These islanders know secret of long life
The sweet potatoes, bitter melon, carotenoid-rich marine foods like seaweeds, green leafy vegetables, and fruit in the diet are anti-aging as they reduce inflammation and oxidative stress
In the village of Ogimi, located in Okinawa, Japan, there’s a small stone marker with a few sentences written in Japanese. Roughly translated, they read: “At 80, you are merely a youth. At 90, if your ancestors invite you into heaven, ask them to wait until you are 100 — then, you might consider it.” That’s not bluster.
At the latest count, 15 of Ogimi’s 3,000 villagers are centenarians. One hundred and seventy-one are in their 90s. Okinawa is one of five places around the world where people live the longest, happiest lives. Others include Sardinia (Italy), Nicoya (Costa Rica), Ikaria (Greece), and Loma Linda (California).
About two-thirds of longevity is related to diet and way of life, the rest is genetics. In terms of preventing cancer and cardiovascular disease, the Okinawan diet gives more than five servings a day of fruits and vegetables and incorporates more heart-healthy fish than meat.
The sweet potatoes, bitter melon, carotenoid-rich marine foods like seaweeds, green leafy vegetables, and fruit in the diet are anti-aging as they reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. Sweet potato rather than white rice was the staple in Okinawa up until the 1960s. Life on the islands is different from much of the rest of Japan.
The climate is sub-tropical, with mild winters. Okinawans live amid scenic island beauty and have a reputation for being mellow. The laidback approach to punctuality here is known as “Okinawa time.” Society is structured so older residents retain ikigai (purpose) in their lives.
Giving some in Ogimi an ikigai is the local craft of weaving basho-fu textiles, where the time-intensive cleaning of fibers and spooling of thread is done by older women. Moai is an Okinawan social mechanism that brings groups of people with a shared interest together, allowing them to develop emotional connections.
