Eri Gentry
Age: 21
Occupation: Student at Yale
Home: New Haven, Connecticut

Can severely cutting calories from your diet add a few decades to your life? In animals, that answer is yes. Studies on rats have shown that a 30 to 40 percent decrease in food intake significantly altered their aging process. Scientists are so intrigued with what's referred to as calorie restriction (CR) diets that they have now begun studies in humans. Meanwhile, this diet for longevity has caught with a small but devoted following.

Enter Eri Gentry, an Ivy League student captivated by the idea of eating less to live longer. Eri began consciously cutting her calories in May 2002, but as she learned more about nutrition and calorie restriction for longevity, she adjusted what she ate. "Undernutrition without malnutrition," the diet challenges followers to choose only the most nutrient-rich foods. She's been on a stable and nutritious CR diet for about a year and a half.

What is the CR diet all about?
Most importantly, CR is about listening to your body. CR is not starvation, and I know I must eat. In fact, I eat a lot more than people think I can fit in me! CR has given me an increased awareness of what I do. I recognize when I am truly hungry, as opposed to craving food because of emotional disturbances or from the urge that arises whem smelling something pleasant. So, when I get hungry, I ask myself what my body wants. My way of eating is half scientific, half guided by feeling. I may feel like I want apples all day long, and I can satisfy that want by having some, but I know I can't survive on fruit alone, and that I must eat adequate protein and fat as well.

My current caloric intake is anywhere from 1,300 to 1,500 per day. It tends to average just less than 1,400, but on more active days I might go over 1,500. I never go under 1,200, but again, that is for right now. At 1,200, I feel too hungry and too weak, so I eat more. I've experimented with lower and higher calories, and I think this is my sweet spot ‑- I feel very energetic and happy and am not losing any muscle mass.

Aside from staying in my calorie range and eating nutritiously, I do not rigorously follow a diet where I must eat this much of this or that. And if I go a calorie over my ideal daily intake, I'm not going to freak out. It averages out. My body has different needs at different times. When I've just come in from the blustering cold I am not going to want iced tea; I'll want hot tea. In the same way, I stick to things that are healthy for me, with variations.

How did you decide to start CR?
When I started out, I actually was trying to lose weight. I was unaware of how much calorie restriction with optimal nutrition could do for me at that time. I started trying to keep track of calories in my head, but I didn't have the best nutrition. Over time, I've added calories as I've learned more about good nutrition, and then tried to gradually lower my calories again.

Today, so many foods are processed for our convenience. I didn't think it was a big deal before, but then I learned what I was doing to myself by eating them. I feel a little sad knowing I caused myself some damage growing up. I could've changed it all if only I'd known better, but I didn't.

For anyone trying to learn more, I'd recommend going to CalorieRestriction.org. It offers tons of great info for newbies; I've used it a lot myself. Join the community email list and ask any questions you have. I was intimidated at first, but meeting these people makes me realize there's no reason to be. They're great people who just love to interact and share experiences with open-minded individuals.