How to Live a Long and Healthy Life - Part 1
This week on Evolving Wellness, we are embracing our motto “LIVE LONG. LIVE HEALTHY. LIVE HAPPY.“, by focusing all week on ”How to Live a Long and Healthy Life” in a 5 part series. Over the years scientists have studied various cultures, various diets and various attributes of ones lifestyle to determine what makes some people live in great health to 100 and beyond!!! And if you think it is just genetics - think again!
The following video is the first of five parts of a documentary entitled “How to live to 101″ produced by Horizon BBC. In it they study 3 cultures from around the world that have the longest and healthiest living people and they explore the secrets of their amazing longevity! Watch the video now and read on if you’d like for some summary notes and practical applications from me.
I am fascinated by this topic as I believe it is so possible to live a long and healthy life even in today’s environment. I believe that our bodies were meant to last us much longer than the average 75 years a person in a developed country gets in average health. Some people have always posed the age old question of “why” - why would anyone want to live so long? In the past I did not understand how anyone can ask that, but today I do very much. If a person does not love their life, if they do not find fulfillment in it, if they live in pain, suffering, poverty, etc., then naturally they may not want to live longer than they have to. However, if one loves life, sees it as the amazing and wonderful miracle that it is and truly enjoys it with passion each day, then you can understand why they would not want to settle for a short life, or one hindered by disease.
At this point in my life (and I am only in the first “trimester” of life - if I may refer to it that way) I do not feel that there are enough days, weeks, months or years to do everything I want. There is so much beauty to take in, so many places to see, so much creation to be done, so many people’s lives to touch, so many souls to interact with and so much passion to experience, that I cannot think of wanting anything, other than a healthy, long life!
In part 1 of the “How to live to 101″ series, the inhabitants of the island of Okinawa, Japan are studied. To think that they have a four times greater longevity rate than Britain or America is quite astounding. What I found particularly powerful was when the narrator said that instead of focusing on science and well trying to “beat aging” as here in North America we would put it, they just focus on LIVING! What a powerful way to exist. Instead of falling into the clutches of this transient reality - they just focus on “living”.
What I found equally interesting is how they eluded to their diet as the “Rainbow Diet” - full of fruits and vegetables! Well no surprise there, we hear and have heard now from every credible source about the power of fruits and vegetables. So if you are still not eating enough of those 2 colorful treats - what are you waiting for!!! They are full of so many benefits and amazing properties for our body and health.
What I was surprised to hear was that the other food that these people’s diet is full of is soya proteins. The reason I have said this is that up to this point all of the research I found seems to indicate that too much soy is not good for us as soy products contain estrogen mimicking properties. I do know that it comes from processed soy products, but I am still not 100% sure of how much natural soy to eat to get the positive benefits without the negative. What we all definitely do not want to do, is jump on the ”soy bandwagon” as people have done in the past decade - as again processed soy products are not all that great for us due to those estrogen mimicking properties.
Well that is all for part 1, tomorrow we find out what is it that the Okinawa people do not eat that may be even more vital to their amazing longevity and we look into the other two cultures and their longevity secrets!
5 Part Longevity Series
How to Live a Long and Healthy Life - Part 1
How to Live a Long and Healthy Life - Part 2
How to Live a Long and Healthy Life - Part 3
How to Live a Long and Healthy Life - Part 4
![[del.icio.us]](http://evolvingwellness.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/delicious.png)
![[Digg]](http://evolvingwellness.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/digg.png)
![[Facebook]](http://evolvingwellness.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/facebook.png)
![[Faves]](http://evolvingwellness.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/faves.png)
![[Furl]](http://evolvingwellness.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/furl.png)
![[Google]](http://evolvingwellness.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/google.png)
![[Ma.gnolia]](http://evolvingwellness.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/magnolia.png)
![[Newsvine]](http://evolvingwellness.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/newsvine.png)
![[Slashdot]](http://evolvingwellness.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/slashdot.png)
![[StumbleUpon]](http://evolvingwellness.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/stumbleupon.png)
![[Technorati]](http://evolvingwellness.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/technorati.png)
![[Twitter]](http://evolvingwellness.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/twitter.png)
![[Yahoo!]](http://evolvingwellness.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/yahoo.png)
![[Email]](http://evolvingwellness.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/email.png)
2 Comments, Comment or Ping
Hanlie says:
I am also fascinated by this subject. I’ll be following the series closely!
Apr 16th, 2008
Reply to “How to Live a Long and Healthy Life - Part 1”