Welcome to part 3, of our 5 part series on “How to live a long and healthy life.”

In part 2, we found out about the factors that allow Sardinians to enjoy an extremely long life span despite their sometimes poor diets.

In today’s segment we find out what truly lies behind the amazing Sardinian longevity and learn about the fascinating inhabitants of Loma Linda, California.  Be ready to see some exceptional examples of longevity in action!

Watch part 3 of “How to Live to 101″ now and follow up by reading some summary notes and ideas on this segment from me.

I don’t know about you, but I was quite surprised yesterday to hear that people who pretty much follow an “all you can eat and drink” diet were so healthy and able to live to be 100 or more! Well that was the case with the population from Sardinia.  However at the end of yesterday’s segment the researchers eluded to genetic factors as the reason for the Sardinian longevity.  Today we found out that in deed, this population is exceptional not in what they eat or drink, but thanks to what is in their genetic code.  It is not because of inbreeding either.

The research suggests that there is a gene on the “X” chromosome (which is one of your sex chromosomes) that usually causes the person to exhibit negative characteristics through its expression.  In the case of the Sardinians however, the way this gene gets expressed in Sardinians actually seems to have a positive impact on their health and thus longevity. So now we know that in their case they are one of those populations who got “lucky” genetically to sustain a long and healthy life.  Hence, if after watching the segment yesterday, you, like me thought “there’s got to be something else here” – today we found out for sure that there is.  So before you run and reserve a seat for yourself at an all you can eat and drink restaurant, be sure you have those Sardinian genes, otherwise I wouldn’t recommend it :)

Finally, in today’s segment we had a chance to meet some inhabitants of Loma Linda, California and what amazing people they are. A heart surgeon who performs open heart surgery at 92!!!! A 102 year old who cycles 6 miles before breakfast each morning!!!! Wow – let’s just say I was blown away by these amazing individuals.  Never mind, it got me thinking whether I can cycle 6 miles before breakfast at my age, never mind 92!!!

What the scientists gathered about these inhabitants is that indeed, you do not need to rely on your genes for longevity, so don’t worry if past family members died earlier than you would like to live to.  The scientists said that “we are in control of about 10 years of our life, based on the choices we make“.  So what kinds of choices do these people from California make? Well many of them are 7th Day Adventists, which means they do not smoke, do not drink and follow a vegetarian diet.  Well no surprise there.  We have been told over and over now from many studies about the negative health effects and accelerated ageing from smoking, drinking and eating meat.  Those 3 factors are also what Evolving Wellness stands by, as part of achieving and maintaining optimal health.

However, researchers said that it is not just those 3 factors that allow the population of Loma Linda to reap the benefits of amazing health and longevity.  In fact they claim that by being religious, they reap the benefit of a longer life.  So does God reward those who attend church each Sunday with a longer and healthier life? Not quite.

Having a spiritual dimension or a belief in a higher power is extremely important for an overall better feeling of self and the meaning of life and one’s purpose in it.  It does not matter what religion you follow or even whether you go to church every Sunday or not.  What makes a big difference first of all, is as I said previously having a spiritual dimension in your life.  Understanding that there is a higher power that connects everything, believing that you are connected to God (Source) at all time, and knowing that there is always someone with you, watching you and helping you are great attributes to go through life with as you can imagine.

The second factor related to spirituality and/or religion is that you generally have a better mechanism with which to handle stress. Now note I said generally, as unfortunately I know a lot of religious people who lose their mind when a little thing goes wrong.  And that is mainly why I prefer to use the word “spirituality”.  I stress that because I do not want anyone to misunderstand here that in order to live healthier and longer, you have to be part of a religion.  On the contrary, the first thing is to get in touch with one’s self and start to seek the deeper questions and answers about life and our existence here as opposed to be forced to believe what someone else wants you to, which in some cases can add to your stress levels.  A strong dimension of spirituality tends to put people at greater ease and be better equipped to handle life’s stresses.  And this leads us to our last discussion whose focus is – stress.

What the researchers found was that the one common factor that links all of the world’s longest living communities together is the ability to effectively handle stress.  So that is where we pick up in part 4- finding out about the “stress resilient personalities.”  Join me there!

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

How to Live a Long and Healthy Life – Part 5

About the author:
Evita Ochel, B.Sc., B.Ed., CHN - is a certified holistic nutritionist, biologist, educator, writer, researcher and speaker in the areas of health, science and holistic wellness. She is a nutritional science expert and her teaching and writing focus on natural, wholesome, plant-based and organic nutrition to achieve optimal health and longevity. Learn more about Evita Ochel or Follow Evita Ochel on Twitter.