The Delay Ageing Food Plan
The Delay Ageing Food Plan has a lot of plant foods but does not demand you become a vegetarian or vegan. More what has been termed a ‘reducitarian’ – eating mainly plant protein but with fish and some meat.
| The Delay Ageing Food Plan | ||
|---|---|---|
| GREEN foods | 2 a day | Broccoli, chard, spinach, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, sprouts, rocket, asparagus, green peppers, peas, courgettes/zucchini, celery, leafy salads, mangetout /sugarsnaps |
| RED foods | 1-2 a day | Strawberries, raspberries, cherries, red grapes, red pepper, red onion, tomatoes, apples, chilli peppers |
| YELLOW and ORANGE foods | 1-2 a day | Carrots, sweet potatoes, oranges, grapefruit, mango, apricot, pumpkin, banana, sweetcorn, squash |
| BLUE and PURPLE foods | 1-2 a day | Blueberries, bilberries, blackberries, blackcurrants, black/concord grapes, raisins, plums, aubergine/eggplant, beetroot |
| WHOLE GRAINS | 2 a day | Wholegrain bread, cereals, pasta, rice, oats, quinoa, buckwheat, rye, barley, etc |
| Fruit/vegetable JUICE | max 1 a day | Single or mixed fruits or vegetables (pure fruit/veg, no added sugar) |
| PREBIOTIC and HIGH FIBRE foods in addition to fibre in fruits, grains and vegetables | 4 -5 times a week | Onions, garlic, leeks, artichokes, lentils, bananas, beans (kidney, haricot, borlotti, black-eye etc), chickpeas and products eg. dhal, hummus. Add occasional fermented foods, like sauerkraut, miso, kefir, tempeh. |
| MUSHROOMS | 3 x a week | All eg. chestnut, portobello, oyster, shiitake, maitake, chanterelle, reishi 8 |
| HERBS and SPICES | as frequently as you can | Turmeric, ginger, cayenne, chilli, curry powder, basil, thyme, black pepper, cinnamon, oregano, rosemary, nutmeg, sage, coriander, etc. They add health benefits and flavour, reducing need for salt. |
| SOYBEANS and products | 1-2 times a week | Tofu, edamame, miso, textured soy protein, natto |
| NUTS and SEEDS | small handful daily | Nuts eg. walnuts, cashews, peanuts, almonds, brazil nuts. Seeds eg. flax (linseeds), chia, hemp, sesame, pine, pumpkin. |
| Oily FISH (Optional) |
2-3 times a week | Salmon (esp. wild), herring, trout, anchovy, mackerel, sardines, pilchards. Occasional shellfish eg. prawns (for selenium, zinc). |
| MEAT (Optional) |
1-2 times a week | Chicken, turkey, game, duck, lamb. You need about 1g a day of protein per gram of body weight. Organic/free range if you can. |
| EGGS (Optional) | up to 7 a week | Organic and free-range hens have better feed quality and lifestyle, and their eggs have higher nutrients. |
| DAIRY (Optional) |
in moderation | Dairy contributes calcium, magnesium and vitamins, but these are also in vegetables. Choose organic milk and butter, real cheeses, especially green and blue, and plain ‘live’ yogurts. |
| Plant-derived FATS and OILS | as needed | Extra virgin olive, flaxseed or hempseed oils for salads and general cooking. Avocado oil for high-temperature frying. |
| DARK CHOCOLATE | 2-3 squares daily | Cocoa flavonols are healthy and there’s much less sugar and no dairy compared to milk chocolate. |
| DRINKS | frequent | 6-8 glasses equivalent of water-based drinks ie. water, teas (green, black, chamomile, herbal), coffee. Moderate red wine (women 1 glass a day; men 1-2). |
The Delay Ageing Food Pyramid
You will have seen food pyramids before, but ours is inverted, with the foods to eat most of at the top, and foods to eat sparingly at the bottom.
Notice that the inverted foundation consists of vegetables, because veggies contain some of the most protective nutrients and fibre. But there is another reason. When University College London published their study confirming 9-10 portions of fruit and veg a day as optimal, they also showed that consuming vegetables had an even greater protective effect than eating fruit.
