These People Live Longer Than Anyone… Here Why!

08 Jul These People Live Longer Than Anyone… Here Why!

New York Times best-selling author and National Geographic Fellow, Dan Buettner, has delivered more then 3,000 speeches to audiences world wide and his TED Talk How to live to be 100  has been viewed over 2 million times.

Here are several excerpts from an article that Dan wrote about how the Okinawans  are able to live such long, happy lives.

The people of Okinawa, an island southwest of Japan’s main landmass, are known for their longevity. Having studied the habits of particularly long-lived people, I’ve taken nine lessons from the Okinawans that I believe help them live long, happy lives.

1. Embrace an ikigai.

An ikigai is one’s reason for being, or one’s purpose in life. Older Okinawans can readily articulate the reason they get up in the morning. Their purpose-imbued lives gives them clear roles of responsibility and feelings of being needed well into their 100s.

2. Rely on a plant-based diet.

Older Okinawans have eaten a plant-based diet most of their lives. Their meals of stir-fried vegetables, sweet potatoes, and tofu are high in nutrients and low in calories. Goya, with its antioxidants and compounds that lower blood sugar, is of particular interest. While centenarian Okinawans do eat some pork, it’s traditionally reserved only for infrequent ceremonial occasions and taken only in small amounts.

3. Get gardening.

Almost all Okinawan centenarians grow or once grew a garden. It’s a source of daily physical activity that exercises the body with a wide range of motion and helps reduce stress. It’s also a near-constant source of fresh vegetables.

Click here to Continue Reading About 6 Mores Lessons for a Long Life