend.” But that’s kind of what we’re focusing on, this study that came out from the University of Michigan that talks about how certain foods could impact our lifespan, which is really intriguing. And of course this will get a lot of chatter because they’re literally attaching minute by minute counts to certain foods that can be helpful in our health or maybe detrimental. So for instance, we’re talking about hot dogs, but here’s this idea that you could reduce a healthy life and maybe even your lifespan by 36 minutes if you consume a hot dog. Conversely, they say if you eat nuts, didn’t say salted or not, but generally probably not, you could increase your lifespan by 26 minutes. Are you buying this idea that we can get this down to the minute like this?
Shanthi Appelö:
I think the biggest take home message from a study like this is that in the grand scheme of things, these consistent behaviors is what’s going to make a difference. It kind of reminds me of these cigarette studies. You’ve probably heard in the past having one cigarette is going to decrease your life by 11 minutes. There’s a study in 2000 where they did a study and the life expectancy of smokers was 10 years less than those who were non-smokers. So in this study, the researchers did say, this is kind of a crude calculation. There’s a lot of factors that go into this like things that you do in your lifespan, it ignores whether someone’s cigarette usage is constant over time and all these things, but it does put the high cost of smoking into something that everyone can understand. We understand minutes of our life, and in this study, they actually looked at how much life lost was 11 minutes, like a phone call to a friend.
So then a pack of 20 cigarettes was then a long film like watching the Titanic or two football matches, and then a carton of 200 cigarettes was 1.5 days, so a visit to see family. So they were just trying to put this into things that we could understand, and I think that’s really what this study is hitting. We’ve heard time and time again that eating processed meats and having too much saturated fat, consuming too much sodium, all these things leads to a shorter lifespan or contributes to a shorter lifespan maybe because it increases our risk for cancers, certain disease, things like that. So it’s just putting something into things that we understand, I think.
I think the biggest take home message from a study like this is that in the grand scheme of things, these consistent behaviors is what’s going to make a difference. It kind of reminds me of these cigarette studies. You’ve probably heard in the past having one cigarette is going to decrease your life by 11 minutes. There’s a study in 2000 where they did a study and the life expectancy of smokers was 10 years less than those who were non-smokers. So in this study, the researchers did say, this is kind of a crude calculation. There’s a lot of factors that go into this like things that you do in your lifespan, it ignores whether someone’s cigarette usage is constant over time and all these things, but it does put the high cost of smoking into something that everyone can understand. We understand minutes of our life, and in this study, they actually looked at how much life lost was 11 minutes, like a phone call to a friend.
So then a pack of 20 cigarettes was then a long film like watching the Titanic or two football matches, and then a carton of 200 cigarettes was 1.5 days, so a visit to see family. So they were just trying to put this into things that we could understand, and I think that’s really what this study is hitting. We’ve heard time and time again that eating processed meats and having too much saturated fat, consuming too much sodium, all these things leads to a shorter lifespan or contributes to a shorter lifespan maybe because it increases our risk for cancers, certain disease, things like that. So it’s just putting something into things that we understand, I think.
Chuck Gaidica:
Well, and you’ve talked about balance before. So if balance is that I happen to have… and I don’t really eat hot dogs that often, so I had this one over the weekend, so we better hurry up with our recording session. You never know, stuff could happen. But if it’s balance by me eating really well on either side of that, is it really just a drop in the ocean that I had one hot dog in six months? My gut feeling tells me, “Yes, I’m okay” right?
Well, and you’ve talked about balance before. So if balance is that I happen to have… and I don’t really eat hot dogs that often, so I had this one over the weekend, so we better hurry up with our recording session. You never know, stuff could happen. But if it’s balance by me eating really well on either side of that, is it really just a drop in the ocean that I had one hot dog in six months? My gut feeling tells me, “Yes, I’m okay” right?
Shanthi Appelö:
Yeah. Yeah. And in the grand scheme of things, let’s say the average life expectancy in the United States, the last available data was 2021, it was about 76 years for both genders. In the grand scheme of things, 26 minutes is not a lot in 76 years. But then there’s also so many different factors that play into that. We have family history, genetics play a huge component into certain disease states. We also have so many different needs as individuals when it comes to different nutrients and how different nutrients affects us. And some of that’s a mystery. So it’s just so complicated. But I do like this idea of understanding that these small things, if you’re consistently consuming hot dogs like one a day for the rest of your life, that definitely is going to have a big impact.
Yeah. Yeah. And in the grand scheme of things, let’s say the average life expectancy in the United States, the last available data was 2021, it was about 76 years for both genders. In the grand scheme of things, 26 minutes is not a lot in 76 years. But then there’s also so many different factors that play into that. We have family history, genetics play a huge component into certain disease states. We also have so many different needs as individuals when it comes to different nutrients and how different nutrients affects us. And some of that’s a mystery. So it’s just so complicated. But I do like this idea of understanding that these small things, if you’re consistently consuming hot dogs like one a day for the rest of your life, that definitely is going to have a big impact.
Chuck Gaidica:
And it’s funny, we’ve got a friend who is turning 99 years old, and I asked her several years ago, I said, “So what’s your secret?” And she said, “Well, I don’t know. I mean, I smoked half my life and I like having a diet pop every day.” And so admittedly she quit smoking and for her, you’re talking over 40, 50 years ago, but DNA obviously must play into her life and other healthy regimens. So part of this is very contextual based on are you stressed while you’re eating processed foods, all that kind of stuff. So I do find this interesting, but generally the broad brush that I see from the study like you’re saying, avoid processed foods and meats when possible, but also increase that intake of the stuff you’ve talked about before, fruits and vegetables, legumes, some fish, that kind of stuff, right?
And it’s funny, we’ve got a friend who is turning 99 years old, and I asked her several years ago, I said, “So what’s your secret?” And she said, “Well, I don’t know. I mean, I smoked half my life and I like having a diet pop every day.” And so admittedly she quit smoking and for her, you’re talking over 40, 50 years ago, but DNA obviously must play into her life and other healthy regimens. So part of this is very contextual based on are you stressed while you’re eating processed foods, all that kind of stuff. So I do find this interesting, but generally the broad brush that I see from the study like you’re saying, avoid processed foods and meats when possible, but also increase that intake of the stuff you’ve talked about before, fruits and vegetables, legumes, some fish, that kind of stuff, right?
Shanthi Appelö:
Yeah, exactly. Because when it comes down to it, these behaviors that we do over time are going to make the biggest impact. I think as people, we like to see quick results. Let’s just say you have an infection and it’s a bacterial infection and you go to the doctor, you get an antibiotic, you take it for 10 days and it’s cleared up. That’s really nice, right? But when it comes to just feeling better when it comes to preventing disease and things like that, those take a little bit more time. And so that’s what it’s difficult to conceptualize. I think we’ve heard these recommendations time and time again like, “Oh, eat these fruits and vegetables, eat nuts and seeds, eat omega-3 in your fish,” things like that. But I think what is really interesting about this study is that it puts it into actual measures that we can understand.
Yeah, exactly. Because when it comes down to it, these behaviors that we do over time are going to make the biggest impact. I think as people, we like to see quick results. Let’s just say you have an infection and it’s a bacterial infection and you go to the doctor, you get an antibiotic, you take it for 10 days and it’s cleared up. That’s really nice, right? But when it comes to just feeling better when it comes to preventing disease and things like that, those take a little bit more time. And so that’s what it’s difficult to conceptualize. I think we’ve heard these recommendations time and time again like, “Oh, eat these fruits and vegetables, eat nuts and seeds, eat omega-3 in your fish,” things like that. But I think what is really interesting about this study is that it puts it into actual measures that we can understand.
Chuck Gaidica:
So did you see other numbers attached to things outside of what I’ve referenced, nuts and hot dogs? Are you seeing other numbers that tell us, “Don’t go there because it could detract a lot of time from your life”?
So did you see other numbers attached to things outside of what I’ve referenced, nuts and hot dogs? Are you seeing other numbers that tell us, “Don’t go there because it could detract a lot of time from your life”?
Shanthi Appelö:
Well, so what was interesting about this study is that they actually looked at both how foods impact the human body, but also the environment. So they were looking at different indicators to measure, for example, how certain food choices impact global warming, climate change, things like that. So there’s a little bit more to it, but in the grand scheme of things, they did look at things that impact human health.
So for example, in the top category it was red and processed meats. It’s ultra processed foods in general. And then on the flip side, on the green side of things, it was legumes, nuts and seeds. But if we dive into the environmental piece of it too, a lot of these are consistent with each other. So things that they recommend us consuming less of these red and processed meats like hot dogs is also not great for the environment. And there’s a few different reasons for this. So for example, to raise beef, we’re using a lot of greenhouse gas emissions. It takes a lot of water use and it takes a lot of land use. So there’s so many different ways in which how our food choices can influence the environment through those. So that falls straight in line with those that impact human health.
Well, so what was interesting about this study is that they actually looked at both how foods impact the human body, but also the environment. So they were looking at different indicators to measure, for example, how certain food choices impact global warming, climate change, things like that. So there’s a little bit more to it, but in the grand scheme of things, they did look at things that impact human health.
So for example, in the top category it was red and processed meats. It’s ultra processed foods in general. And then on the flip side, on the green side of things, it was legumes, nuts and seeds. But if we dive into the environmental piece of it too, a lot of these are consistent with each other. So things that they recommend us consuming less of these red and processed meats like hot dogs is also not great for the environment. And there’s a few different reasons for this. So for example, to raise beef, we’re using a lot of greenhouse gas emissions. It takes a lot of water use and it takes a lot of land use. So there’s so many different ways in which how our food choices can influence the environment through those. So that falls straight in line with those that impact human health.
Chuck Gaidica:
So in my mind, in your mind as a nutritionist, do you not have some kind of a line that divides the notion between red meat? I mean, if I get a good piece of meat, beef or a bison burger or something, obviously there’s environmental impact, but there’s also environmental impact in me drinking almond milk because of all the water it takes to grow almonds. So there’s always going to be that trade off. But isn’t there a difference between a good piece of meat if you’re inclined to eat meat versus processed meat? Isn’t there a difference there?
So in my mind, in your mind as a nutritionist, do you not have some kind of a line that divides the notion between red meat? I mean, if I get a good piece of meat, beef or a bison burger or something, obviously there’s environmental impact, but there’s also environmental impact in me drinking almond milk because of all the water it takes to grow almonds. So there’s always going to be that trade off. But isn’t there a difference between a good piece of meat if you’re inclined to eat meat versus processed meat? Isn’t there a difference there?
Shanthi Appelö:
Yeah. So the ultra processed meats certainly have other components to them that make them unhealthy. So you think of the nitrates and nitrites, you think of the sodium that’s added to them versus something that’s plain beef. So there’s definitely something to that. I think whenever we think of these changes, whether it’s things that we want to cut down on or things that we want to include more, making them into these changes that we can kind of check off as a list is what’s going to be the most helpful. Because if we decide to run a marathon in one day or cut our calories in half, that’s a huge change. So if we’re looking at adding these foods to our lives, for example, we can say, “Okay, I’m going to have one serving of this extra per day,” or, “I’m going to limit my processed food intake to twice a week,” because that’s something we can really divide out and think, “Okay, I’ve had my hot dog once this week, I can afford one more,” right?
Yeah. So the ultra processed meats certainly have other components to them that make them unhealthy. So you think of the nitrates and nitrites, you think of the sodium that’s added to them versus something that’s plain beef. So there’s definitely something to that. I think whenever we think of these changes, whether it’s things that we want to cut down on or things that we want to include more, making them into these changes that we can kind of check off as a list is what’s going to be the most helpful. Because if we decide to run a marathon in one day or cut our calories in half, that’s a huge change. So if we’re looking at adding these foods to our lives, for example, we can say, “Okay, I’m going to have one serving of this extra per day,” or, “I’m going to limit my processed food intake to twice a week,” because that’s something we can really divide out and think, “Okay, I’ve had my hot dog once this week, I can afford one more,” right?
Chuck Gaidica:
Yeah. Well, the other thing I think about, and I guess it comes back to balance, this idea relative to the environment is if you lean too hard into any one particular kind of food, you can also set yourself up for issues as healthy as the food sounds. For instance, what’s the word for somebody who eats fish? Pescatarian. If you lean into eating fish all the time, you’d have to be a bit concerned. I mean, eating it three to five times a week, are you getting food with mercury in it? Are you getting pesticides? What’s your fish source? So it seems like this idea of balance and talking about the environment can be everything from getting fish out of a river to the quality of the soil and how farmers and all of us can be depleting that, and then we have to add chemicals and pesticides. So to me, this idea of being connected to the environment is a big question that has so many off-ramps, but they’re all good to think about, right?
Yeah. Well, the other thing I think about, and I guess it comes back to balance, this idea relative to the environment is if you lean too hard into any one particular kind of food, you can also set yourself up for issues as healthy as the food sounds. For instance, what’s the word for somebody who eats fish? Pescatarian. If you lean into eating fish all the time, you’d have to be a bit concerned. I mean, eating it three to five times a week, are you getting food with mercury in it? Are you getting pesticides? What’s your fish source? So it seems like this idea of balance and talking about the environment can be everything from getting fish out of a river to the quality of the soil and how farmers and all of us can be depleting that, and then we have to add chemicals and pesticides. So to me, this idea of being connected to the environment is a big question that has so many off-ramps, but they’re all good to think about, right?
Shanthi Appelö:
It is. And it takes a lot of learning, and like you said, it just depends on your own diet and what you need to learn about that really applies to you. I think though specifically if we’re thinking about things that the study mentioned, so little things that you can do. If I were to say three nutrients that you should try to focus on in your life, it would be number one, fiber foods because it impacts so many different parts of your body. It’s good for your heart health, it’s good for your gut health, and our gut is connected to so many different parts of our body. So it can positively impact our brain. It can positively impact our gut, it can reduce our risk for so many different cancers and diseases later down the road. So that would be the first thing. And really good fiber sources are going to be things like chickpeas, raspberries, avocados, so many different categories of that.
And then foods with omega-3s because it is so important for brain health. So obviously we know fatty fish is rich in omega-3, but you can also get it from things like walnuts and flax seeds, things like that. And then the final one is going to be berries, because berries are so rich, not only in that fiber, but also so many antioxidants that can be protective over time. So the three things, fiber, berries, omega-3.
It is. And it takes a lot of learning, and like you said, it just depends on your own diet and what you need to learn about that really applies to you. I think though specifically if we’re thinking about things that the study mentioned, so little things that you can do. If I were to say three nutrients that you should try to focus on in your life, it would be number one, fiber foods because it impacts so many different parts of your body. It’s good for your heart health, it’s good for your gut health, and our gut is connected to so many different parts of our body. So it can positively impact our brain. It can positively impact our gut, it can reduce our risk for so many different cancers and diseases later down the road. So that would be the first thing. And really good fiber sources are going to be things like chickpeas, raspberries, avocados, so many different categories of that.
And then foods with omega-3s because it is so important for brain health. So obviously we know fatty fish is rich in omega-3, but you can also get it from things like walnuts and flax seeds, things like that. And then the final one is going to be berries, because berries are so rich, not only in that fiber, but also so many antioxidants that can be protective over time. So the three things, fiber, berries, omega-3.
Chuck Gaidica:
Well, and all of that is good stuff. And here we are, our podcast episode is actually dropping a couple of days after the 4th of July, so we’ll get some barbecuing out of the way. But in Michigan, even if you’re going on a weekend gallivant up north, we’re going to be seeing more and more farm stands. The corn is coming in, right? Michigan Cherry Festival. I mean, there’s so much that’s great about Michigan between now and fall that we can get some stuff that literally can be farm to table without us having to have the farm in the backyard, right?
Well, and all of that is good stuff. And here we are, our podcast episode is actually dropping a couple of days after the 4th of July, so we’ll get some barbecuing out of the way. But in Michigan, even if you’re going on a weekend gallivant up north, we’re going to be seeing more and more farm stands. The corn is coming in, right? Michigan Cherry Festival. I mean, there’s so much that’s great about Michigan between now and fall that we can get some stuff that literally can be farm to table without us having to have the farm in the backyard, right?
Shanthi Appelö:
Yeah, definitely. And you make a good point there too for the environmental piece because the less our food has to travel, the less of a carbon footprint that is. So I think that’s good. So another thing about the study that I thought was interesting is that they highlighted a few foods that we should include more of, both for our health and the environment. So field grown fruits and vegetables was one of them. So field grown versus greenhouse grown, which means generally they’re going to use some kind of heat, and that’s the environmental piece of it. So four to five servings of fruits and vegetables today is the recommendation for legumes. That’s another category that they recommended. And that kind of falls in with nuts. And for example, something like the DASH diet, which is rated time and time again, one of the best diets, but four to five servings a week. Actually, what’s interesting is that the MIND diet, which is a diet created specifically to prevent dementia, Alzheimer’s, just positively impact your brain suggests eating nuts five times a week.
Yeah, definitely. And you make a good point there too for the environmental piece because the less our food has to travel, the less of a carbon footprint that is. So I think that’s good. So another thing about the study that I thought was interesting is that they highlighted a few foods that we should include more of, both for our health and the environment. So field grown fruits and vegetables was one of them. So field grown versus greenhouse grown, which means generally they’re going to use some kind of heat, and that’s the environmental piece of it. So four to five servings of fruits and vegetables today is the recommendation for legumes. That’s another category that they recommended. And that kind of falls in with nuts. And for example, something like the DASH diet, which is rated time and time again, one of the best diets, but four to five servings a week. Actually, what’s interesting is that the MIND diet, which is a diet created specifically to prevent dementia, Alzheimer’s, just positively impact your brain suggests eating nuts five times a week.
Chuck Gaidica:
And I think you have to be careful with that idea because it’s one thing to be at the Super Bowl party, we all may do a little more of the munching than we should, but nuts also have a lot of fat. So isn’t there a balance to even eating nuts that you’ve got to watch out for?
And I think you have to be careful with that idea because it’s one thing to be at the Super Bowl party, we all may do a little more of the munching than we should, but nuts also have a lot of fat. So isn’t there a balance to even eating nuts that you’ve got to watch out for?
Shanthi Appelö:
Yeah, because when we think about fat, nine calories per gram in fat, so that can add up really quickly, especially when you’re eating like little nuts, it adds up. So about 17 almonds is a serving.
Yeah, because when we think about fat, nine calories per gram in fat, so that can add up really quickly, especially when you’re eating like little nuts, it adds up. So about 17 almonds is a serving.
Chuck Gaidica:
Is that right? That’s a serving? 17?
Is that right? That’s a serving? 17?
Shanthi Appelö:
Yes.
Yes.
Chuck Gaidica:
And an almond would be… Am I wrong? That’s a less fatty kind of nut than a cashew or something else so…
And an almond would be… Am I wrong? That’s a less fatty kind of nut than a cashew or something else so…
Shanthi Appelö:
Yeah, walnuts are a little heavier in fat, cashews as well. But yeah. And then the final one that they recommended in the study to include more of was low environmental impact seafood. So basically we recommend consuming fish twice a week to get that omega-3. And so they just recommended being conscious of where that fish is coming from, what you hinted towards earlier. So there are certain certifications you can look for on fish, but basically it’s a certification that involves things like fishing practices that avoids overfishing, uses less distance once you are selling the fish, fuel use, and then refrigerants whenever they’re actually fishing. So anyways, something to keep in mind, but fish twice a week, nuts five times a week, four to five fruits and vegetables a day.
Yeah, walnuts are a little heavier in fat, cashews as well. But yeah. And then the final one that they recommended in the study to include more of was low environmental impact seafood. So basically we recommend consuming fish twice a week to get that omega-3. And so they just recommended being conscious of where that fish is coming from, what you hinted towards earlier. So there are certain certifications you can look for on fish, but basically it’s a certification that involves things like fishing practices that avoids overfishing, uses less distance once you are selling the fish, fuel use, and then refrigerants whenever they’re actually fishing. So anyways, something to keep in mind, but fish twice a week, nuts five times a week, four to five fruits and vegetables a day.
Chuck Gaidica:
But there are so many things that I think they’re encouraging us to eat that of all the things you’ve talked about so much goodness is wrapped up in some very little packages like black beans. I mean, you’re going to get water, fiber, some protein. I mean, you don’t think of black beans or any other kind of bean as being something that adds protein, but there you go. So you can actually get a lot of the goodness in some of the stuff that’s a buck a can, maybe less on sale and really stretch out your salads or whatever you’re doing for your main meal, including your protein.
But there are so many things that I think they’re encouraging us to eat that of all the things you’ve talked about so much goodness is wrapped up in some very little packages like black beans. I mean, you’re going to get water, fiber, some protein. I mean, you don’t think of black beans or any other kind of bean as being something that adds protein, but there you go. So you can actually get a lot of the goodness in some of the stuff that’s a buck a can, maybe less on sale and really stretch out your salads or whatever you’re doing for your main meal, including your protein.
Shanthi Appelö:
Yeah. And a lot of minutes to your life. Right?
Yeah. And a lot of minutes to your life. Right?
Chuck Gaidica:
Yeah. Well, and there’s this other thing that seems to me that this study talks about lifespan, but the other thing that’s become more important to me, and maybe to you too, is this idea that I want to have, and I’m hoping God willing a long lifespan, but I also want to have a health span that kind of extends so that those things come together. So what’s a good example? Betty White, she gets to 99 and apparently had really good 98 and a half years. So her health span kind of did equal her lifespan. And I think that’s the new thing because if you’re eating a lot of stuff that makes you feel sick or produces asthma or it doesn’t do you good, you don’t want to have 15 to 20 last years of your life as bad ones.
Yeah. Well, and there’s this other thing that seems to me that this study talks about lifespan, but the other thing that’s become more important to me, and maybe to you too, is this idea that I want to have, and I’m hoping God willing a long lifespan, but I also want to have a health span that kind of extends so that those things come together. So what’s a good example? Betty White, she gets to 99 and apparently had really good 98 and a half years. So her health span kind of did equal her lifespan. And I think that’s the new thing because if you’re eating a lot of stuff that makes you feel sick or produces asthma or it doesn’t do you good, you don’t want to have 15 to 20 last years of your life as bad ones.
Shanthi Appelö:
Yeah, I think that’s such a good point. And that’s one of my motivators for wanting to eat as healthy as possible. Personally, I want to feel good in my everyday activities. If it’s easier to go up the stairs and take out the trash and things like that, that’s great. And then if I feel better after a meal, if I’m able to sleep better because I’m not feeling so heavy and all of those things because sleeps flows into so many different parts of my life, but there’s really something to that, the quality of life is going to be improved by doing these little things for yourself.
Yeah, I think that’s such a good point. And that’s one of my motivators for wanting to eat as healthy as possible. Personally, I want to feel good in my everyday activities. If it’s easier to go up the stairs and take out the trash and things like that, that’s great. And then if I feel better after a meal, if I’m able to sleep better because I’m not feeling so heavy and all of those things because sleeps flows into so many different parts of my life, but there’s really something to that, the quality of life is going to be improved by doing these little things for yourself.
Chuck Gaidica:
You talked about portion size with your palm and the 17 almonds. Is there anything else for portion size we really have control over? If we go to a restaurant, we may get… even if we’re doing ourselves well and our minds getting a nice salmon salad, we don’t really have control of the portion short of not eating at all. But generally, is there anything else relative to portion control we should consider?
You talked about portion size with your palm and the 17 almonds. Is there anything else for portion size we really have control over? If we go to a restaurant, we may get… even if we’re doing ourselves well and our minds getting a nice salmon salad, we don’t really have control of the portion short of not eating at all. But generally, is there anything else relative to portion control we should consider?
Shanthi Appelö:
Well, I think one thing is that recognizing that everyone’s portion sizes is different and our needs are so different. So what’s a serving to me might be a different serving to you. But something to keep in mind whenever you’re designing these serving sizes for yourself is to meet some of these recommended intakes. So for example, protein, calculating your needs for protein and making sure you’re getting it enough throughout the day so that you’re feeling energized, you’re feeling your muscles are supported and you’re staying full throughout the day. So usually that’s going to be about four to six ounces of something like salmon or chicken or meat, definitely on the higher side for someone who’s a larger male versus a small female. And then something with the fruits and vegetables size of your fist, that’s a good amount to shoot for. So if you’re trying to have breakfast in the morning, you’ve prepared your bowl of oatmeal, you’re adding some berries, aim for that fist size to add to that.
Well, I think one thing is that recognizing that everyone’s portion sizes is different and our needs are so different. So what’s a serving to me might be a different serving to you. But something to keep in mind whenever you’re designing these serving sizes for yourself is to meet some of these recommended intakes. So for example, protein, calculating your needs for protein and making sure you’re getting it enough throughout the day so that you’re feeling energized, you’re feeling your muscles are supported and you’re staying full throughout the day. So usually that’s going to be about four to six ounces of something like salmon or chicken or meat, definitely on the higher side for someone who’s a larger male versus a small female. And then something with the fruits and vegetables size of your fist, that’s a good amount to shoot for. So if you’re trying to have breakfast in the morning, you’ve prepared your bowl of oatmeal, you’re adding some berries, aim for that fist size to add to that.
Chuck Gaidica:
That’s good. And I think right now it’s so easy to find so many great things. My wife came home with a little box, a mini box of nectarines the other day, just a huge home run, just the best tasting stuff ever.
That’s good. And I think right now it’s so easy to find so many great things. My wife came home with a little box, a mini box of nectarines the other day, just a huge home run, just the best tasting stuff ever.
Shanthi Appelö:
And in the summer, I think that’s a fun thing though too, if you’re trying to incorporate more of these nutrients into your life to overall feel better and live longer is making it fun, going to experiments, see if you like things. I love going to stores that have cultural foods that I haven’t been exposed to before. So there’s a Japanese grocery store. I like to go to a Korean grocery store. And both of those places always have fruits that I’ve never tried. And I’m always interested in just seeing, “Oh, is this something I’m going to love,” but just find ways to make it fun for yourself.
And in the summer, I think that’s a fun thing though too, if you’re trying to incorporate more of these nutrients into your life to overall feel better and live longer is making it fun, going to experiments, see if you like things. I love going to stores that have cultural foods that I haven’t been exposed to before. So there’s a Japanese grocery store. I like to go to a Korean grocery store. And both of those places always have fruits that I’ve never tried. And I’m always interested in just seeing, “Oh, is this something I’m going to love,” but just find ways to make it fun for yourself.
Chuck Gaidica:
Yeah, I agree. And got my own, I think we talked about this last time or previous episode. I’ve started my own little container garden on the deck and I’ve got more bib lettuce. It’s coming, and I’ve got cherry tomatoes, which are flowering, but I haven’t gotten them yet, but I’ve got parsley. I don’t even know how to eat that much parsley that’s coming now.
Yeah, I agree. And got my own, I think we talked about this last time or previous episode. I’ve started my own little container garden on the deck and I’ve got more bib lettuce. It’s coming, and I’ve got cherry tomatoes, which are flowering, but I haven’t gotten them yet, but I’ve got parsley. I don’t even know how to eat that much parsley that’s coming now.
Shanthi Appelö:
Got to make you some chimichurri. Yeah.
Got to make you some chimichurri. Yeah.
Chuck Gaidica:
Wait, what’s that?
Wait, what’s that?
Shanthi Appelö:
So chimichurri is kind of a herb mixture. You can use parsley and cilantro, combine it with a ton of lime juice and olive oil and spices, blend it up in a food processor, and you’ve got a beautiful topping for meat, fish, all kinds of things.
So chimichurri is kind of a herb mixture. You can use parsley and cilantro, combine it with a ton of lime juice and olive oil and spices, blend it up in a food processor, and you’ve got a beautiful topping for meat, fish, all kinds of things.
Chuck Gaidica:
Oh, okay good.
Oh, okay good.
Shanthi Appelö:
Yeah.
Yeah.
Chuck Gaidica:
You give me an idea because literally it’s the plant that just keeps on giving. It seems like I’m out there with the scissors and I turn around and it’s back again. I don’t know, it’s just there.
You give me an idea because literally it’s the plant that just keeps on giving. It seems like I’m out there with the scissors and I turn around and it’s back again. I don’t know, it’s just there.
Shanthi Appelö:
Another thing you can do is freeze them in a Ziploc bag. I always have a gallon sized freezer bag where I add all my herbs that I know are about to go bad or I have excess of, and then eventually I’ll make a stock out of it.
Another thing you can do is freeze them in a Ziploc bag. I always have a gallon sized freezer bag where I add all my herbs that I know are about to go bad or I have excess of, and then eventually I’ll make a stock out of it.
Chuck Gaidica:
Oh, that’s great. That’s a good idea. Anything else that’s jumping off the page to you?
Oh, that’s great. That’s a good idea. Anything else that’s jumping off the page to you?
Shanthi Appelö:
Well, I think whenever it comes to these small changes, we’ve seen the CDC recommendations, we’ve seen the recommendations from all these organizations to consume more vegetables, to do this and this and that. So I think here is a reminder just to think about your why in all of this. Like you were saying, is it independence as you grow older? Is it playing with your grandkids? Is it feeling better every day? Is it sleeping better? Just always check in on your why for these things and for the environment. That’s a huge one for me. I’m constantly thinking about the way that I’m purchasing food and choosing foods so that my impact on the environment can be less hopefully. But checking in on that and making little checklists for yourself of things that you want to do that week that are reasonable is the biggest thing here and really why I think this study is so eye-grabbing because it’s these small changes that you can do to make a big difference after a while.
Well, I think whenever it comes to these small changes, we’ve seen the CDC recommendations, we’ve seen the recommendations from all these organizations to consume more vegetables, to do this and this and that. So I think here is a reminder just to think about your why in all of this. Like you were saying, is it independence as you grow older? Is it playing with your grandkids? Is it feeling better every day? Is it sleeping better? Just always check in on your why for these things and for the environment. That’s a huge one for me. I’m constantly thinking about the way that I’m purchasing food and choosing foods so that my impact on the environment can be less hopefully. But checking in on that and making little checklists for yourself of things that you want to do that week that are reasonable is the biggest thing here and really why I think this study is so eye-grabbing because it’s these small changes that you can do to make a big difference after a while.
Chuck Gaidica:
And the what’s your why thing is so important. From a business world standpoint, we don’t typically use this phrase reverse engineering in life, but in general, our personal human life. But I think that that’s the way I’ve come to look at things is I’m asking what’s my why. I look at pictures of my family on the, I don’t know, on the wall somewhere, and I think, well, that’s the answer. That’s my why. And to your point, I’m reverse engineering. How do I get to the point where when I’m 80, I’m still there, right? And so then I’m starting to make changes in my own life that help me get to that point. So that’s really great advice.
And the what’s your why thing is so important. From a business world standpoint, we don’t typically use this phrase reverse engineering in life, but in general, our personal human life. But I think that that’s the way I’ve come to look at things is I’m asking what’s my why. I look at pictures of my family on the, I don’t know, on the wall somewhere, and I think, well, that’s the answer. That’s my why. And to your point, I’m reverse engineering. How do I get to the point where when I’m 80, I’m still there, right? And so then I’m starting to make changes in my own life that help me get to that point. So that’s really great advice.
Shanthi Appelö:
Yeah. And I think with all of this, as we’re thinking about the minutes, don’t beat yourself up if you have little things. In the grand scheme of things, there are so many other factors that play into our life expectancy than just eating a single hot dog. So just keep that in mind. But it’s the things that we do every day.
Yeah. And I think with all of this, as we’re thinking about the minutes, don’t beat yourself up if you have little things. In the grand scheme of things, there are so many other factors that play into our life expectancy than just eating a single hot dog. So just keep that in mind. But it’s the things that we do every day.
Chuck Gaidica:
Man. Okay. This is great. Yeah, I’m just happy now because I did have one.
Man. Okay. This is great. Yeah, I’m just happy now because I did have one.
Shanthi Appelö:
I think for everyone who’s listening too, we’re all different age groups, so I think as we’re thinking about adding foods to our lives, subtracting foods from our lives, it doesn’t matter when you start. You can always make a difference for the better. Sure, it’s more beneficial to start the younger you are, but if you start something today, whether you’re 30, 50 or 70, you can make a positive impact.
I think for everyone who’s listening too, we’re all different age groups, so I think as we’re thinking about adding foods to our lives, subtracting foods from our lives, it doesn’t matter when you start. You can always make a difference for the better. Sure, it’s more beneficial to start the younger you are, but if you start something today, whether you’re 30, 50 or 70, you can make a positive impact.
Chuck Gaidica:
Yeah, that’s great. Any last tips as we wrap things up here?
Yeah, that’s great. Any last tips as we wrap things up here?
Shanthi Appelö:
I think it’s important to become better informed of your food. I think we kind of dug into a little bit of the environmental piece, but just do some research and figure out kind of your own footprint there.
I think it’s important to become better informed of your food. I think we kind of dug into a little bit of the environmental piece, but just do some research and figure out kind of your own footprint there.
Chuck Gaidica:
Well, it’s good to see you. Thanks.
Well, it’s good to see you. Thanks.
Shanthi Appelö:
Yeah, thanks so much.
Yeah, thanks so much.
Chuck Gaidica:
Shanthi Appelö is a registered dietitian for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. We’re glad you’re with us, and thanks for listening to A Healthier Michigan Podcast. It’s brought to you by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. If you like the show, you want to know more, jump online. You can check us out at ahealthiermichigan.org/podcast. You can always leave us a review or a rating at Apple Podcast or Spotify. You can follow us on social at Facebook and Instagram, Twitter, all the usual places, and you can get old episodes, new episodes to take with you on your summer gallivanting and beyond. Be sure to subscribe to us at Apple Podcast or Spotify or your favorite podcast app. I’m Chuck Gaidica. Be well.
Shanthi Appelö is a registered dietitian for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. We’re glad you’re with us, and thanks for listening to A Healthier Michigan Podcast. It’s brought to you by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. If you like the show, you want to know more, jump online. You can check us out at ahealthiermichigan.org/podcast. You can always leave us a review or a rating at Apple Podcast or Spotify. You can follow us on social at Facebook and Instagram, Twitter, all the usual places, and you can get old episodes, new episodes to take with you on your summer gallivanting and beyond. Be sure to subscribe to us at Apple Podcast or Spotify or your favorite podcast app. I’m Chuck Gaidica. Be well.
