I saw this ina stream and wanted to write it down. Marked as a todo in that I want to distill it into a less verbose list of action items. A team composed of several specialists (doctors, anthropologists, demographers, nutritionists, epidemiologists) — and led by Dan Buettner himself — travelled many times to the different blue zones. They identified the following nine general longevity factors, which are related to diet and lifestyle: 1 intense and regular physical activity in the performance of daily duties. The concept of a sedentary lifestyle is unknown to the people living in these regions 2 having an “ikigai” — a Japanese word (Okinawa) which is used to define our own “reasons for being” or, more precisely, the reasons why we wake up every morning 3 reduction of stress, a factor which is closely linked to almost all ageing-related diseases. Stress reduction means interrupting the normal pace of our daily lives in order to allow time for other activities which are part of normal social habits. For example, taking a nap in Mediterranean societies, praying in the case of Adventists, the tea ceremony of women in Okinawa, and so on. 4 “Hara hachi bu” — a Confucian teaching that means we should not continue to eat until we are full, but only until 80% of our eating capacity 5 prioritising a diet that is rich in plant-based products. Meat, fish and dairy products may be consumed, but in lower amounts 6 a moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages, which confirms the belief that moderate drinkers live longer lives than nondrinkers 7 engaging in social groups that promote healthy habits 8 engaging in religious communities with common religious practices 9 building and maintaining solid relationships between family members: parents, siblings, grandparents and others. To sum up, the above nine longevity factors could be synthesised in just two.
3/7/2018 ~ 2 min read
