Understanding how our food choices benefit our health and mood (occasionally these two battle as the saying “comfort food” goes as “comfort” can maim and yes, even kill in excess), as well as our overall odds of maximizing healthy years, is critical. It can be summarized in helping people find an eternally satisfying pattern of eating based predominantly, but not necessarily exclusively on minimally and unprocessed raw or healthfully prepared (i.e. without undue added processed fat - especially saturated fat - calories or sodium/salt) PLANTS (i.e. whole fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, peas, 100% whole grains, nuts and seeds). To be practical and reality (meets science) based, we are for most probably talking about two or more pounds total daily, especially of whole fruits and low starch veggies with lesser but still significant and appropriate amounts of legumes (eg 1/2 to 1 cup “almost daily” average of beans, lentils, peas), so-called “starchy” vegetables (which due to calorie density are only modestly starchy relative to say - refined breads and crackers), 100% whole grains (with priority of cooked over dry and intact over highly processed for weight management - think steel cut oatmeal over Cheerios - though both are “whole grain”) as well as modest, weight management friendly, amounts of nuts/seeds and non tropical plant based oils as well as nut/seed "butters" (RMS note: all dry, high fat and other dryer - more calorie dense - foods require particular portion or frequency conscientiousness, of course).

If desired, moderate amounts of lean, low salt/sodium animal based nutrition, preferably humanely raised and/or sustainably fished without unnecessary antibiotics are quite reasonable. Note: RMS understands the reality is these standards - as life and reality goes - may not always be possible - restaurants being a good example and restaurants being part of a lifestyle is a choice that is non-negotiable to most. And of course, the least amount CRAP (calorie rich and processed - a term coined by colleague and renown dietitian, chef and friend Jeff Novick, MS, RD) “food” as reasonably possible. When patients and clients have asked me what “moderation” means for them, at that point in time in their lifestyle change journey, I simply say “just enough to not want to kill me!”. Notably, RMS based food and beverages' health implications assessment (including but not limited to label reading) comes down to 5 primary issues, which in beautiful irony is the same as the number of RMS Keys to healthy lifestyle.

1. Limiting thin liquid beverage calories based on sugar, alcohol or fat/cream
2. Understanding the impact of solid food’s calorie density (calorie density is essentially “calories per bite” of food and is mediated largely by a food or meal’s overall intrinsic water, fat and fiber content) covers sugar, starch and fat all in one evidence based concept.
3. Sodium density - as with calorie density - sodium density is sodium per bite.
   NOTE: humans are typically highly likely to eat a certain amount of food by weight per day than they are a certain amount of calories or sodium. And keep in mind foods range from less than 100 calories per pound to ~4000 calories per pound and the relative range for sodium is even wider!
4. Total protein and intact fiber (each needs to play its role but they do work well together and hence within a single assessment tool. Protein’s role, though sources are relevant (plant vs animal, how animal was raised, other calories and compounds tagging along with the protein sources, etc), can have implications for satiety, maintenance of lean body tissues during fat shedding (aka “weight loss”) and even slight positive effects on metabolism. Fiber also has a role in satiety (largely why it is linked with protein in the RMS “PF10” nutrition assessment tool and guideline - stay tuned for more on PF10) but also glucose and cholesterol metabolism as well as a massive role in maintaining healthy gut bacteria (“gut microbiome”).
5. Care regarding saturated fat and cholesterol intake. Simply RMS recommends less than 10 grams of saturated fat daily on the mass majority of days - being realistic. Cholesterol is individualized but notable that longevity hot spots on earth (Blue Zones®) average typical less than 200mg day and there is no human requirement for either saturated fat or cholesterol both of which the human body can manufacture on its own.

The details of each of these five core issues within the RMS Nutrition Key will be explained in detail in future RMS Facebook posts, the upcoming book "Diet Wars!" (A Tour of Duty from Vegan to Paleo) and the RMS "Virtual Lifestyle University" coming to fruition on this page soon.

Not just “exercise”, but overall physical movement. While structured exercise is GREAT, it honestly is not necessary for healthy longevity. But make no mistake, in a modern environment we don’t have nearly as much opportunity to be physically active throughout the day. As such, a dedicated, regular and relatively structured exercise pattern is a great bonus in most western culture scenarios where its tough to have traditional Blue Zones® culture levels of "natural, purposeful" movement. Yet we MUST know that it is also VERY important engage in: - NEAT (non exercise activity time) and avoid extensive periods of prolonged physical inactivity whether sitting, laying around, or even standing still, in excess.

As such we simply need to be WAY less sedentary and innovative in how to achieve every bit of activity we can! Striving to still and stand still way less than half of our waking hours is a good general start in the right direction for the average western lifestyle based person. Either sitting and/or standing still should preferably be broken up regularly (e.g., on average - and it is important to remember the “on average” part as we must be realistic - striving to sit no longer than 10-20, and certainly no more than 60 minutes continuously). An example about being realistically interpretive about "on average"...of course, if sitting through a movie or theater show, or on flight in which the captain has asked you to sit down, due to turbulence, then by all means sit down!

But anyway you slice it, becoming a “NEAT freak”, breaking up sedentary time and keeping it to a minimum as well as structured exercise ARE 3 SEPARATE RMS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ISSUES that one needs to understand to optimize health and disease free longevity odds.

This area is all too often given short shrift (denial is easy, but ineffective ultimately). And this RMS key area is potentially the most important of all, since this is the domain where “stages of readiness for change“ find themselves. And if one is truly not ready for lifestyle change, that will leave the treasure box of health and wellness locked as all 5 RMS keys are necessary to achieve metabolic health (that is, unless we’re stuck on a island with Tom Hanks in the movie Cast Away and forced to be physically active and eat ultra lean or die!). Issues that fall into the Mind Matters Key area include but are not limited to stress management skills, mood management and emotional health issues, psychological, emotional and maladaptive eating disorders, as well as sleep health (nothing like a bad night's sleep to sap willpower!). It is CRITICAL to learn acceptance of ourselves and our humanity here. Being a confident, but humble, healthy RMS lifestyle warrior that knows when they need quality and trustworthy, and if necessary professional help (disclosure: I have!) is so important that it cannot be overemphasized.

(food, social and physical activity related environments). Master this Key area of modifying your food environments (especially the 3 main sunsets of home, work and travel vehicles) and it will become far, and even mindlessly, easier to maintain your health and wellness goals. A good book: "Mindless Eating® - Why we eat more than we think”, by professor Brian Wansink PhD. Also amazingly critical is our social networks (good book: "The Social Network Diet®", professor Miriam Nelson PhD), especially having spouses/life partners on the same page with us regarding healthy lifestyle. The English Longitudinal Study of Aging support this big time. Manage the RMS Environment Key (in all 3 subset areas) and a significant amount of willpower will not be wasted. Saving our energy/willpower will allow the rest of the other 4 RMS Keys to be significantly easier, or at the very least, less challenging, to manage. They may even largely take care of themselves, as they do in Blue Zones®. Again, Blue Zones® are longevity hotspots in the world and is also the title of a book written by National Geographic fellow and friend Dan Buettner (must reading!). The problem is "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" and most of our "Rome" (America) is sadly a CRAP-SAD (Calorie Rich And Processed Standard American Diet) food/caloric beverage promoting, sedentary lifestyle drowning version of “Rome”, making the other 4 Keys a necessary part of our journeys to a longevity lifestyle relatively free of avoidable chronic disease. While it may be true that “we are what we eat“, the evidence-based fact is that we also largely “eat what surrounds us“! The major players in this avoidable disaster of diseases are heart diseases (e.g., heart attack, atrial fibrillation and heart failure), stroke, type 2 diabetes, the majority of cancers, chronic kidney and liver disease as well as dementias, among others: all are likely able to be reduced 60-80% by applying the 5 RMS lifestyle Keys and concepts, all based on wellness and longevity lifestyle science, to reasonable and meaningful degrees. Again, remember, "we are what we eat, and we eat what surrounds us!”. Don’t try the old “willpower” method that will only lead you to Einstein’s definition of insanity (Google search if necessary).

Accountability can be to a lifestyle change program or to others who would support our journey to a healthy lifestyle. They could also be reflected in commitment to a written or app based food diary. Accountability could also be to a fitness tracker, or combo of any, all or other things. But all accountability mechanisms that usually temporary tools that eventually lead us to be largely and naturally accountable to ourselves. This RMS Key helps us on the path to health by managing potentially excessive deviations that we wouldn’t otherwise detect. Remember that we are largely “mindless” as most of human history forced us to move and eat minimally processed foods - mostly plants. Accountability tools help us manage the modern lifestyle versions of “speed bumps and potholes” in our journey towards optimal wellness, weight loss and disease prevention. Frankly, the RMS Accountability Key is very helpful in light of the fact that being and staying healthy in the modern world means frequently going against the American grain (pardon the pun).