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Deficiency in nutrients can lead to increased risk of disease, which is why the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) recently recommended that everyone should take a daily multivitamin. Even if you eat a healthy diet, it is possible to be deficient in some nutrients. It's easy to have a little insurance to cover anything you may lack.

Besides assuring good nutrition, there are other means that may reduce the chance of disease and lengthen you life. One hopeful method is by restricting caloric intake. Caloric Restriction with Adequate Nutrition (CRAN) is the only proven way to extend life and reduce or eliminate age-related disease in a variety of organisms. It may work in humans too. I have been on a CRAN diet since August 1993 (was 1500 calories/day during weight loss, now about 2000 calories/day). I tend to eat just one meal per day, spreading out the evening meal from 5:30pm to 11:00pm. This is similar to a method described by Brad Pilon. He writes about the research and science behind intermittent daily fasting. He has published his report at his website.

Download CR-Buddy, a diet analysis program I wrote in Excel (97 or 2000), designed to help ensure adequate nutrient intake while on a calorically restricted diet. Here are screenshots of CR-Buddy. I have set up a discussion group at Yahoo for people interested in using CR-Buddy and developing it. (You might need to sign up for the group before you can download files or view the screenshots.) The idea and name for CR-Buddy was inspired by a Zone diet analysis Excel workbook written by Len Marinaccio - Zone Buddy.

Recommended Books: Search For Roy Walford (A Primary CRAN Research Scientist) Books At Barnes & Noble or Half.com

• Beyond The 120-Year Diet: How To Double Your Vital Years, by Roy Walford
• The Anti-Aging Plan: Strategies And Recipes For Extending Your Healthy Years, by Roy and Lisa Walford

Some people prefer to fast as a means to improve or maintain health. Does it work by "cleansing" that some people claim, or is it the average reduction in calories consumed? In any case, many people have benefitted from this method over the years.

Recommended Books: Fasting And Eating for Health by Joel Furhman