Secrets of long-lived
In this article you will learn:
Is a healthy lifestyle a guarantee of longevity;
Laughter and optimism and their role in long life;
Scientific facts about long-lived people and recommendations from scientists.
Genetics determines only a quarter of our life length. This means that you yourself can make your life longer and happier. Activity, proper nutrition and good mood – probably the most versatile ways to live longer. But perhaps many people underestimate the effectiveness of these principles and throughout their life they neglect them. However not always a healthy lifestyle is a panacea from becoming old at an early age. It can help live to 80-85 years, but not over a hundred. What secrets do you have to learn to live long? Let’s find out:
Health settings or a healthy mood?
Numerous interviews with centenarians show us that not a healthy lifestyle has helped them live more than 100 years. Among those who have lived more than a century, there are many lovers of bacon, alcohol and cigarettes. This does not mean that you should neglect the harm of fatty foods and tobacco to live long. The effect of these things on well-being has not been canceled. If we want to live for many years, we probably mean that these will be good, happy years. And feeling bad affects our life satisfaction. But the matter is that proper nutrition is not enough to live long.
Frenchwoman Jeanne Kalman, who officially lived the longest of all women on the planet (she was 122 years old when she died), said that her passion was wine and chocolate. American Geralin Tully (115 years old) talked about her great love for donuts and fatty foods. Many long-lived men have shared their love of “bad” food and alcohol. For example, the 112-year old Gustav Gerneth has never played sports. Batuli Lamichane from Nepal, who is now 112 years old, still smokes a pack of cigarettes a day. Britain’s Jack Reynolds ( a 105-year old man living now) adds whiskey to his morning coffee every day. This list goes on and on.
Another conclusion, that people who have lived for more than a hundred years have come to, is that it is important to feel good. The secret is a positive attitude to life. Those who have bacon with gin and tonic at the age of 100 have a simpler attitude to life and are optimistic. Knowing this, we have the opportunity to combine good health and fun.
Laughter prolongs life
Almost everyone has heard this saying. It is so popular not without a reason. For the last 50 years scientists have paid special attention to the study of the impact of laughter on our well-being and health in general. Science has confirmed and explained this fact. First of all, when you laugh, you have a 10% faster heart rate. Secondly, the speed of laughter releases endorphins (“joy hormones”), which have a strong tonic effect on the whole body.
An important fact is that laughter helps to survive difficult situations. Therefore, those who are prone to irony and optimism overcome difficulties easier than pessimistic and serious people.
What scientists say about people who live a long life
Since the thirst for eternal life is a question that people of all times have in mind, it is not surprising that scientists have paid so much attention to it. Many researchers have devoted their work to studying the lifestyles of people who have lived in common sense and good health for over 100 years. Some of their conclusions are presented below.
“Blue Zones”
Unfortunately, such a luxury as a good environment is not available to everyone. But it was it which caused a large concentration of long-lived people in a certain part of the globe. Scientists call them “blue zones”.
As part of the National Geographic project, American journalist Dan Buttner went to study these areas. He later published a book, The Rules of Longevity, with the results of his research.
Places of the Earth where many long-lived people live:
Okinawa Island in Japan;
Loma Linda’s Seventh-day Adventist community in California;
Nico Peninsula in Costa Rica.
The average life expectancy here is 80-90 years, and there are those who are 110 years old! The interesting fact is that, not only ecology but also the local philosophy of life has influenced such indicators. You can read about one of these phenomena in the article:
Measure in food, and in everything
Despite the interesting exceptions we talked about above, long-lived people are usually distinguished by their moderation in food. There are no specific restrictions, the main thing – a balanced diet, which is dominated by cereals and legumes. Dairy products and meat are not necessarily excluded. What really unites the inhabitants of the “blue zones” is the love of nuts (they are rich in antioxidants, as discussed in the next paragraph).
The Japanese, for example, follow the rule that the stomach must be 80% full. They believe that this is the healthiest portion for a person, and set aside a spoon as soon as the first signs of fullness.
Lots of antioxidants
Antioxidants are substances that neutralize the oxidative action of free radicals, promote healthy cell division and prevent premature cell aging. Foods rich in antioxidants are an excellent cancer prevention. Therefore, it is not surprising that long-lived people from all over the world are united by a love for products containing these substances, namely:
green tea;
coffee;
fresh berries and fruits, especially sour;
nuts;
legumes;
red wine.
There are studies according to which long-lived people are united by a love for products rich in lactic acid:
sauerkraut,
sour milk,
yogurt,
black sourdough bread.
Active lifestyle
“Movement is life!” Is another saying familiar to everyone. In his study, Dan Buttner notes that the “blue zones” are located mainly in rural areas, where residents spend a lot of time outdoors and on active walks.
Of course, when you are over 100 years old it is difficult to talk about sport, or even exercise, but hiking is a great way to maintain good health.
Ikigai, or the meaning of life in purpose
Ikigai – the Japanese philosophy of the meaning of life – the reason that makes you get up in the morning. Having found the purpose of their life, the Japanese remain active and happy throughout their long lives. But not only the Japanese came to this. Residents of another “blue zone” – Costa Rica – also talk about the purpose of life, but they call it plan de la vida (“life plan”).
Strong community
Social ties bring a person the greatest happiness. According to statistics, long-lived people are those who have a large and friendly family. People support us and fill our lives with meaning. Moreover, it is communication with grandchildren that supports the elderly and makes them more active.
Kelly Campbell, a psychology professor at the University of California, believes that society’s tendency toward individualism is detrimental to our health and well-being. According to her, to be happy, relationships need to be strengthened and developed, not destroyed. Also, according to a study by American scientists, people who live next to their children live about 12-15 years longer than those who live alone.
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