The Mediterranean diet
“The Mediterranean diet, also called the Cretan diet, is the most studied in the world,” he explains in an interview. “By eating a balanced diet, fruits and vegetables, legumes, olive oil, little red meat, a little fish, no or few ultra-processed foods, you will have fewer cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. At 20, if you reduce sugary drinks, fatty, sugary and salty products, and adopt the Cretan diet, you will live 10 years longer if you are a woman and you will have up to 13 years of additional life expectancy if you are a man. At 60, it is eight years more, and at 80, you can gain three and a half years of life expectancy. The Cretan diet is also a way of life, we take naps, we eat dinner with family or with several people. The more a society develops, the more it tends to eat less well, which is a paradox.”
Air currents for iron health
PHOTO JOËL SAGET, ARCHIVES AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
The Dr Jimmy Mohamed
“We realized during COVID-19 that the least well-ventilated places were the places where we were most contaminated. It is linked to the quality of the air and the frequency with which we renew it. When it is cold, we close the windows, and we only open them at the end of a meeting, once there is a slightly unpleasant smell. However, the more a room is ventilated, the less risk there is of catching a viral infection. So we must always air out a room even when it is cold. We are not going to catch a cold, on the contrary. In a class, when there is a sick child, there is an epidemic, and all the children fall ill one after the other. Very often, it is because the class is not well ventilated, the air is not renewed. We must create drafts, everywhere, in the office, at school, at home.”
Strengthen your legs
“Weight training is not reserved for those who go to the gym. It is the only organ on which we can exert an influence on our aging. It is possible to have perfectly healthy muscles until the age of 90, while our heart and brain tend to age. The most powerful muscles are in our legs, and we must maintain them well to increase our autonomy. When we do physical activity, we secrete and release myokines, an anti-inflammatory molecule that has extraordinary powers. It increases our bone density, and boosts our immune system. So, don’t hesitate to do small weight training sessions, it is within everyone’s reach. We climb stairs, we ride a bike, or we integrate a few small exercises into our daily life, it is important.”
Eat dark chocolate
“It contains cocoa, which is a super antioxidant. A large study involving 1 million participants showed that chocolate has indisputable benefits for our health. It helps make the arteries a little more flexible. Dark chocolate is good for the heart and protects against cardiovascular diseases. The higher the cocoa content (85%) of the chocolate, the better it will be for our health and our mood. Be careful, milk or white chocolate does not provide these benefits.”
The “eureka nap”
“Legend has it that inventor Thomas Edison took short naps to stimulate his creativity. He held a metal ball in his hand, and as he fell asleep, the ball would fall to the ground, waking him up. This short interval between waking and sleeping, this “eureka nap”, is said to stimulate creativity. We should also take a short nap after dinner in the afternoon, which would allow us to recharge our batteries.”
Smiles, hugs and say thank you!
“Smiling has a beneficial effect on our health. Smiling calls for smiling, there is feedback. When you smile, you send your brain a message of well-being and happiness. As for hugs, we all need physical connection, contact, exchange. Giving a simple hug produces hormones like oxytocin, also called the attachment hormone. Physical contact, in addition to producing oxytocin, lowers stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, hormones that are toxic to the body when they are present chronically. And don’t forget to say thank you. Gratitude also increases life expectancy, it feels good to verbalize it to your loved ones.”
Zero constraints to stay young
Editorial editions
288 pages