On nutrition: Aging gracefully

My aunt Bertha will be 100 years old this week. Amazing to think of the life she has lived between 1910 and 2010. And from what I've observed, Bert seems to have truly "lived" this journey with her whole mind and body.

For as long as I can remember, Bert has been beautiful and vibrant — mentally and physically. And as she approaches the end of her life, I continue to marvel at her beautiful and vibrant spirit.

How has Bertha managed to age so ... gracefully? She no doubt was blessed with good genes from her parents. According to a position paper on aging from the American Dietetic Association, researchers believe some people possess certain "longevity-enabling genes" that protect the body from chronic diseases (like diabetes and heart disease) and slow down the aging process. Among "centenarians" — people who have lived for 100 years or more — at least one such genetic marker has been identified.

She was also blessed to live the United States, the country with the greatest number of centenarians, according the Census Bureau. Japan has the second highest number of people over the age of 100.

Bertha didn't pick her genetic code. But she has made other choices in her lifetime that have positively contributed to her long and healthy life:

She did not smoke. She enjoyed cooking and eating good food that helped keep her Audrey Hepburn-like figure. And she has been mentally and physically active most of her life.

Well into her 90s, she was on the go. She walked. She stretched. She exercised regularly in her water aerobics class. Physical activity, say experts, helps control weight and blood pressure and help prevent type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis. Being active also helps manage arthritis that often hits in later years.

Physical activity also keeps the brain popping — both cognitively and emotionally, say researchers. What activities are most beneficial? Stretches, aerobic ("huff and puff") and strength (resistance-type exercises) ... all can "significantly postpone many age-related disabilities".

If Bertha has any nutritional secret, it's that she never dislikes any food that is put in front of her. For 100 years, she has enjoyed a variety of nourishing foods.

Perhaps Bertha has what researchers have identified as "protective nutritional factors" common to the over-100 gang including elevated levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) — the "good" cholesterol that protects the heart and high levels of EPA and DHA — omega 3 fatty acids found primarily in fish that protect the body against inflammatory diseases like heart disease and diabetes.

Centenarians have also been found to have high blood levels of antioxidant vitamins A (found in dark orange and green vegetables such as carrots and spinach) and E (found in whole grains, seeds, nuts and vegetable oils). Makes sense. A condition called "oxidative stress" contributes to processes within the body related to aging. Antioxidant vitamins help defend the body against oxidative stress. In fact, possibly because of the presence of these antioxidants, blood samples of long-lived folks tend to have fewer of the damaging "oxidative" substances.

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Barbara Quinn is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. She is the author of Diabetes DTOUR Diet, Rodale, 2009. E-mail her at bquinn@chomp.org.