Eat Like a Viking to Live Longer

You've heard about the Mediterranean diet. Now try the Viking diet. Recent research suggests that it, too, could help you live a much longer life.

So what's a Viking diet, exactly? It's one that emphasizes the staples of Nordic cuisine, typically rich in cabbage, rye bread, root vegetables, and other healthful, hearty fare. In a study, diets that emphasized these Scandinavian staples reduced 12-year mortality risk by as much as one-third!

Score One for Cabbage
In the study, researchers assigned people a score from 0 to 6, depending on how closely they adhered to the traditional Nordic eating style. For every point earned, mortality dropped by 4 to 6 percent over the course of the 12-year study. Overall, men with the most points reduced their mortality by 36 percent while top-scoring women lowered their mortality by 25 percent. Cabbage, rye bread, and root vegetables were responsible for most of the longevity benefits. But people also scored points for other Nordic favorites, including fish, oatmeal, apples, and pears. 

Do this for 30 minutes a day to live even longer.

You could cut your mortality risk dramatically if you just did this for 30 minutes: walk.

Or ride your stationary bike. Or dance. Or chase the grandkids around outside. Or shovel some snow. Or all of the above. Just be active for 30 minutes, five times a week. This simple choice cut mortality risk by nearly 20 percent in a recent study.

Walk the Walk
You can't be your best and be there for others unless you take care of yourself first. So no matter how busy life gets, make time for the active things in life that you enjoy. Doesn't have to be a killer ab workout or a sweat-till-you-drop spin class. In a study, people who simply did nonvigorous physical activity for 2 1/2 hours a week saw their risk of dying from any cause drop by almost 20 percent compared with the couch potatoes. If there's no special activity that floats your boat, just walk. Hoofing it for 30 minutes, five times a week, is a small and easy investment to make in your long-term health.  

Moving Matters
Of course, a little sweat is healthy, too, so if you want to crank it up a notch, and you don't have any health conditions in the way, feel free. When the people in the study kicked activity levels into high gear -- logging 7 hours of moderate-intensity exercise each week -- their mortality risk dropped by 25 percent compared with nonactive folks. Chalk it up to the favorable impact exercise has on weight (active people gain less over time) and blood pressure (exercise helps keep those blood vessel walls nice and relaxed). Make walking a regular part of your life with these easy strategies:

Gender Gap
When the researchers broke things down by gender, they found some interesting differences. Although both genders enjoyed longer lives if they ate 1½ cups of shredded cabbage each week, only the men appeared to reap significant longevity benefits from eating ample amounts of rye bread while only the women seemed to get a big boost from eating lots of root vegetables. Regardless, we know that all of these Nordic faves are nutritional superstars, which probably explains their overall impact on mortality risk. Rye bread contains vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that keep blood sugar and insulin levels in check. Cabbage is rich in isothiocyanate, which helps rid the body of toxins and carcinogens. And carrots win first place among root veggies as a source of beta carotene. Taken together, all of these nutrients can translate into lower rates of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. 

WHAT'S FOR DINNER?!

Easy Asian-Style Chicken & Rice

The right combination of convenient ingredients like frozen vegetables, teriyaki seasoning mix and instant rice make this super-easy chicken stir-fry absolutely delicious.

Prep Time:5 mins 

Total Time: 25 mins

SERVES 4

 

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast half (about 1 pound)
• 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Golden Mushroom Soup
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1 package (1.25 ounces) teriyaki seasoning mix
• 1 bag (16 ounces) frozen stir-fry vegetables
• 1 1/2 cup uncooked instant white rice

Directions

Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until well browned on both sides.  Remove the chicken from the skillet.

Stir the soup, water, seasoning mix and vegetables in the skillet and heat to a boil.  Stir in the rice.  Return the chicken to the skillet.  Reduce the heat to low.  Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.