Photo contributed by Change4Health
The Evil Queen from Snow White and Mother Gothel from Tangled both share something in common, aside from being evil. It’s their motivation for their deeds: to stop the progression of time on their appearance. The need to stop time, specifically on our appearance is something we have struggled with since the beginning, of well, time. We beg the youth to wear sunscreen, use peptide creams, dye our grays, use Botox, and have even gone looking for the fountain of youth. One thing for certain, time is inevitable, and no one can outrun it. We have been able to push back the life expectancy of humans thanks to advancements in technology and medicine, but it will catch up to us at one point. Many think that to live a long life exercise, a good diet, or lots of sleep. However, what is the true secret to living a long life? Scientists have been searching for the answer and conducted a study on areas where the proportion of people who reach 100 is significantly higher than the world average (72 years). These areas are known as “Blue Zones’ ‘ and there are exactly 5 in the world: Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Icaria, Greece and Loma Linda, California. So, here’s the secret to a long life.
- Move Naturally
Instead of working out every day at the gym and purposefully moving their bodies, residents of Blue Zones find themselves moving their bodies naturally. ⅗ of the Blue Zones are located in very narrow, steep regions that didn’t always have access to industrial roads, which “protected these zones from the corrosive effects of globalization,” says Dan Buettner, a Blue Zone Researcher. These areas are typically more compact and not a lot of people own cars, so they rely on public transportation. This will inadvertently make the residents walk more daily than other people in more widespread cities. Walking is one of the best exercises there is, according to Buettner, he adds that having a dog can give the extra nudge to move your body daily.
- Drinking liquids
Consuming water and staying hydrated is important to maintaining healthy body movements, but residents of blue zones also contribute their longevity to other liquids such as tea and red wine. Moderate drinkers of alcohol have been proven to outlive non-drinkers, moderate meaning 1-2 glasses of red wine a day. This is because red wine is full of antioxidants that clean the arteries. Buettner also adds that residents drink a significant amount of tea, stating that, “In Okinawa, it’s often green tea, while in Ikaria it’s usually a tea made with oregano, rosemary or mint.”
- Low Beef & Dairy
In a majority of these areas, residents consume little red meat and specifically in Loma Linda, are vegetarian. It’s important to note that they don’t cut out all dairy, having on average 3 eggs per week and drinking oat and goat milk predominantly. In a study by the NIH, red meat leads to “…increased risks of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. The studies have also pointed to an elevated risk of mortality from red meat intake.”
- Purpose
This is probably the most unappreciated reason for living longer, but the most important. They find purpose in religion and social circles. Studies have found that attending faith-based services four times per month will add 4-14 years of life expectancy. Having true life-long friends can lead to having no loneliness, and reduced amounts of stress, plus they can lead to more healthy behavior.
We find ourselves consumed in our day-to-day responsibilities, but the true secret to living longer is not caring. Residents of these areas go about their lives naturally, not actively trying to avoid any of these things. They feel fulfilled in their life, which inadvertently causes them to have more healthy habits that we have not adopted. Let’s live longer by living happier!