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There are at least five regions on Earth, the inhabitants of which are distinguished by enviable longevity, health and vitality. Dan Buettner, as part of the National Geographic project, conducted several expeditions to each of these blue zones and found out what circumstances, from diet to lifestyle, contribute to this.
Lesson one: natural movement
Give yourself extra physical activity. Try to use your bike, rake, broom, snow shovel as often as possible.
Enjoy. Make a list of physical activities that you enjoy. Lead an active lifestyle. Train your major muscle groups at least twice a week. Make it a habit to exercise for 30 minutes (ideally for an hour) five times a week. It is possible, but undesirable, to split this half hour or hour into several visits.
Walking, cycling and swimming strengthen the cardiovascular system. Weightlifting keeps your muscles toned. Stretching exercises help you stay flexible.
Walk. All centenarians walked and walk almost every day. Hiking is free, it does not load the joints too much, unlike running, it does not require additional equipment, and it brings people together.
Vigorous walking has the same beneficial effect on the heart and blood vessels as running. A walk at the end of a busy day helps relieve stress, and after a meal, it makes digestion easier.
Find yourself some company. Doing something with other people is much more enjoyable and more fun. Think about who you can go for a walk with. Combining a walk with pleasant conversation will be the optimal strategy for cultivating a habit. Having a person depending on you will not allow you to drop the case halfway through.
Break up a vegetable garden. Working in the garden is a low-intensity activity that involves a variety of movements: you dig, bend over and carry various objects. Gardening helps relieve stress.
Take up yoga. Sign up for yoga and attend classes at least twice a week. Balance is essential as falls are a common cause of injury and death among older people. Even standing on one leg (for example, when brushing your teeth) is a small step towards improving balance.
Yoga practice helps maintain balance by strengthening all muscle groups, increasing flexibility, beneficial effects on joints and reducing pain in the lower back.
Lesson two: hara hachi boo
Postpone the unnecessary. Elderly Okinawans recite an old saying before eating: hara hachi bu. This is a reminder to stop eating when your stomach is 80 percent full. Learn to understand when there is enough food on your plate to fill you 80 percent. It is necessary to eat until you satisfy your hunger, without waiting for full saturation.
Eat low-calorie foods. The daily calories consumed by Okinawans do not exceed 1900 kcal. And this method is really effective: it improves the work of the heart. The benefits of calorie restriction come from less free radical damage to cells. But there is another plus: weight loss. A 10% reduction in body weight is known to help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which in turn reduces the risk of heart disease.
Make food appear larger in volume. People who eat a 100-gram sandwich that looks like a 200-gram sandwich from tomatoes, lettuce, and onions feel satiated.
Use a small container. Don't use large plates and wide glasses - buy small plates and tall, narrow glasses. In this case, you will eat less without noticing it.
Be careful with snacks. Avoid excess food. Remove cookie boxes, candy cans, and other sweet temptations out of sight.
Take care of the reminder. The bathroom scale is a simple yet effective reminder not to overeat. Place the scales right on the aisle so you can't help weighing yourself daily.
Eat slower. Rapid absorption of food will make you eat more. Chewing slowly allows you to hear the signal that the feeling of hunger has disappeared.
Focus on food. The surest way to mindless eating is to eat and do something else at the same time: watch TV, read a book, or write an email to a friend. If you are already going to eat, then sit down and eat. This will help you eat more slowly and eat less.
Eat while sitting. Many of us eat on the go, in the car, in front of the refrigerator, or on our way to a meeting. In this case, we do not notice what we eat and how much. Eat only while sitting, fully focusing on food. This will make you eat more slowly and feel full.
Eat earlier. For centenarians, the main meal is in the first half of the day, in the second half of the day or in the evening they have the lightest meal.
Lesson Three: Plants Are Our Everything
Eat four servings of vegetables every day. Include at least two types of vegetables in every meal.
Limit your meat intake. Try to cook the meat a maximum of twice a week and serve no more than a deck of cards in servings. It is very important to intelligently distribute dietary calories between complex carbohydrates, fats and proteins, while minimizing trans fats, saturated fat and salt. The main thing is to eat what the body needs and to give up all that is superfluous.
Organize an exhibition of fruits and vegetables. Place a pretty fruit bowl in the center of your kitchen counter instead of hiding vegetables and fruits in the lower compartments of the refrigerator. Don't forget about legumes. They are an integral part of the diet of centenarians. Make beans or tofu the centerpiece of your lunches and dinners.
Eat nuts every day. Studies show that any type of nut can help prolong life. But remember: in 30 g of nuts usually from 160 to 200 kcal, therefore, 60 g contains almost 400 kcal.
Nuts protect the heart by lowering blood cholesterol levels. People who consume 56 grams of nuts five times a week live on average two years longer than those who do not eat nuts.
The best are almonds, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts, walnuts and pine nuts. Brazil nuts, cashews, and Australian nuts are slightly higher in saturated fat and less desirable. Nevertheless, all nuts are healthy.
Stock up. Always keep a stock of nuts in packs of 50 g or less. You can store them in the refrigerator to keep them fresh. Keep a jar of nuts in the office for a snack during the day, so you don't have to grab a bite just before dinner.
Lesson four: the nectar of life
Buy a box of high quality red wine. Research suggests that a glass of beer, wine, or other alcoholic beverage per day provides some health benefits.
A glass or two of wine a day may lower your risk of heart disease, but heavy drinking increases your risk of breast cancer. Alcohol actually relieves stress and reduces the harmful effects of chronic inflammation. What's more, a glass of wine that complements your meal allows you to eat less.
Additional benefits of red wine include its ability to cleanse the arteries thanks to the polyphenols it contains, which fight atherosclerosis. In this case, you should not forget about the toxic effects of alcohol on the liver, brain and other internal organs, if you exceed the daily portions. In this case, the risk of abuse will significantly outweigh any useful property.
Treat yourself to happy hour. Sit with friends or spouse over a glass of wine, using nuts as a snack.
Don't get carried away. A glass or two of wine a day is more than enough. Abuse negates any benefit, so don't forget about moderation.
Lesson Five: Find Purpose in Life
Formulate your life purpose. Think about what you are passionate about, what really matters to you, what talents of yours you would like to use. A clear meaning to life protects against stress and reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease, arthritis and stroke. It was found that those who had a clear purpose in life lived longer and had sharper minds than those who did not have such a purpose.
The goal can be such a simple desire as the desire to see their children and grandchildren as adults. The goal can be related to a job or a hobby, especially if you are capable of immersing yourself in it.
Get a partner. Find someone with whom you can share your life purpose, as well as a plan for its implementation. This could be your friend, family member, spouse or spouse, colleague - in general, anyone who can take an open-minded view of your plan and measure your progress.
Learn new things. Learn to play a new musical instrument or learn a foreign language. Both types of activity contribute to the preservation of clarity and sharpness of the mind. New activity often turns into a goal.
It is very important to train your brain - to try yourself in something new and difficult. As soon as you reach the heights in this activity, and it loses its novelty, move on to another. It's like strength training for the brain: it strengthens memory and reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
Lesson Six: Time to Rest
Slow down your pace. Inflammation is the body's response to stress, which manifests itself in the form of infection, injury, or increased anxiety. A little stress is good - it helps you fight an illness, heal, or prepare for an event. But with chronic inflammation, our body "inflates" itself.
There is a relationship between chronic inflammation and the rate of aging. Over time, the negative effects of inflammation accumulate and accelerate the development of disease. Slowing down the pace of life prevents chronic inflammation from developing and spiraling out of control and prevents comorbidities from developing.
Reduce extraneous noise. Minimizing the time spent on TV, radio, and the Internet will help reduce ambient noise. Empty the TVs in your home, or leave them in just one room. Most electronic devices only add to mental confusion and go against the notion of relaxation.
Be sure to relieve stress. Chat with friends, go for a walk with your family. Allocating time for spiritual activities helps to slow down, and practices such as yoga and meditation give the brain a break - helping to release tension.
Adequate sleep (seven to nine hours) promotes the functioning of the immune system, reduces the risk of heart disease, and restores the brain. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time, get a comfortable mattress and pillows. The bedroom should be dark, cool and quiet.
Come early. Plan your time so that you can arrive at any meeting 15 minutes early. This habit reduces the stress associated with transport and being late. It allows you to relax and tune in to the upcoming meeting.
Meditate. Set up a quiet corner in your home. Place a meditation cushion or chair in there. Try to meditate every day, but don't worry if one day you don't have time for it. Start with ten minutes and slowly increase the duration of the meditation to half an hour.
Regular meditation allows you to calm your mind, muffle the incessant hum of voices in your head, concentrate and see the world as it is, and not as we want it to be. It helps you to tune in and realize that the hustle and bustle, anxiety and many urgent problems are actually not that important. Once you understand this, all other ways of relaxation will become much easier for you.
Lesson Seven: Social Connections
Play a more active role. If you already belong to any community, take the most active part in its life - life expectancy depends on it. Singing in a choir or volunteering improves well-being and reduces mortality.
Faith in God is one of the good habits that increase the chances of a long healthy life. Research shows that attending church services (even once a month) has a positive effect on life expectancy.
People who attend church are more physically active, less likely to engage in harmful behavior, are more likely to choose healthy and beneficial habits, and are distinguished by self-esteem and higher self-esteem. They also have the opportunity for reflection, relaxation and meditation, either through prayer or during the service.
Belonging to a religious community contributes to the establishment of extensive social ties. To a certain extent, belonging to religion allows you to get rid of the stresses of everyday life, transferring them to a higher power. Believers follow clearly defined rules of conduct and thus gain peace of mind knowing that they are living "right."
Lesson Eight: Lovers First
Get closer. If you live in a large house, set aside one room for the whole family to meet every day. The longest-lived people usually put family first. Their lives revolve around marriage and children, family obligations, rituals, and spiritual closeness.
In strong families, it is customary to eat at a common table at least once a day, go on a joint vacation and spend time together. Studies show that older people living with children are less susceptible to illness and stress, eat healthier foods, have fewer accidents, and have clearer minds and better social skills.
Create rituals. Children need rituals like air, they love repetition. The family's daily meal should become a tradition that is not customary to break. Cultivate family rituals. Be sure to celebrate all the holidays together.
Create a family altar. In the homes of Okinawa, the ancestral altar takes pride of place in the best room and serves as a reminder that we are not alone in time, but inextricably linked with each other. Photos of parents and children can be hung on the wall or family photos can be stored in chronological order.
Put your family first. Give children, parents and spouses time and energy. Play with your kids, protect your marriage, and honor your parents.
Lesson nine: the right tribe
Define your inner circle. Surround yourself with those who share the above values. This is the most important thing you can do to change your life for the better. It's much easier to learn good habits if everyone around them adheres to them.
Social connections lead to long life. People with fewer social connections die two to three times more often than those with many. The nature of the relationship is irrelevant for longevity, provided that it is indeed a relationship. Even the absence of a spouse or other half can be compensated by other forms of unity.
More extensive social contact is one of the reasons women live longer than men. They have more close-knit support groups, are more involved in each other's lives, help each other more often, and are more willing and open to express feelings, including sadness, anger, and other aspects of intimate relationships.
Highlight people who have healthy and healthy habits who you can rely on.
Have people close to you. Among the centenarians, we have not met a single whiner or grumbling. People who are pleasant to talk to, are popular, and are drawn to them. Such people, even in old age, have a wide circle of acquaintances, guests often come to them, they are gladly looked after. They are less likely to experience stress and lead a fulfilling life.
Spend time together. Spend at least half an hour a day with members of your inner circle. Make an appointment or meal together. Go for a walk together. Forming friendships takes some effort, but it pays off in the extra years of life.
Source: BookIdeas - Interesting thoughts from good books.
Lesson one: natural movement
Give yourself extra physical activity. Try to use your bike, rake, broom, snow shovel as often as possible.
Enjoy. Make a list of physical activities that you enjoy. Lead an active lifestyle. Train your major muscle groups at least twice a week. Make it a habit to exercise for 30 minutes (ideally for an hour) five times a week. It is possible, but undesirable, to split this half hour or hour into several visits.
Walking, cycling and swimming strengthen the cardiovascular system. Weightlifting keeps your muscles toned. Stretching exercises help you stay flexible.
Walk. All centenarians walked and walk almost every day. Hiking is free, it does not load the joints too much, unlike running, it does not require additional equipment, and it brings people together.
Vigorous walking has the same beneficial effect on the heart and blood vessels as running. A walk at the end of a busy day helps relieve stress, and after a meal, it makes digestion easier.
Find yourself some company. Doing something with other people is much more enjoyable and more fun. Think about who you can go for a walk with. Combining a walk with pleasant conversation will be the optimal strategy for cultivating a habit. Having a person depending on you will not allow you to drop the case halfway through.
Break up a vegetable garden. Working in the garden is a low-intensity activity that involves a variety of movements: you dig, bend over and carry various objects. Gardening helps relieve stress.
Take up yoga. Sign up for yoga and attend classes at least twice a week. Balance is essential as falls are a common cause of injury and death among older people. Even standing on one leg (for example, when brushing your teeth) is a small step towards improving balance.
Yoga practice helps maintain balance by strengthening all muscle groups, increasing flexibility, beneficial effects on joints and reducing pain in the lower back.
Lesson two: hara hachi boo
Postpone the unnecessary. Elderly Okinawans recite an old saying before eating: hara hachi bu. This is a reminder to stop eating when your stomach is 80 percent full. Learn to understand when there is enough food on your plate to fill you 80 percent. It is necessary to eat until you satisfy your hunger, without waiting for full saturation.
Eat low-calorie foods. The daily calories consumed by Okinawans do not exceed 1900 kcal. And this method is really effective: it improves the work of the heart. The benefits of calorie restriction come from less free radical damage to cells. But there is another plus: weight loss. A 10% reduction in body weight is known to help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which in turn reduces the risk of heart disease.
Make food appear larger in volume. People who eat a 100-gram sandwich that looks like a 200-gram sandwich from tomatoes, lettuce, and onions feel satiated.
Use a small container. Don't use large plates and wide glasses - buy small plates and tall, narrow glasses. In this case, you will eat less without noticing it.
Be careful with snacks. Avoid excess food. Remove cookie boxes, candy cans, and other sweet temptations out of sight.
Take care of the reminder. The bathroom scale is a simple yet effective reminder not to overeat. Place the scales right on the aisle so you can't help weighing yourself daily.
Eat slower. Rapid absorption of food will make you eat more. Chewing slowly allows you to hear the signal that the feeling of hunger has disappeared.
Focus on food. The surest way to mindless eating is to eat and do something else at the same time: watch TV, read a book, or write an email to a friend. If you are already going to eat, then sit down and eat. This will help you eat more slowly and eat less.
Eat while sitting. Many of us eat on the go, in the car, in front of the refrigerator, or on our way to a meeting. In this case, we do not notice what we eat and how much. Eat only while sitting, fully focusing on food. This will make you eat more slowly and feel full.
Eat earlier. For centenarians, the main meal is in the first half of the day, in the second half of the day or in the evening they have the lightest meal.
Lesson Three: Plants Are Our Everything
Eat four servings of vegetables every day. Include at least two types of vegetables in every meal.
Limit your meat intake. Try to cook the meat a maximum of twice a week and serve no more than a deck of cards in servings. It is very important to intelligently distribute dietary calories between complex carbohydrates, fats and proteins, while minimizing trans fats, saturated fat and salt. The main thing is to eat what the body needs and to give up all that is superfluous.
Organize an exhibition of fruits and vegetables. Place a pretty fruit bowl in the center of your kitchen counter instead of hiding vegetables and fruits in the lower compartments of the refrigerator. Don't forget about legumes. They are an integral part of the diet of centenarians. Make beans or tofu the centerpiece of your lunches and dinners.
Eat nuts every day. Studies show that any type of nut can help prolong life. But remember: in 30 g of nuts usually from 160 to 200 kcal, therefore, 60 g contains almost 400 kcal.
Nuts protect the heart by lowering blood cholesterol levels. People who consume 56 grams of nuts five times a week live on average two years longer than those who do not eat nuts.
The best are almonds, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts, walnuts and pine nuts. Brazil nuts, cashews, and Australian nuts are slightly higher in saturated fat and less desirable. Nevertheless, all nuts are healthy.
Stock up. Always keep a stock of nuts in packs of 50 g or less. You can store them in the refrigerator to keep them fresh. Keep a jar of nuts in the office for a snack during the day, so you don't have to grab a bite just before dinner.
Lesson four: the nectar of life
Buy a box of high quality red wine. Research suggests that a glass of beer, wine, or other alcoholic beverage per day provides some health benefits.
A glass or two of wine a day may lower your risk of heart disease, but heavy drinking increases your risk of breast cancer. Alcohol actually relieves stress and reduces the harmful effects of chronic inflammation. What's more, a glass of wine that complements your meal allows you to eat less.
Additional benefits of red wine include its ability to cleanse the arteries thanks to the polyphenols it contains, which fight atherosclerosis. In this case, you should not forget about the toxic effects of alcohol on the liver, brain and other internal organs, if you exceed the daily portions. In this case, the risk of abuse will significantly outweigh any useful property.
Treat yourself to happy hour. Sit with friends or spouse over a glass of wine, using nuts as a snack.
Don't get carried away. A glass or two of wine a day is more than enough. Abuse negates any benefit, so don't forget about moderation.
Lesson Five: Find Purpose in Life
Formulate your life purpose. Think about what you are passionate about, what really matters to you, what talents of yours you would like to use. A clear meaning to life protects against stress and reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease, arthritis and stroke. It was found that those who had a clear purpose in life lived longer and had sharper minds than those who did not have such a purpose.
The goal can be such a simple desire as the desire to see their children and grandchildren as adults. The goal can be related to a job or a hobby, especially if you are capable of immersing yourself in it.
Get a partner. Find someone with whom you can share your life purpose, as well as a plan for its implementation. This could be your friend, family member, spouse or spouse, colleague - in general, anyone who can take an open-minded view of your plan and measure your progress.
Learn new things. Learn to play a new musical instrument or learn a foreign language. Both types of activity contribute to the preservation of clarity and sharpness of the mind. New activity often turns into a goal.
It is very important to train your brain - to try yourself in something new and difficult. As soon as you reach the heights in this activity, and it loses its novelty, move on to another. It's like strength training for the brain: it strengthens memory and reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
Lesson Six: Time to Rest
Slow down your pace. Inflammation is the body's response to stress, which manifests itself in the form of infection, injury, or increased anxiety. A little stress is good - it helps you fight an illness, heal, or prepare for an event. But with chronic inflammation, our body "inflates" itself.
There is a relationship between chronic inflammation and the rate of aging. Over time, the negative effects of inflammation accumulate and accelerate the development of disease. Slowing down the pace of life prevents chronic inflammation from developing and spiraling out of control and prevents comorbidities from developing.
Reduce extraneous noise. Minimizing the time spent on TV, radio, and the Internet will help reduce ambient noise. Empty the TVs in your home, or leave them in just one room. Most electronic devices only add to mental confusion and go against the notion of relaxation.
Be sure to relieve stress. Chat with friends, go for a walk with your family. Allocating time for spiritual activities helps to slow down, and practices such as yoga and meditation give the brain a break - helping to release tension.
Adequate sleep (seven to nine hours) promotes the functioning of the immune system, reduces the risk of heart disease, and restores the brain. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time, get a comfortable mattress and pillows. The bedroom should be dark, cool and quiet.
Come early. Plan your time so that you can arrive at any meeting 15 minutes early. This habit reduces the stress associated with transport and being late. It allows you to relax and tune in to the upcoming meeting.
Meditate. Set up a quiet corner in your home. Place a meditation cushion or chair in there. Try to meditate every day, but don't worry if one day you don't have time for it. Start with ten minutes and slowly increase the duration of the meditation to half an hour.
Regular meditation allows you to calm your mind, muffle the incessant hum of voices in your head, concentrate and see the world as it is, and not as we want it to be. It helps you to tune in and realize that the hustle and bustle, anxiety and many urgent problems are actually not that important. Once you understand this, all other ways of relaxation will become much easier for you.
Lesson Seven: Social Connections
Play a more active role. If you already belong to any community, take the most active part in its life - life expectancy depends on it. Singing in a choir or volunteering improves well-being and reduces mortality.
Faith in God is one of the good habits that increase the chances of a long healthy life. Research shows that attending church services (even once a month) has a positive effect on life expectancy.
People who attend church are more physically active, less likely to engage in harmful behavior, are more likely to choose healthy and beneficial habits, and are distinguished by self-esteem and higher self-esteem. They also have the opportunity for reflection, relaxation and meditation, either through prayer or during the service.
Belonging to a religious community contributes to the establishment of extensive social ties. To a certain extent, belonging to religion allows you to get rid of the stresses of everyday life, transferring them to a higher power. Believers follow clearly defined rules of conduct and thus gain peace of mind knowing that they are living "right."
Lesson Eight: Lovers First
Get closer. If you live in a large house, set aside one room for the whole family to meet every day. The longest-lived people usually put family first. Their lives revolve around marriage and children, family obligations, rituals, and spiritual closeness.
In strong families, it is customary to eat at a common table at least once a day, go on a joint vacation and spend time together. Studies show that older people living with children are less susceptible to illness and stress, eat healthier foods, have fewer accidents, and have clearer minds and better social skills.
Create rituals. Children need rituals like air, they love repetition. The family's daily meal should become a tradition that is not customary to break. Cultivate family rituals. Be sure to celebrate all the holidays together.
Create a family altar. In the homes of Okinawa, the ancestral altar takes pride of place in the best room and serves as a reminder that we are not alone in time, but inextricably linked with each other. Photos of parents and children can be hung on the wall or family photos can be stored in chronological order.
Put your family first. Give children, parents and spouses time and energy. Play with your kids, protect your marriage, and honor your parents.
Lesson nine: the right tribe
Define your inner circle. Surround yourself with those who share the above values. This is the most important thing you can do to change your life for the better. It's much easier to learn good habits if everyone around them adheres to them.
Social connections lead to long life. People with fewer social connections die two to three times more often than those with many. The nature of the relationship is irrelevant for longevity, provided that it is indeed a relationship. Even the absence of a spouse or other half can be compensated by other forms of unity.
More extensive social contact is one of the reasons women live longer than men. They have more close-knit support groups, are more involved in each other's lives, help each other more often, and are more willing and open to express feelings, including sadness, anger, and other aspects of intimate relationships.
Highlight people who have healthy and healthy habits who you can rely on.
Have people close to you. Among the centenarians, we have not met a single whiner or grumbling. People who are pleasant to talk to, are popular, and are drawn to them. Such people, even in old age, have a wide circle of acquaintances, guests often come to them, they are gladly looked after. They are less likely to experience stress and lead a fulfilling life.
Spend time together. Spend at least half an hour a day with members of your inner circle. Make an appointment or meal together. Go for a walk together. Forming friendships takes some effort, but it pays off in the extra years of life.
Source: BookIdeas - Interesting thoughts from good books.
