Good morning! Hope you are well and healthy. In my journeys on the internet reading about wellness, I came across this website. World Research Foundation. There are several good articles here. Well worth the hyperlink click.
I haven’t researched Louis Cornaro further than this article but these are the exerpts that delighted me:
About him:
Louis Cornaro’s 16th century book, Discourses on the Sober Life, has also been alternatively titled, “How to Live 100 Years.” It is one of the greatest books ever written on hygiene.
Cornaro was a Venetian nobleman who was born in 1464 and lived to the ripe age of 102, dying in 1566. Like the majority of young gallants of his day, he lived a reckless and dissipated life; the result was that he completely broke down at the age of forty, and was given up by his physicians to die.
Taking matters into his own hands, Cornaro decided to reform his life and see what the results would be. He simplified his diet and drastically cut down on the quantity of food he consumed to the barest minimum. Within a few days he began to notice the difference, and at the end of the year, found himself completely restored to health.
I’ve been reading a lot lately about calorie restriction as the key to healthy longevity so this is the first thing that stuck my interest.
Seeing this, he continued this abstemious style for the rest of his life. He limited himself to twelve ounces of solid food daily and fourteen ounces of wine. (At the time the wine was very light and usually consumed at meals like water.)
This is hilarious. More ounces of wine than food. Disclaimer: I am only amused, not advocating this!!!!!!!!!!!!
“…I accustomed myself to the habit of never fully satisfying my appetite, either with eating or drinking – always leaving the table when able to take more. In this I acted according to the Proverb: Not to satiate one’s self with food is the science of health.”
I’ve always taught to chew slowly, eat till full. This is the second reference in the last couple of weeks to eating just before full. In Dr. Maoshing Ni’s book Secrets of Longevity, he writes “Most centenarians surveyed around the world follow the 3/4s rule: they stop eating when 3/4s full.” BTW, Dr. Maoshing Ni is a 38th generation doctor of Chinese Medicine. 38th! Back to Louis Cornaro:
“Galen had said that the two rules for eating and drinking were not to take of either, more than the stomach can easily digest and to use only those things which agree with you.”
Basically what Louis did was tune into his digestive system, eating only the freshest foods and only the foods his stomach approved of, only the foods/fuel that was perfect for his particular body. This is what I call mindfulness. Even though I’m usually talking about, writing about vegetables, tune in to your body and see what it needs, hear what it needs. If it says non-food (cookie, donut, cheetos, twinkie), you’re not completely tuned in. More on that another day…………………..
Quotes in bold type taken from the World Research Foundation website.