29/10/2026
Five “secrets” that shouldn’t be secret about how food affects your odds of healthy longevity.
These Flex5 Food principles apply across eating patterns, cultures and cuisines. Understanding them helps you take control—at the grocery store, in your kitchen or ordering from a restaurant menu.
First, BEING REALISTIC. Then, understanding that what you eat on AVERAGE over time matters:
1. Keeping AVERAGE intake of calories from sugar, alcohol and cream-based beverages as low as reasonably possible. Along with understanding soft-to-solid food calorie density, this helps minimize non-essential calories and supports weight and insulin sensitivity management.
2. Cutting AVERAGE calories per bite of food down. Mostly, more water-containing foods and less dry, calorie-concentrated foods, especially CRRAHP—calorie rich, refined and hyperpalatable…but a touch of CRRAHP is fine. Forget the fear mongers. This addresses insulin resistance risk without living deprived.
3. Cutting AVERAGE sodium per bite of food while enhancing AVERAGE potassium per bite of food. This addresses blood pressure.
4. Keeping AVERAGE saturated fat and dietary cholesterol modest. Yes, I’m aware of the myth that dietary cholesterol is irrelevant, which is hogwash. My targets: saturated fat well under 20g/day on AVERAGE and less than 10g many days; dietary cholesterol well under 200mg/day on AVERAGE. Some people, unlike me, are not hyperabsorbers of cholesterol—but better safe than sorry IMO. This helps keep ApoB-containing lipid particles as naturally low as possible.
5. Keeping AVERAGE PF10/calorie ratio high…>75% is a good start. What is PF10? My label-reading video in the comments explains so once you learn the mathematics, you won’t always (or almost ever, other than fun conversation with friends, or in my case, patients) have to actually DO the mathematics. With practice, you can recognize food composition visually and know which questions and requests to make.
These pictures show that in action at California Pizza Kitchen.
I kindly but assertively ordered the Thai Crunch Salad without chicken, light on crunchy wontons and dressing.
Also, a wood-plank-cooked salmon with roasted broccoli. I requested no salt added to anything.
We can take control of our orders and ask the kitchen to work toward OUR goals—including cutting back on salt restaurants otherwise readily add.
And yes, I skipped the bread basket. Why? As a board-certified bread-aholic, I know better than to let a beautiful but cunning wolf (disguised as an obedient dog) invade my space, more than once in a while.
Then, the Flex5 “1 minute halftime” helped TWICE: pause halfway through any plate or bowl for one minute. “Do I truly want more, or can I stop?”
The salad was amazing. I was roaring through it and could’ve finished it, but paused to leave room to enjoy the hot entrée. I paused again halfway through my entree—and now have a beautiful lunch for tomorrow at work, saving me money and time. Save and savor later!
Two educational videos in the comments:
• Nutrition label reading—the 5 principles in this order.
• Flex5 “Hunger Management,” including the “1 minute halftime.”
AVERAGE is intentional. Flexibility and pleasure belong here.
This is how food, health and happiness meet in the real world. The Flex5 Lifestyle®, brought to you by Reality Meets Science®.
