Nutrition for Energy and Longevity
When it comes to nutrition, debates about what we should and shouldn’t be eating seem to pop up every few years. Some years, eggs and red wine are good for you. Some years, they aren’t. Some years, meat and dairy are just fine; others, it’s plant-based alternatives like oat milk or Impossible burgers.
The messaging around these shifts tends to follow a familiar tune: a new set of guidelines, new visuals and the seemingly never-ending debate about the “right” amounts of protein, fat and sugar… All predictably leading most of us to feel like we’re doing it wrong.
Fortunately, in this month’s Wise & Well newsletter, we’re diving into nutrition and how to build off eating patterns from trusted guidance and verified resources.
The newly released Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2025-2030) are the latest in an effort to help Americans stay healthy through a good diet. The branding message is simple and appealing: eat real food. Who could argue with that? Fewer highly processed foods. Check. Whole, recognizable ingredients. Sounds good to the team here at Wise & Well.
What’s even better is that if you are in the hunt for more energy today and a long, happy and healthy life down the road, there’s a lot to like in the new guidelines. They explicitly call out highly processed foods, not just sugar and sodium, but the broader category of packaged, ready-to-eat foods that dominate the modern U.S. diet. They continue to emphasize whole foods and fiber-rich carbohydrates.
It’s also important to emphasize that these guidelines and the accompanying visuals are guidance, not a blueprint. Several nutrition scientists, particularly from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, have also pointed out that the visual and written guidance don’t always align cleanly. For example, saturated fat is still capped at 10% of daily calories, yet foods high in saturated fat (like ribeye steak) are visually elevated, which could lead some readers to misinterpret. Heart-healthy staples like nuts and beans are visually downplayed in comparison.
All this to say, no visual guide is perfect. As with all health decisions, it’s important to put guidance into the context of your personal goals and work with trusted professionals to tailor it to your unique situation. The “food pyramid” that works for you is unlikely to look exactly like the one on the front of the new Dietary Guidelines, and that’s okay.
When you step back and look at the eating patterns that have stood the test of time, a few common threads become hard to ignore. Topmost, you don’t need to follow a single, perfectly branded diet to benefit from them. Whether people point to Mediterranean-style eating, the longevity patterns seen in the Blue Zones or more explicitly plant-based approaches like those popularized by Forks Over Knives, the foundations are remarkably similar.
First, healthy diets are built around whole, minimally processed foods. Vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds and healthy fats show up again and again. That matters for longevity, but it also matters for energy. These foods digest more slowly, help stabilize blood sugar and provide fiber (a carbohydrate that most modern diets are short on), as well as vitamins and minerals that support steady energy rather than spikes and crashes.
Second, they tend to be plant-forward, not plant-exclusive. Plants make up the bulk of what’s on the plate, while animal foods play a supporting role. That balance delivers plenty of fiber and antioxidants while keeping saturated fat in check. For many people, this translates into better digestion, more consistent energy throughout the day and a lower risk of chronic disease over time.
Third, protein shows up in a more measured and thoughtful way. Instead of chasing high-protein targets at every meal, these patterns emphasize a mix of sources, including beans, lentils, nuts, seeds and fish, along with smaller portions of meat or dairy. That approach supports muscle maintenance and satiety without crowding out other nutrients that matter just as much for long-term health.
Fourth, foods that drain energy tend to be naturally limited. Ultra-processed snacks, sugary drinks, refined carbohydrates and highly sweetened foods don’t feature prominently in diets linked to longevity. Not because they’re forbidden, but because they displace foods that do more for the body. Over time, consistently choosing foods with more nutritional value supports metabolic health, brain function, and sustained energy.
Another common thread is flexibility. These eating patterns adapt to culture, taste and circumstance. You can make them your own. That kind of flexibility is one reason they’re sustainable. Enjoyment matters. So does social connection. Meals are best shared, unhurried and part of daily life, not something to optimize or moralize.
Taken together, these patterns support longevity by reducing inflammation, supporting heart and metabolic health and lowering the risk of chronic disease. At the same time, they support energy by fueling the body with nutrients it can actually use, day after day.
Ultimately, there is no single “right” way to eat. Nothing is one-size-fits-all. What matters more is where you’re headed than any type of perfection. Prioritize whole foods. Lean into plants. Be thoughtful about protein. Pay attention to which foods help you feel steady, satisfied and clear-headed, and notice which ones consistently leave you feeling sluggish.
When eating patterns are working, they don’t feel restrictive or performative. They feel livable. They fit your schedule and your preferences. Over time, they become less about following a plan and more about a healthy habit. One that will treat you as well as you treat it.
2026 WISE & WELL WEBINAR SERIES
Nutrition Trends and Longevity: Separating Facts from Hype
Tuesday, March 10 | Noon - 1:00 p.m. ET
Nutrition advice is everywhere - but what truly supports energy, healthy aging, and quality of life? Join us to cut through the noise, uncover the science, and learn evidence-based practices you can trust for lasting wellbeing.
Monthly Moves
Mobility and Flexibility for Beginners
If strong nutrition helps nourish your body from the inside out, mobility training keeps your body moving from the outside in. As we age or sit more during the day, joints can feel stiff, range of motion can decrease, and everyday activities, whether it’s getting up from a chair, walking up stairs or carrying groceries, can start to feel harder than they should. Fortunately, simple mobility and flexibility exercises can help.
Just like with diet, mobility work isn’t about reps or perfect form. It’s about feeling your body move freely, safely and with intention.
To perform these exercises:
Hip Openers
Sit on the floor with the soles of your feet together and knees falling outward. Sit tall through your spine and let gravity do the work. You can gently hinge forward from the hips if it feels comfortable.
The goal: Hold for 30-60 seconds, breathing slowly. Repeat 1-2 times.
Thoracic Spine Rotation
Start on all fours. Place one hand behind your head. Slowly rotate your elbow up toward the ceiling, then down toward the opposite arm, moving through a comfortable range of motion.
The goal: Perform 8-10 slow reps per side, focusing on control rather than speed.
Downward Dog
From hands and knees, lift your hips up and back into an inverted “V.” Press your hands into the floor, keep your spine long and let your heels move toward the floor without forcing them down.
The goal: Hold for 20-30 seconds, rest briefly, then repeat 2-3 times.
Seated Forward Fold (Hamstring Stretch)
Sit with legs extended in front of you. Keeping your back long, hinge forward from the hips and reach toward your shins, ankles or feet, wherever feels comfortable.
The goal: Hold for 30-60 seconds, breathing deeply. Repeat 1-2 times.
Monthly Recipe
Thai Green Curry with Spring Vegetables
This vibrant, vegetarian Thai green curry is built around nutrient-dense spring vegetables like asparagus, carrots and spinach, simmered in a creamy coconut sauce. It’s a plant-forward meal that delivers fiber, healthy fats and sustained energy — comforting enough for a weeknight dinner, yet nourishing enough for the long run.
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown basmati rice, rinsed
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil or olive oil
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger (about a 1-inch nub of ginger, peeled and chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 bunch asparagus, tough ends removed and sliced into 2-inch long pieces (to yield about 2 cups prepared asparagus)
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal into 1/4-inch wide rounds (to yield about 1 cup sliced carrots)
- 2 tablespoons Thai green curry paste
- 1 can (14 ounces) coconut milk (I used full-fat coconut milk for a richer curry)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons coconut sugar or turbinado (raw) sugar or brown sugar
- 2 cups packed baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar or fresh lime juice
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce (I used reduced-sodium tamari)
- Garnishes: handful of chopped fresh cilantro and red pepper flakes, to taste
Directions
- To cook the rice, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the rinsed rice and continue boiling for 30 minutes, reducing the heat as necessary to prevent overflow. Remove from heat, drain the rice and return the rice to the pot. Cover and let the rice rest for 10 minutes or longer, until you’re ready to serve.
- Warm a large skillet with deep sides over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add a couple of teaspoons of oil. Cook the onion, ginger and garlic with a sprinkle of salt for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the asparagus and carrots and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the curry paste and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
- Pour the coconut milk into the pan, along with 1/2 cup water and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons sugar. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the carrots and asparagus are tender and cooked through, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Once the vegetables are done cooking, stir the spinach into the mixture and cook until the spinach has wilted, about 30 seconds. Remove the curry from the heat and season with rice vinegar and soy sauce. Add salt and red pepper flakes (optional) to taste. Divide rice and curry into bowls and garnish with chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, if you’d like.
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