Everyone wants to know the secrets to a longer life. Researchers in an organization called Blue
Zones teamed up with National Geographic and focused on the places in the world
where people live the longest and have the highest number of centenarians, or people
that have lived over 100 years–
Sardinia, Italy –
this mountainous highland has the highest concentration of male centenarians
Okinawa, Japan – the
largest population of females over 70 live here.
Loma Linda,
California – this is where the highest population of Seventh Day Adventists reside– who are known to live, on average, 10 years longer than other Americans.
Ikaria, Greece –
this island off of Greece has the lowest rates of dementia and one of the
lowest rates of middle age mortality
Nikoya, Costa Rica
– this peninsula has the absolute lowest rate of middle age mortality and the
second highest concentration of male centenarians.
It was found that the people who live the longest in these
places have nine things in common in terms of their overall wellness.
1 Move
naturally.
The people in these regions
incorporate live in environments where they move without thinking about it –
their exercise consists mostly of doing the housework, gardening, and other
activities of daily living that we take for granted with modern conveniences.
2Purpose
Why do you wake up in the morning? Knowing your goals and purpose
in life was shown to add seven years to your life expectancy.
3 Downshift
Stress has been shown to cause
chronic inflammation and numerous health problems. It is important to have a routine in your
life that will reduce inevitable stresses – whether it be prayer, a nap,
meditation, or a glass of wine (see #6).
480%
Rule
Simply put – stop eating when you
are 80% full. It is thought the 20% gap
between being 80% and 100% full is the difference between gaining and losing
weight. People in these regions eat
their smallest meal in late afternoon or early evening – and not much after
that.
5Plant
slant
The members of these regions eat a
large amount of plant-based proteins such as fava beans, black beans, soy, and
lentils. Meat, especially red meat, is
only consumed 5 times per month, or about once a week.
6Wine
at five
Drinking one glass of red wine a
day (8 oz maximum for men, and 4 oz for women) with friends or with dinner is a
common trait of the centenarians.
7Belong
The majority of centenarians were
a member of a faith based community – and the denomination didn’t seem to
matter.
8 Loved
ones first
Put your family first. The people in these regions keep aging
parents/grandparents nearby, commit to a life partner, and make their children
a priority.
9Right
tribe
Finally, the centenarians were
born into social circles that foster healthy habits Framingham studies show
that smoking, obesity, happiness, and loneliness can be contagious. Surround yourself with people who have the
healthy habits you strive for.
So how can these apply to your
life?
Take them into consideration and
adopt some of these habits into your daily life for a sense of well being, and
possibly, a longer life!
Source: http://www.bluezones.com
