Blue Zones - Okinawa, Japan Secrets to Longevity

Top Tips from Okinawans: 

 

Embrace an ikigai- Have meaning to your life- Older Okinawans can readily articulate the reason they get up in the morning. Their purpose or meaning to their lives gives them clear roles of responsibility and feelings of being needed well into their 100s.Soemtimes we loose purpose a big factor is often not supporting others try an volunteer at your local council, foodbank or offer to do shopping for an elderly member of the community.Stope comparing yourself to others find your Ikagai something you love try a new passion change a path make it small even (new hobby or a new sport ) keep trying to get to ultimate achievement in life -its your journey an you can make it a happy one wherever or whoever you are.

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Rely on a plant-based diet- Older Okinawans have eaten a plant-based diet most of their lives. Their meals of stir-fried vegetables, sweet potatoes, and tofu are high in nutrients and low in calories. Goya an antioxidant popular including seaweed. Try and add a new vegetarian recipe each week even if its just add sweet potato to your diet a food type most eaten by Okinawans. A high-carb, low-protein diet extends the lifespan of various species. Swap plant based protein instead of meat. Like calorie restriction, the low protein diets seem to promote the cell repair and maintenance but only till 65 after which we need more protein.

 

Eat more soy including tofu and miso soup are big contributors to healthier heart, resistance form cancer and maintaining intestinal balance. Okinawa have Shima-dofu (local made tofu)is different from the tofu normally eaten in the rest of Japan, and which consists of soy milk, water and seawater, and is generally sold cold. Try it in a dish with spices or add it as an alternative check my recipes.

 

Maintain a moai and connectiveness with others you can rely on and share common interests. Often a meetup venue is decided and rules but it’s a society network islanders keep for life. Often it can be just someone sweeping their front porch can catching up with neighbours daily. We should try and start this with neighbours or a local club and lots of opportunity virtually online or just a daily call.

 

Get some sunshine  Okinawa is subtropical allowing residents to gain enough Vitamin D for critical in immunity and other benefits. We can add supplements being in England.

 

Being  active many Okinawans are active walkers also make sure they find friends that walk with them. They generally are busy in their medicine garden growing herbs and natural plants for their diets which adds to  their exercise.