To prevent diseases it is essential to have good eating habits. The following is my recommended pyramid diet – with most desirable foods at bottom and least desirable at top – based on taking the best aspects from a wide variety of diets, but mainly the Mediterranean diet, the anti-inflammation diet, and the low glycemic diet (low sugar rush). Twenty five highly qualified researchers, doctors and dieticians ranked the Mediterranean diet best overall diet for 2018. The anti-inflammation diet is also important since low grade inflammation is at the root of most diseases and particularly related to arthritis, diabetes, allergies, heart disease and even cancer. They all start with low grade inflammation. The best foods to prevent low grade inflammation are: fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines), green leafy vegetables, fruit, fermented foods, onions and garlic, whole grains, fermented foods, herbs and spices. It is also important to avoid high glycemic foods that cause high sugar rush like starchy foods, and sweet foods.

The following chart is worth a thousand words. The numbers below refer to the daily or weekly servings recommended.

Fast Food: NO
Processed Food: NO
Starch with Protein at a meal: NO
White Products: Bread, Rice, Flour: NO
Butter, Bacon, Red Meat 1 serving: WEEKLY or NO
Potatoes, White Pasta: MINIMAL or NO
Sweets, Sugar, Chocolate. Fruit Juice: MINIMAL
Dried figs, dates, apricots, Greek yogurt PREFERRED SWEETS Wine: MINIMAL
Low fat Dairy Products: 2-3 DAILY
Skinless Poultry: 1 to 2 WEEKLY
Eggs: 2 WEEKLY for Men and 4 WEEKLY for women
Oils: Olive oil mainly, Canola or Grapeseed: 1-2 tablespoons DAILY
Supplements: Multi Vitamin, Magnesium, Vitamin E, Q10 coenzyme, etc.: DAILY
Water: Distilled: 8 glasses DAILY
Fats: Extra virgin oil, walnuts, avocados, seeds, ground flaxseed: 6 DAILY
Whole Grains: 5 DAILY
Omega 3 Foods: Salmon Fish or Sardines: 3-4 WEEKLY or Fish Oil: DAILY
Beans and Lentils: 1-2 DAILY and Nuts and Seeds 2 tablespoons: DAILY
Fruit: 3-4 DAILY
Vegetables: 4-5 or more DAILY
Leafy Dark Green Vegetables: Kale, Spinach, Collards, Lettuce, etc.: 2 DAILY

We can all make improvements in our diet. What is missing in your diet or needs to be reduced?

The photo below is my 800m at age 70 in 1999 at Gateshead GB Worlds, 0.5 seconds slower than my world record a few months before.