“Annie, what does healthspan mean?” “It refers to the length of time a person is healthy, not just alive. Much of the medical research taking place today is focused on increasing healthspan so that you stay healthy across the span of your life. One of the goals of precision medicine is to ensure that a person spends the majority of their life – healthy. So if the leading cause of death in the United States is cardiovascular disease and stroke, and if eating whole, unprocessed food contributes to a decrease in both, along with exercise and other mindfulness practices that means that you live a healthy life all of your life even though you get older.” “I notice that @doctabro in his article describes quality, quantity and timing as important components for good dietary habits.” “Yes, he says quality is about the nutritional value of what you eat. For example, I mentioned to you that even though we eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, we still need a supplement of minerals and vitamins because much of the food grown today is not as nutrient-dense as the food grown decades ago. Quantity is next; overeating is a huge problem because portion sizes have increased. According to the American Journal of Public Health, the average size of snacks and meals has grown by as much as 138% since the 1970s, so paying attention to the size of the portion is important. The timing of eating which is his third component, is critical. The New England Journal of Medicine recently released the results of a study demonstrating that eating within an eight-hour window and fasting the other sixteen hours yields health benefits from lower cholesterol, and blood pressure reduced stress, and weight loss. The study also says that people with diabetes and people with eating disorders should not attempt intermittent fasting. Doctor Breaux also says to eat slowly, choose whole food, and never drink soda and other sugary drinks. What do you think about his advice?” LJ thoughtfully paused and…