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 How to Live Longer
If you want to know how to live a long time, study societies where people do. Fortunately, there are 5 such societies. Here they are:
Okinawa, Japan Icaria, Greece Sardinia, Italy Nicoya, Costa Rica Loma Linda, USA These societies are called the Blue Zones and they have the longest average life expectancies in the world. Also, they have long health spans. They are not affluent and they don't have the best hospitals. In fact, Icaria is known to have terrible healthcare facilities. Also, the ethnic diversity of Loma Linda proves their longevity is not due to genetics. People in the Blue Zones are doing something right. They do some of the same things, even if for different reasons. Many people have studied their customs and environments to learn how to live longer and healthier. Here are some of the lessons: Eat Well.
Avoid Excess meat In every single one of the Blue Zones, the people mainly eat a plant-based diet. Too much animal protein can increase the activity of mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin). The increased mTOR activity can increase age-related diseases. Keep portion sizes relatively small. People in the Blue Zones eat relatively small portion sizes. Large portion sizes can lead to diabetes, high mTOR activity, obesity, and heart disease. All of these can shorten your life. So, eat a primarily plant based diet and keep your portion sizes relatively small. Exercise.
Exercise Regularly. Many people in Blue Zones don't have gym memberships. However, their lifestyles force them to exercise regularly. Also, they spend a lot of time walking. Get resistance exercise. All the Blue Zones are in relatively hilly areas. In some cases (like Sardinia), the steeper the hills, the longer they live. It's because they are getting plenty of resistance exercise which keeps their muscles and bones strong. Also, resistance exercise accelerates the removal of senescent (old and diseased) cells for up to 48 hours after the exercise. Do regular exercises that force your muscles to work against resistance. Regular exercise is more important than intense exercise. Live life with a purpose.
Long-lived people usually live with a purpose regardless of how simple or grand it is. The National Institute on Aging and the Social Security Administration learned this when they analyzed 13,159 people over the age of 50. After an 8-year follow-up, they found that those with a strong sense of purpose had a 15.2% lower mortality. They also learned that nursing home patients often lived longer if given plants to care for.
Researchers are not sure of all the reasons for this. However, they know that a sense of purpose makes the person more resilient to stress. It also makes the person less likely to do unhealthy things. More research is needed. Regardless, people who have a sense of purpose generally live longer. Find a purpose and pursue it, even if it is simple. If you have trouble finding a purpose, here are some activities to consider: Activities you enjoy (hobbies, etc.) Activities to contribute to your family, community, or the world Activities you are good at (talents) Activities that make money (business or profession) Activities in pursuit of your goals or dreams What matters is that it motivates you to be physically or mentally active. Use healthy coping mechanisms against stress.
Researchers at Yale University found that chronic stress accelerates biological aging. It also increases the rate of heart disease, addiction, and diabetes. So, avoiding chronic stress would be great if you can do it. However, that is not always possible because some things in life are beyond our control.
Fortunately, they found that healthy coping mechanisms can reduce the effects of chronic stress. Healthy coping mechanisms include but are not limited to the following: Spending time with loved ones Being part of a friendly community Exercising Meditating Hobbies and other recreation People in the Blue Zones spend a lot of time doing these things. It is no wonder why they have long life expectancies. Find healthy ways to relieve stress, however grand or simple they are. Doing these things doesn't need to cost much and the benefits will be priceless. Other articles |
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