Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Life Extension And Love












I had lunch with two buddies yesterday. One was telling how her husband told her every morning how much he loved her. I felt a twinge of envy.

Did you read the article in the NY Times yesterday (front page of science section) about how you can live lots longer if you eat a certain type of calorie restricted diet? Fascinating in so many ways–the least of which, to me, is the longevity part. It's New York magazine's cover story this week, too: The Diet To End All Diets: The radical premise of the Calorie Restriction Diet is the less you eat the longer you'll live (weight loss and better sex a bonus).

Tom had a meeting last night. Yes, on Halloween! When he called at 9:30 and said he was on his way home and hadn't eaten, I was horrified. I started going through the cabinets, trying to find something to have ready. The cupboard was bare. I thought about what I had read in the paper. I put together a Calorie Restriction Diet plate for him. (Above).

The next morning I was telling him about the article, explaining that it's exactly what I had been wondering about lately: How little one could eat, but still get enough nutrients to be really healthy. (Just in theory, of course.) I pointed out that if every evening he ate the type of dinner I made him last night, he might in fact live 40 years longer.

"But I don't want to live 40 years longer than you. So you'd have to do this, too."

It was my husband saying how much he loved me.