Okinawan Secrets To Living A Healthier, Happier And Longer Life

Written on August 31, 2007 by Tezza

Friday’s weekly guide to Life Balance from 4EvaYoung.com

“At 70 you are still a child, at 80 a young man or woman. And if at 90 someone from Heaven invites you over, tell him: ‘Just go away, and come back when I am 100.’ ” – Okinawan Saying

Before you get too excited, no I haven’t found the magic elixir to eternal youth. If I did I probably wouldn’t be announcing it to everyone (Only kidding, off course I’d share). Everyone wants to live a long and purposeful life. As Steve Jobs said in his commencement speech “No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there.”

So it is with growing interest to hear that there is a small fishing village in Japan that is currently beating the odds for longevity. The people of the Ogimi Village in Okinawa boast a disproportionate number of centurions than anywhere else on Earth. In fact Japan as a country does better in the longevity stakes then any other country. The “National Geographic” has as a result shown great interest in trying to discover their secrets doing a story about the residents of this tiny village.

What is impressive about these elderly people is not just about them living to a ripe old age but also because they are living largely independently. They require no nursing home facilities or long term medical care simply because they are still very healthy and free of debilitating illnesses that others in the West are struck down by.

So what are the secrets of the Okinawans?

1. Look At The Positive Side Of Life
“Don’t sweat the small stuff…and it’s all small stuff.” – Dr. Richard Carlson

The residents of Ogimi Village live in a rural coastal village away from the frantic turmoil of modern day life. They live surrounded by nature’s beauty and they have embraced the slow paced village lifestyle. Living in this environment is therefore conducive to living a stress free life.

So the next time you feel fustrated at the long line, angry at the guy who just cut you off or stressed at your next impending deadline think about this thought: If you were still alive in 5 years time would you even remember? Your life here is short so why spend valuable time pondering and stressing about things that are out of your control.

2. Eat A Healthy Diet
“The way you think, the way you behave, the way you eat, can influence your life by 30 to 50 years. Most people believe that aging is universal but there are biological organisms that never age.” – Deepak Chopra

With growing obesity and related health consequences here in the West it is not surprising that the Japanese eat a much healthier diet and live longer as a result. Dr Suzuki started the study of the Okinawans in the ‘70s for the Japanese Ministry of Health. For 25 years he documented the amazing health and longevity of the Okinawans.

He studied over 600 centenarians, and found them free of the health problems we associate with aging. What he also discovered in his research was that Okinawans who move away or adopt Western life and diet-styles suffer from the same health problems we do, so it’s not genetic.

There are no Mc’Donalds in Okinawa nor any radical fad diets. The Okinawans instead enjoy a diet that is well balanced and heavily made up of vegetables and fruits grown in their own gardens or fields together with tofu. They like many Japanese eat a lot of fish but have meat only sparingly. There is no artery clogging dairy or meat to slow them down.

3. Celebrate Life In All It’s Glory
“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” – Oprah Winfrey

Life is to be enjoyed not endured. The Okinawan’s have a strong community that brings them all together. They gather together for festivals and daily recreational activities. It is said that they start each morning with a Tai Chi routine with other members of the village.

They enjoy a very active social life and the companionship they give to each other in their old age is something to be admired compared to the Western version of age care. Festivals and other celebrations enable everyone to get together to celebrate life. The Japanese culture is also one that embraces elders as a integral member of the community, young people look up to those elders with respectfulness and are inclusive of them in all the village activities. We can certainly learn a thing or two about working hard while celebrating life.

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Posted in Life Balance, Living The Simple Life