The older I get the louder I hear my “life clock” ticking.  All of us only have so much time on Earth.  All of us only have so much life in us, and when it’s gone, it’s gone.

Now I know that most people believe in an afterlife but that’s not what this post is about.  This post is about extending the time you’ve got on this Earth as long as possible.

How do you live to be 100 or even older?  The answer is actually more simple that you might imagine.  The good part, no the great part, is that much of what prolongs our lives is completely within our control.

I was fascinated by a video I was watching recently on TED.  TED is a nonprofit that organizes lectures and educational series on a variety of topics including technology, entertainment, and design (where the letters T-E-D come from).

One of the videos was titled ” How to live to be 100+” by Dan Buettner. Mr. Buettner is a National Geographic writer and explorer. He’s been working to identify and study the areas of the world containing the longest-lived peoples, documenting the individual components of their lifestyle and culture that contribute to a long and healthy life. He’s the author of  the book, “Blue Zones” and his website is at www.bluezones.com (a great resource, by the way).

The Blue Zone Project

The Blue Zone Project was sponsored by National Geographic to identify areas of the world where people just seemed to live longer and to try to find out why.  What were these people doing, how were they living, and what was their diet like?  The findings, especially when contrasted with how we currently live, are pretty revealing.

Dan started by stating that one scientific study found that only about “10% of how long we live is determined by our genes.  The other 90% is determined by our lifestyle.”

Think about that for a minute.  That means that YOU AND I have 90% control over how long we live – and not just how LONG we live, but also HOW we live. That in itself should blow you away – not to mention filling you with a sense of empowerment.

Buettner also pointed out that when it comes to health-related information, there’s a lot of confusion about what helps us live longer.  He specifically mentioned to myths that we wanted to debunk right off the bat:

Myth 1:  If you try real hard, you can live to be 100.  False. Only about 1 out of 5000 people in America live to be 100 so your odds of making it are slim – at least here in America.  Biologically, we’re just not designed to live to a long age.  However, there are lifestyles we can lead that can prolong what time we do have.

Myth 2:  There are treatments that can slow or reverse aging.  Very false. Our bodies contain about 35 Trillion cells.  Those cells turn themselves over, or completely regenerate, about once every 8 years.  However every time they do, there’s some damage, some DNA or chromosome sequence that just isn’t copied exactly.  It’s like the days of vinyl record albums when you’d buy a new record and then make a cassette tape copy of the album.  You’d loan the cassette to your friend and they’d make a copy of it for themselves.  Then they’d loan their copy to someone else who would make another copy, and so on.  After doing this several times, the copy gets so bad that it’s basically useless.  The same thing is happening in our own bodies as our cells replicate, repair, and regenerate themselves — and it happens exponentially.  This is why a 65 year old is aging at a rate that’s about 125 faster than a 12 year old.

So Why Try?

So if the odds are against us and if there’s no way to stop or reverse aging, then what’s the point of trying?  Well, the best guess that scientists can give us on life expectancy is that our bodies are designed to last about 90 years on average (a little more for women).  But life expectancy in the US is only 78 years.  So therefore, we’re leaving at least 12 good years on the table.  That’s 12 additional years of healthy, disease-free living that all of us could enjoy with just a few basic changes to our lifestyle. And let me emphasize once again that this is something you and I have complete control over.

Buettner then goes on to identify and describe a few “blue zones” in the world, areas where people routinely live to be 100+ and there is only a fraction of the middle-age diseases that are so common in the US.  These areas include the highlands of Sardinia in Italy, parts of Okinawa, Japan, and members of the Seventh Day Adventists in Loma Linda, CA.  Although these groups are completely different from each other in terms of language and culture, their lifestyles share a lot of commonalities.  The study identified 9 things that they believe are the biggest factors in promoting longevity.

The Factors to a Long Life

These lifestyle factors included the following:

Move Naturally

1. They “move naturally.” Although going to a gym and working out is not part of the culture of the people in these “blue zones,” consistent exercise is built in to their lifestyles.  All of them live active lives that includes lots of physical activity.  Want to live to be 100?  You’re not going to do it sitting on the couch watching TV for most of the day.

Have the Right Outlook

2. They know how to downshift. The people in these groups work hard when it’s time to work, but they know how to relax when it’s time to relax.  They don’t allow stress and worry to carry over into their personal and family time.

3. They have a reason to get up in the morning, a purpose for living. One of the more touching parts of the video is a 102 Japanese woman holding her 1 year old great, great, great granddaughter.  Two women separated by 101 years.  Each of these cultures in “blue zones” have a strong sense of future and individual purpose.

Eat Wisely

4. Moderate alcohol consumption, mainly wine, is part of all of these cultures. Similarly, all of these cultures have strong social views towards excessive drinking.

5. Their diet is most plant based. None of these cultures is totally vegan but meat is always a side dish, not a main course.

6. They follow some type of 80% rule – a way to stop eating when their stomach is 80% full. This protects them from all of the diseases associated with overeating.

Connect with Others

7. They place loved ones first. They all take care of their children and the children all take care of their parents.  There are no senior or retirement homes.  The elderly are a functioning part of the family unit.

8. They all tend to belong to a faith-based community. This alone has been shown to be worth an additional 4 to 14 years to the average lifespan.  Having a support group to interact with provides numerous benefits.

9. They belong to the right “tribe.” All of the people in these “blue zones” that were 100+ were either born in to, or they purposely surrounded themselves with, the types of people that support a healthy lifestyle.  It’s a plain and simple fact that if your friends are overweight, the chances are that you’re overweight as well.  All of us tend to adopt the values, beliefs, and habits of those we spend the most time with.

Watch it For Yourself

The video is only about 16 minutes long and I think you’ll come away with a new determination to change a couple of things in your life.  The benefits — an average of an additional 12 years — is well worth the effort!

Hiram

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