The Longevity Diet
Encyclopedia
The CRON-diet is a nutrient-rich, very low calorie diet
developed by Roy Walford
, Lisa Walford, and Brian M. Delaney. The CRON-diet involves calorie restriction
in the hope that the practice will improve health and retard aging
, while still attempting to supply in the recommended daily amounts
of various nutrients. Other names include CR-diet, Longevity diet, and Anti-Aging Plan. Several people including the Walfords, Delaney and others founded the CR Society International
to promote the CRON-diet.
, and from Walford's decades of animal testing
.
A guideline that proponents use to determine an individual's "set-point" is to measure that person's body fat content. Proponents state that this should be between 10-15% for a female person and between 6-10% for a male person. Proponents suggest the use of skinfold test tools (they specifically recommend the "Fat-O-Meter"), certain digital scales, densiometry, and/or bioelectrical impedance analysis
to determine the body fat content. Proponents then use the current weight and body fat content to determine the goal weight (below the "set point"), and plan and follow a preliminary diet until the goal weight is reached.
Next, the proponent determines the amount of caloric restriction they wish to implement in their regular eating pattern. Proponents recommend a goal of restricting intake by 20%. The actual daily amount eaten depends on the adherent's basal metabolic rate
(BMR), although Walford has stated that he doubts the verifiability of BMR calculation tools. A common daily intake is 1800 calories per day.
, brewers yeast, wheat bran, wheat germ, shiitake mushroom
s, non-fat dry milk
, soybean
s, and tofu
. These "nutrient super-chargers" are used frequently to boost meals' nutritional density.
The Walfords propose that adherents eat three meals per day. They suggest that adherents cook eight meals on a specific day of the week, and then freeze these meals to use during the entire week. They refer to this process as the "Quantity-Cook-and Freeze Option", and the meals themselves as "One-a-day MegaMeals". They suggest that adherents use two "Free-Choice Recipes" for the other two courses per day.
Adherents may compose their own meals. The Walfords caution that such meals must be planned exactly and contain all the required RDA nutrients. There are computer tools available to plan meals, including the official Dr. Walfords Interactive Diet Planner and the unofficial CRON-o-Meter.
Very Low Calorie Diet
Very low calorie diet is a diet with very or extremely low daily food energy consumption. It is defined as a diet of per day or less. VLCDs are formulated, nutritionally complete, liquid meals containing 800 kilocalories or less per day. VLCDs also contain the recommended daily requirements for...
developed by Roy Walford
Roy Walford
Roy Lee Walford, M. D. was a pioneer in the field of caloric restriction. He died at age 79 of respiratory failure as a complication of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis...
, Lisa Walford, and Brian M. Delaney. The CRON-diet involves calorie restriction
Calorie restriction
Caloric restriction , or calorie restriction, is a dietary regimen that restricts calorie intake, where the baseline for the restriction varies, usually being the previous, unrestricted, intake of the subjects...
in the hope that the practice will improve health and retard aging
Senescence
Senescence or biological aging is the change in the biology of an organism as it ages after its maturity. Such changes range from those affecting its cells and their function to those affecting the whole organism...
, while still attempting to supply in the recommended daily amounts
Reference Daily Intake
The Reference Daily Intake or Recommended Daily Intake is the daily intake level of a nutrient that is considered to be sufficient to meet the requirements of 97–98% of healthy individuals in every demographic in the United States .The RDI is used to determine the Daily Value of foods,...
of various nutrients. Other names include CR-diet, Longevity diet, and Anti-Aging Plan. Several people including the Walfords, Delaney and others founded the CR Society International
CR Society International
The CR Society International is a nonprofit 501 organization composed of several thousand people practicing, supporting, and conducting research into calorie restriction as a means of slowing the aging process. It was founded in 1994 by Brian M...
to promote the CRON-diet.
Origins
The CRON-diet was developed from data Walford compiled during his participation in Biosphere 2Biosphere 2
Biosphere 2 is a structure originally built to be an artificial, materially-closed ecological system in Oracle, Arizona by Space Biosphere Ventures, a joint venture whose principal officers were John P. Allen, inventor and Executive Director, and Margret Augustine, CEO...
, and from Walford's decades of animal testing
Animal testing
Animal testing, also known as animal experimentation, animal research, and in vivo testing, is the use of non-human animals in experiments. Worldwide it is estimated that the number of vertebrate animals—from zebrafish to non-human primates—ranges from the tens of millions to more than 100 million...
.
Theory
Proponents of the CRON-diet believe that everyone has what they call a "set-point:" a weight, specific to an individual, at which each naturally stays when they eat their usual daily diet. Proponents believe that the "set-point" is determined through heredity and childhood eating habits. Proponents recommend that adherents remain 10% to 25% under their "set-point", suggesting that this is necessary for the diet to be maximally effective.A guideline that proponents use to determine an individual's "set-point" is to measure that person's body fat content. Proponents state that this should be between 10-15% for a female person and between 6-10% for a male person. Proponents suggest the use of skinfold test tools (they specifically recommend the "Fat-O-Meter"), certain digital scales, densiometry, and/or bioelectrical impedance analysis
Bioelectrical impedance analysis
Bioelectrical impedance analysis is a commonly used method for estimating body composition. Since the advent of the first commercially available devices in the mid-1980s the method has become popular owing to its ease of use, portability of the equipment and its relatively low cost compared to...
to determine the body fat content. Proponents then use the current weight and body fat content to determine the goal weight (below the "set point"), and plan and follow a preliminary diet until the goal weight is reached.
Next, the proponent determines the amount of caloric restriction they wish to implement in their regular eating pattern. Proponents recommend a goal of restricting intake by 20%. The actual daily amount eaten depends on the adherent's basal metabolic rate
Basal metabolic rate
Basal Metabolic Rate , and the closely related resting metabolic rate , is the amount of daily energy expended by humans and other animals at rest. Rest is defined as existing in a neutrally temperate environment while in the post-absorptive state...
(BMR), although Walford has stated that he doubts the verifiability of BMR calculation tools. A common daily intake is 1800 calories per day.
Practice
The Walfords propose three meals in their book, but variation is possible. Adherents can vary the number of meals they eat per day in order to fit their schedules: typically, this is achieved by combining calorie-dense and calorie- lean foods in different ways. Proponents also use "supplements"; they use this word to refer to vitamin pills as well as certain high-nutrition foods (which are necessarily calorie-lean). The Walfords describe these foods as "nutrient super-chargers"; examples include kombuKombu
Kombu or konbu , also called dashima or haidai , is edible kelp from the family Laminariaceae widely eaten in East Asia....
, brewers yeast, wheat bran, wheat germ, shiitake mushroom
Shiitake
The Shiitake is an edible mushroom native to East Asia, which is cultivated and consumed in many Asian countries, as well as being dried and exported to many countries around the world. It is a feature of many Asian cuisines including Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Thai...
s, non-fat dry milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
, soybean
Soybean
The soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses...
s, and tofu
Tofu
is a food made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks. It is part of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and others. There are many different varieties of tofu, including fresh tofu and tofu...
. These "nutrient super-chargers" are used frequently to boost meals' nutritional density.
The Walfords propose that adherents eat three meals per day. They suggest that adherents cook eight meals on a specific day of the week, and then freeze these meals to use during the entire week. They refer to this process as the "Quantity-Cook-and Freeze Option", and the meals themselves as "One-a-day MegaMeals". They suggest that adherents use two "Free-Choice Recipes" for the other two courses per day.
Adherents may compose their own meals. The Walfords caution that such meals must be planned exactly and contain all the required RDA nutrients. There are computer tools available to plan meals, including the official Dr. Walfords Interactive Diet Planner and the unofficial CRON-o-Meter.
Books on the CRON-diet
Books on the CRON-diet include:- The Longevity Diet by Brian M. Delaney, Lisa Walford, and Roy Walford, New York: Marlowe & Co., 2005 – ISBN 1-56858-309-5
- Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss by Joel FuhrmanJoel FuhrmanJoel Fuhrman, MD , is an American board-certified family physician who specializes in nutrition-based treatments for obesity and chronic disease. He is a member of the board of directors of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, and serves as Research Director of the Nutritional Research...
Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 2003 – ISBN 978-0-316-82945-8 - Beyond the 120 Year Diet: How to Double Your Vital Years by Roy Walford, New York: Four Walls Eight Windows, 2000 - ISBN 1-56858-157-2
- The Anti-Aging Plan: Strategies and Recipes for extending your Healthy years by Roy Walford and Lisa Walford, New York: A Four Walls Eight Windows, 1994 - ISBN 1-56858-049-5 or ISBN 978-1-56-858049-4