Longevity is defined by Webster’s English Dictionary as, “a long duration of an individual’s life.” Around the world medical advancements and technological improvements have consistently increased the lifespan all around the globe. The average lifespan in the United States is currently 78.74 and has been increasing 1-2 years per decade since the mid 1970’s. While technology has prolonged life, it seems those added years are missing vitality. Researchers around the globe have located hot spots where life expectancy far exceeds the United States and many of the other modernly advanced countries. Here, the elders of the community live prosperously past the century mark, without any health complications. In the book, 50 Secrets of the World’s Longest Living People, Sally Beare a nutritionist from the British College of Nutrition and Health in London set out to find out what makes these communities foster unmatched longevity, and more importantly vitality.
Okinawan people of Japan:
- Eat a low calorie diet, only 1500 calories per day. That is 40% less than the average American!
- Over one-third of their average meal consists of fresh organic vegetables.
- They eat one to two fresh pieces of fruit daily.
- Fish is consumed two to three times per week, where lean meat is only eaten traditionally only a few times a year!
- Regular exercise is incorporated into the lifestyle of these people. Like the local celebrity karate teacher that defeated a ex-boxing champion at the extraordinary age of ninety-seven!
Symi people of Greece
- Fish is eaten at least twice or three times per week, including locally caught oily sardines.
- Meat is only reserved for special occasions, such as a Sunday dinner.
- Their traditional birthday greeting is “may you live to be a hundred and more!”
- Red or white wine is drank in very low moderate amounts with meals, which is believed by cardiologists to account for the low cardiovascular deaths in Symi.
- The people of Symi are kept fit by the 387 wide stone steps leading through the village.
Campodimele people of Italy
- It is very rare for anyone to die before the age of eighty-five and many live passed ninety without ever seeing a doctor.
- Dishes are based around whole-wheat bread and pasta, legumes, and large amounts of fresh fruit, olive oil, and fresh organic vegetables.
- They eat roughly 100 grams of protein, 70 grams of healthy fat, and 300 grams of carbohydrates daily.
- Protein comes mainly from vegetable sources, such as beans legumes, getting all eight essential amino acids.
- They pride themselves on their sleep, taking a 2 hour afternoon siesta and getting eight hours of sleep on average at night.
Hunza people of Pakistan
- Traditionally, the Hunza have only eaten what they could grow themselves, so processed foods with refined sugar has only recently leaked into their community.
- A Hunza ruler named Mir, describes Hunza as “the land of just enough.” As only 1900 calories are eaten daily.
- As a rule in the culture nothing is eaten between rising and doing initial two or three hours’ work in the fields, which gives the digestive system time to wake up to the demands of the day.
- Just after winter, when the new crops were not yet ready, the Hunza were forced to skip meals at times. This “spring cleaning” gives their bodies time to break down and excel diseased cells and undesirable matter, a vital component to their longevity.
- Plant based protein makes up 50% of the daily protein in their diet, coming from beans, lentils, and legumes.
Bama people of China
- Three vegetable-based meals are eaten daily, low in calories and low in fat and animal protein.
- Hemp is a vital staple, providing the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids the body needs to carry out important tasks and a vital part of the Bama’s diet.
- The animal protein consumed here are local eggs and meat from animals that roam the mountainous countryside.
- Living in the mountains brings strenuous activity to the most basic of tasks. Children here hike to school and the adults climb up and down to gather crops and hunt game.
- The soil is rich in manganese and zinc, which create more nutritious plants for the citizens of Bama. Zinc and manganese are essential for breaking down food in the body and assisting in the absorption of nutrients.
Sally Beare set out to discover the secret fountain of youth these hot spots possessed. Connections between spots appear and give much application to each of our lives and our own personal longevity. All communities consumed the majority of their calories in the form of vegetables and whole grains, limited the fish and meat using it as a compliment to the main dish rather than the main entree, lived an active, exercise infused lifestyle, and controlled their caloric intake only eating enough to sufficiently satisfy the body’s nutritional needs. Taking these tips from the longest living people Earth has the potential to revolutionize each of our individual lives. Not only can this knowledge and application bring longevity, but also vitality to the remainder of our lives.
Find Sally Beare’s book, 50 Secrets of the World’s Longest Living People at Amazon to see what specific 50 elements she thought contributed the most to longevity and vitality, my favorite is secret number 19, “Enjoy Pizza….Guilt Free!” All 50 secrets are easy to implement into our own lives, have the power transform not only our health, and extend our live’s as well.
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