When asked for the reasons behind their longevity, centenarian responses vary. Some accredit life-long clean living and exercise, while others may call on mindfulness and simply having a reason to live. Though these answers may not give us the exact insights we were hoping for, reading between the lines shows us what really goes into a long life. Curiously, it’s where we live that may also impact our age.
Certain regions and cities all over the world known as Blue Zones are home to more centenarians than anywhere else. In Ikaria, Greece, one in three citizens will live to be at least 90 years old, speculated reasoning from a traditional Mediterranean diet and the regular exercise that comes along with living in a mountainous region. Okinawa, Japan is one of the best known Blue Zones as it boasts the highest life expectancy age of anywhere else on Earth. Similar to Ikaria, Okinawa also focuses on a traditional, plant-based diet and puts emphasis on community relationships and the concept of Ikagai, “reason for being.”
While we can’t all pack up and move to Japan, we can learn from these regions and cultures. See this infographic for more on the power of Blue Zones, what we can learn from the people living there, and what it could mean for our own longevity.
Infographic Courtesy of Best Health Degrees https://www.besthealthdegrees.com/living-longer