Mar 14 2015
Health secrets from cultures with the longest-living people on earth.
The average lifespan in America is now around 75.5 years old, though that’s expected to rise in the future thanks to modern medicine and technology. But that’s still nowhere near the life expectancy of people in some cultures around the world. Called “Blue Zones” for the astounding average lifespans, they are defined as areas where people have three times the chance of reaching 100 than we do in the U.S. In fact, the island inhabitants of Okinawa in Japan, the Titicaca Indians in mountainous Peru, the Abkhasia in the Caucasus Mountains in Southern Russia, and other areas, super centenarians are common (those who live to 110 years or more) and there are plenty of documented cases of people living to 120 or even 140!
While there is no secret fountain of youth for these cultures, scientists and doctors have studied them intensively and identified several health, diet, and lifestyle factors that they all have in common. In this blog, we’ll introduce you to the people and cultures in the earth’s Blue Zones, and then summarize those practices that keep them happy and healthy well past 100 years old!
The islanders of Okinawa in Japan.
This small south Pacific island in Japan holds the honor for the longest disability-free life expectancy in the world. Known as the “land of immortals,” Okinawa has an incredible 900 people over 100 years old, the highest number of centenarians in the world despite having only 1.385 million people. How is that possible? Researchers noticed that the people there eat most of their food lightly steamed, eat more tofu and soya than anyone in the world, drink green tea, and eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, especially the dark green leafy kind. Unlike some of their vegetarian counterparts in other Blue Zones, the people of Okinawa do eat meat, though interestingly they usually only eat fish and it is often raw. They are always physically active even in advanced years, elders are greatly respected, and their “island attitude” results in a largely stress-free and communal life.
Southern Italian and other Mediterranean cultures.
The island of Sardinia in southern Italy in the Mediterranean Sea holds the highest rate of male centenarians in the world. It’s estimated that the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet, also common in Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, parts of Spain, etc. help account for such long and healthy lives. That includes daily consumption of olive oil, called liquid gold for its health benefits, along with plenty of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and low consumption of meat and dairy. Don’t forget the glass of wine with every meal, a great source of flavonoids. Elderly people in this region also get plenty of exercise, sunshine, fresh air, and stay active in their homes, families, and communities.
The Abkhasia of Southern Russia.
This unforgiving environment in the Caucasus Mountains, located between Europe and Asia, was once referred to as the “longevity capital of the world.” In fact, the longest-living man in the world, Shirali Muslimov, who lived to the ripe old age of 168, was from Azerbaijan in that region. The people there mostly eat freshly picked nuts and whole grains, and locally grown fruits and vegetables. They only rarely eat meat, and with the fat removed, but drink a special fermented beverage for vitality called matzoni, made from goat’s milk. They are constantly walking up and doing hilly paths and mountainous terrain, so every person is trim and fit no matter what age. Just like in Okinawa, elders are revered and respected in their society.
High up in the inhospitable mountains in Pakistan, the Hunza tribes have lived for many centuries, isolated from the rest of the world but enjoying very long, healthy lives. Due to the mountainous conditions the Hunza have to walk almost everywhere, and farming the soil is a full time job that keeps them physically fit. They subsist on a diet of fresh fruit most of the year and keep dried fruit to get them through the winters. In summer months, their diet also includes beans, corn, roots, tubers, squash, and sprouts, all extremely healthy. Most of the time their food is eaten raw because even cooking fires can be hard to come by. Eating meat or dairy is an extreme rarity, as the mountains don’t even allow for grazing of animals. Incredibly, they are virtually disease free during their lives, despite the harsh terrain and their hard lives.
The Vicalbamba Indians of the Andes Mountains
In high-altitude valley in the peaks of southern Ecuador, the Vicalbamba people commonly live to 110 years old or more. Of course they stay active and physically fit, walking and hiking and cultivating the land, but like many of these people with extraordinary long lives, they also enjoy a strong sense of community, a stress-free life full of laughter and the warmth of extended family, and a sense of purpose long into live, as elders are looked up to. The Vicalbamba also share an almost-vegan diet, eating some cooked whole grains and lots of vegetables, nuts, and fruits all harvested with their own hands from their lands, with very little animal products.
What do they all have in common?
So if you want to live to 140 years old, too, should you just move to one of these places? I don’t think it quite works like that, but the good news is that you can replicate many conditions of their lifestyle to improve your health, even back in the United States.
Researchers who collected extensive data from these regions came up with several striking similarities between cultures in the Blue Zones:
- Diets that consist mostly of vegan, and/or vegetarian and organic food.
- They typically ate only 1,700-1,800 calories a day at most, even with physical activity filling their daily lives.
- That caloric intake was between 69-73% carbohydrates, 15-18% from fat and 10-13% from protein.
- Food was grown and harvested local, without any chemicals, pesticides, fertilizers, additives, GMOs, coloring or preservatives.
- A good portion of food was eaten raw.
- Vegetables, legumes, and fruits made up a large portion of their diet.
- They ate little or no sweets, no processed sugars, and no salt except possibly sea salts.
- They ate little or no animal products (0-10% of their diet, depending on the culture), and if they did it was lean and low fat.
- The fats they did eat were extremely healthy, coming from fish, eggs, olive oil, etc.
- They stayed lean and physically fit by walking, working, and staying active. No one had an exercise routine per se, but the activity in their lives dictated that there was zero obesity in their cultures.
- People in all of their cultures had low levels of stress in their daily lives.
- They used natural remedies and plants and herbs to heal ailments, not synthetic or chemical pharmaceuticals.
- They all laughed, interacted with family and friends, and enjoyed a sense of community with all of those around them.
- They believe in something greater than themselves; a purpose to their daily lives whether that be religion, spirituality, or just community.
- As they grew older they still had a sense of purpose, as elderly people are all greatly revered and respected in their cultures.
Jul 2 2015
10 things that may be causing you to have low energy – and how to fix them!
We’re definitely a nation on the go, but the average person also is prone to afternoon doldrums, lethargy after meals, or general fatigue throughout the day. But instead of trying to just soldier through it or slamming a coffee or sugary drink, which can actually make you more tired in the long run, it’s important to understand the medical causes of energy lulls, and respond with healthy, natural habits to boost your energy back up.
Many of the medications we take on a daily basis can cause pronounced levels of fatigue. Antihistamines (allergy meds), cough medicine, anti depressants, and heart, blood pressure, and heart meds may zap your energy.
A shortage of iron in the body can cause fatigue, and even anemia. Though it’s more common in women than men, iron-deficiency anemia can still affect anyone who partakes in a vegetaraina diet, frequently donates blood, or has low levels of B12 vitamins. The result can be extreme fatigue, pale skin, shortness of breath, headaches, and dizziness.
As men age, they gradually produce less testosterone, which naturally promotes bone density, muscle mass, sex drive, and other functions. But a pronounced drop in testosterone can result in complete loss of sexual appetite, increased body fat, trouble sleeping, and decreased motivation along with low energy
Hypothyroidism, or an overactive thyroid, is caused by low levels of thyroid hormone, which will seriously deplete energy levels. With certain autoimmune diseases, the immune system basically attacks the thyroid, which causes a racing heart and overworked system. It’s more common in women but can occur in men.
Of course if you didn’t get enough sleep the night before you will be tired the next day, but we’re talking about sleep disorders or prolonged patterns that will sap your energy and leave you perpetually tired. For instance, insomnia will wreak havoc with your cycles of rest, as will sleep-disordered breathing, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome.
Depression is a psychological condition that affects tens of millions of Americans every year, but it also causes physical manifestations, as there is little difference between an external stimuli and an emotional response in the body. Therefore, depression can leave someone feeling woefully unmotivated, tired, and at a loss for energy.
Trying to mask a regular pattern of low energy with coffee and energy drinks creates a dangerous vicious cycle that won’t address the root problem – and leave you even more tired when it wears off.
Regular drinking and consuming alcohol in excess – especially at night before bed – might help you drift off to sleep more quickly, but you’ll get a restless, shallow sleep and your body will be over tired, dehydrated, and possibly a little hungover the next morning, draining your energy.
A lack of regular exercise or sedentary lifestyle, like sitting at a desk all day only to go to the couch in the evening and then the bed at night, will leave your body running inefficiently, and you fatigued and unmotivated, as well as more stressed and sleeping worse.
Eating too much or just the wrong kinds of foods – like too much sugar, fat, and processed food, will definitely leave you feeling listless and short on zip throughout the day.
So how can you naturally boost your energy levels?
Other than addressing those common problems, here are 8 healthy tips to increase your energy level:
1. Try an energy-boosting snack.
A snack containing protein and a complex carbohydrate, like a whole-grain cracker and low-fat cheese, or peanut butter on whole-wheat bread, will boost your blood sugar in a prolonged way.
2. Make sure you eat a proper breakfast.
Eating a breakfast that’s high in fiber and also carbohydrates will give you a foundation of energy through the day. A high-fiber cereal or whole wheat toast will do the trick.
3. Take a mental break.
Too often, we think that multi-tasking at home or at work will make us more productive, but all it does is scatter our concentration and fatigue our brain. So if you feel your energy waning during an important task, step away for 5 or 10 minutes for a mental break, and you’ll be refreshed and energized when you get back to it.
4. Get up and move.
Taking a brisk walk around the block or doing some quick calistenthics will get your blood pumping and oxygen to the brain, which will increase your energy level almost immediately.
5. Meditate.
Conversely, sometimes we’re fatigued because our brains are so overloaded with information, anxiety, and stress. Even a few minutes of meditation and deep breathing, no matter where you are, will help immensely.
6. Increase your magnesium intake.
Magnesium is a mineral that’s used by your body for over 300 biochemical reactions, including breaking down glucose into energy. So if we don’t get enough magnesium, we’ll feel fatigued. You can increase your intake by eating almonds, cashews, whole grains, and fish like halibut.
7. Take a power nap.
Studies show that a quick cat nap of about 20-60 minutes reenergizes us and essentially “resets” our brain from the information overload we suffer during the day. But you probably don’t want to sleep longer than an hour or you’ll feel sluggish.
8. Drink more water.
Dehydration – whether it’s caused by a bad diet, poor sleep, or too much alcohol or caffeine – can send the signal to the body to preserve energy, making you feel fatigued. So if you feel tired, drink a few glasses of water.
9. Make that coffee a latte.
The milk in a low-fat latte actually offers an injection of protein with your caffeine, essentially turning your afternoon or morning java into an energy drink.
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Long term fatigue can also be a symptom of more serious health issues, like liver failure, kidney failure, heart disease, cancer, pulmonary disease, diabetes, or chronic fatigue syndrome. Consult your doctor if you make the necessary adjustments to your health and lifestyle, but still don’t see an improvement. Chiropractic care, medial consultation, and adjustments will also help fend off some of these maladies, boosting energy levels naturally.
By Norm Schriever • Diet, Exercise, General Health News, Health and Wellness, Uncategorized