We are all fascinated by the people who live longer than 100 years because they seem interesting not only to the general public but also to scientists. Centenarians are observed to dodge any risk factors that may cause quicker death. Even after death, scientists tend to study their cause of death as they get to find interesting factors that aid in the longevity of life of the elderly. According to experts the rise in the number of people who are currently living in their 100s is due to the massive improvements in the health of public back in the 1900s. People who followed a healthy diet at that time managed to live longer than most others. There are a lot of reasons that may be considered helpful for the longevity of life.
Some people believe that the age factor depends from country to country, tribe to tribe and people to people. While this may be true, we are guilty to consider why the elderly of these countries and tribes manage to live such a long life in the same world we live in. Is it the diet? Is it the atmosphere? Is it nature or is it just the way life is in those particular areas of the world. Even when living in a happening country, some elderly manage to mark the score of being a centenarian. So what are these people doing so different from us and how is ageing working for them. Being able to live for 100 years can be because of a lot of reasons. It can be the way they think, the way they eat, the way they have opened up their mind space to this world in order to heal spiritually and the way they see this world in particular.
Our generation is sadly in an era where junk food is considered a must for every day and greens are only eaten when on diet. That too, organic. Some people like to be trendy by buying organic foods for their feed so the concentration is not really on giving the body its fuel that is much needed to save the organs for a long time. At least for 100 years.
So in order to achieve ultimate longevity, let us discover the following important factors:
Genetics
There are many secrets of longevity and genetics is one of them. It is no wonder that people from a specific country such as Japan, Australia and America get to live a life longer than other individuals. Some of these people have long lives right in their genes. If you had a forefather who died in their 80s or 90s, chances are that someone from your family will get to live for that long too. This is why genes are considered as an important factor for the longevity of life.
No Overeating
Calorie intake is considered as a very crucial part of your daily routine and so is for the longevity of life. According to animal studies, if you reduce your calorie intake around 10-50% per day then chances are that your lifespan will tend to increase. This may be the reason why people from the 1900s have managed to make it in the 21st century.
More Consumption of Nuts
Studies have shown that nuts contain good effects on diabetes, heart disease, fat levels of the belly, high blood pressure, inflammation and even some types of cancer. This is because nuts are rich in antioxidants, fibre, protein and other compounds of the plant. Nuts are also a good way of adding potassium, niacin, magnesium, folate with vitamin E and B6. Having this said, we can assume that adding nuts in your diet will not only help you maintain a good shape but also aid in the longevity of your life.
Turmeric
People in the 1900s from the East considered healthy eating as an important factor and due to the freshness and originality of the products back then, they were able to lead a good daily diet filled with healthy ingredients including turmeric. Turmeric is an important anti-ageing agent. This is due to the fact that it contains a compound that is potent bioactive known as curcumin. Curcumin is helpful in maintaining heart diseases, the function of lungs, maintaining the brain and also protect against cancer along with other diseases that are age-related. This is because curcumin has anti-inflammatory properties.
Healthy Plant Foods
Back in the day, people used to take plants and other green foods seriously. They used to eat them in their raw form in order to get maximum health benefits. These people consumed fruits, vegetables, seeds, whole grains, beans and nuts in order to decrease the risk of deadly diseases and promote longevity. For instance, there are many studies according to which the chances of premature death can be lowered by consuming a diet that is rich in plant and other greens such as celery, broccoli, spinach, coriander and more.
Staying Active Physically
Centenarians from Japan and Nepal are observed to live a life full of various physical activities. This fact is proven right in almost every rural part of any country especially Asia. Farmers who spend their days making the best field and breathe fresh air are more likely to live a longer life as compared to old people in other cities or towns. Being physically active can help you in staying alive for a longer time as it adds years to your life. If you want to live as long as the elderly are living today then it is a good time to consider exercising for 15 minutes per day. This will help you in achieving health benefits and could also include another 3 years to your life. Moreover, whenever you do the 15 minutes daily physical activity, your chances of premature death will probably decrease by 4%. According to a recent study, the individuals who exercised daily had reduced their risk of early death by 22%.
No Smoking
We all know how smoking is a bad choice even if you are planning on increasing your lifespan or not. Smoking is dangerous for health and it will take out the 10 years of life just like that. People who do not smoke are observed to live 3 years longer than the people who do. According to another study, if you quit smoking at the age of 35, chances are that this will help in prolonging your life by up to 8.5 years. Moreover, if you quit smoking even in your 60s then chances are that you are going to add another 3.7 years to your life. If you quit smoking in your 80s then it may still provide health benefits. Therefore, it’s never too late to quit.
Reduce Your Alcohol Consumption
If you take alcohol as a heavy consumption then chances are that it will link you to pancreatic, heart and liver disease. Alcohol consumption contains a high risk of early death which cannot be ignored. In the past century, people had realized this and those who wanted to take this life seriously actually reduced their alcohol consumption and managed to live for a long time.
Make Your Happiness a Priority
Being happy is actually underestimated. If you are happy then chances are that your longevity will increase significantly. In fact, according to research, the individuals who were happy managed to reduce early death by 3.7% in a study of 5 years. Another study done by catholic nuns analyzed their own levels of happiness when they first arrived at the monastery and then after a few years compared these levels to the longevity of their life. The nuns who were the happiest at the age of 22 were observed to remain alive even after six decades. Moreover, according to the summary of 35 articles, happy people are considered to live up to 18% longer than their counterparts who are not as happy.
Avoid Anxiety and Chronic Stress
Stress is the enemy of happiness and can manage to suck not only happiness but also years from your life. For instance, according to reports, the women who were suffering from anxiety and stress were observed to die two times likely from stroke, lung cancer or heart disease. In the same way, men who are three times more anxious than other men are more likely to die from premature death than the men who are more relaxed. In the case of dealing with stress, optimism and laughter can be considered as two key components to send it away. Research shows that individuals who are pessimistic have a higher chance of 42% of early death than people who were optimistic. However, if you want to stress not to remain like a cloud on your life, then it’s time to let happiness in with positive vibes and a lot of laughter. This will reduce stress and potentially prolong your life.
Promote Your Social Circle
Researchers from the USA have shown reports that state that maintaining a healthy social network around you will help you to increase your lifespan by a solid 50%. In the past, old people from Asian and European countries were really specific of who they were letting in their lives and what their purpose was. After careful examination of these centenarians, they used to judge if it was worth it to let these people enter their social circle. Similarly, if you manage to have a strong social circle, then you are more likely to let negativity or stress penetrate through the positive aura around you. This will also have a positive effect on your lifespan.
Develop an Ideal Sleeping Pattern
If you want to become a centenarian then it’s time that you considered sleep as a crucial factor for cell regulation and body healing. According to a recent study, longevity is heavily linked to a sleeping pattern that is regular. This means sleeping early at night and waking up early in the morning for your whole life. Now, balancing sleep is also a must. If you sleep too less for around 5-7 hours then chances are that you have increased the risk of early death by 12%. And if you sleep for more than 8-9 hours per night then your lifespan will reduce by 38%. Sleeping too little also promotes inflammation which results in other deadly diseases such as diabetes, heart failure and even obesity.
At times you may wonder that longevity of life is totally out of question but without even noticing these habits will lead you to a ripe, old age.
Examples
Typically, there were a lot of words of wisdom that were actually offbeat to consider longevity wellness. For example, Besse Cooper, the woman who died when she was 116 said that her secret to a long life was “Staying out of other people’s business” and not eating junk food. We are all aware of how physical activity is considered important for the longevity of life, let’s not forget about mental fitness as well. In the words of centenarian Edris Mathiesen from Bloomington, Indiana, “I love playing cards, doing crossword puzzles and reading to help exercise my mind.” Here is another example, Orville Rogers who is another centenarian, broke five world track records on March 18, 2018. He did so by running ranging from 60 meters to 1,500 meters in the 100 to 104 group of age.
Of course, these examples are anecdotal and not medically proven. However, speaking scientifically the strategies mentioned above will help you in achieving longevity health and long life.
If you would like to have a look at a good example then you may consider the Okinawa people of Japan. Okinawans are famous all over the world for how long they can live. The men are considered to live for about 84 years once they have passed the age of 65. Women, on the other hand, are expected to live for around 90. If we look at the population per head in Okinawa, there are more centenarians there as compared to anywhere else in the world. This means that there are 5 times more, elderly people, in Okinawa alone as compared to the rest of Japan. The surprising fact is that these people have managed to score such a ripe old age without hitting the gym or jogging. The rates of coronary heart disease, cancer, depression and stroke in Okinawa are way below the average of other advanced economies. You will see Okinawans doing the simplest tasks instead. These daily tasks include working on their vegetable gardens, riding bikes and practising tai chi.
Another reason for the longevity of Okinawans is food. They consume a low-carb diet that is rich in vegetables, tofu, fruits and seaweed. Some people believe that the reason why Okinawans live for such a long time is maybe because of their happiness. According to researchers longevity for the Okinawans’ is not a given. The current generation of Okinawa is not expected to live for as long as their parents did. Back in the day people also used to take traditional foods as medicine. Chewing food slowly and calmly was also a reason for longevity. In today’s date, people do not have much time and they run for convenience foods which results in a non-healthy diet. Therefore, health problems are rising.
If we look at it closely, the phenomenon of longevity is rather complexed. As there are many behavioural, environmental, sociodemographic and dietary factors that affect the process of ageing and expectancy of life. Overall, proper nutrition is considered as a factor in order to almost achieve mortality. Scientific research has also shown that having the right nutrition every day will help in exceeding your lifespan. Other than this, you may also consider factors like doing physical activities, right sleeping pattern, happiness, less stress and many similar factors will help you in achieving a long life as was done by the centenarians of our age.
This means that if you want to achieve an old age with longevity health, then it will be right to consider the habits that we have mentioned above and also follow the examples of the right people. The Okinawans eat fresh food, they have an eye for protein and their greens are good. Okinawans remain busy throughout the day with their physical activities and this is the reason why Okinawa is the only place in the world with the most Centenarians.
In summary, we can say that longevity may sound difficult at first but if you do it right then you can definitely achieve it. All you have to do is remain consistent and never forget your goal to achieve longevity of life. If you still keep engaging in the life of today which is consuming junk food, laying on bed all day with the electronic gadgets, eating all sorts of food from the outside and not dealing more with people, then you are more likely to live a life that is way more shorter than you want it to be.
In order to achieve long life, you must remain dedicated to your goal without letting a single chance of uncertainty get in the way. There are many centenarians who are living in the busiest cities of the world such as New York, Sydney, Brooklyn and more. This is because of the fact that even if these people are living closest to technology and all other facilities, they have chosen their own lifestyle above anything else. These people have one dedication in their minds and that is to follow their diet, daily regimen and physical activities.
