Where and how the longest-lived people in the world live

There are "oases" on our planet, ie areas where people live healthy and happy and where centenarians are not the exception but the rule.

Among these long-lived populations, the saying “the seventies are the new fifties” holds true.

What is the secret of vital centenarians?

What could we learn from them, not only about how to prolong life expectancy but also about how to raise the quality of life?

Find out below what the longest-lived people in the world eat, how they live and what they do.

They are proof that the feeling of old age is not hidden in the number of years, but in life and eating habits and in the view of the world in which we live.

What do centenarian cultures have in common?

The areas where the longest-lived people live are known as the blue zones.

These are most often isolated and remote island oases, such as Okinawa in Japan, Icaria in Greece and Sardinia in Italy.

The people who live there are almost unaware of modern-day diseases such as heart disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes.

To uncover the secret of longevity, Dan Buettner, a researcher at National Geographic, studied their eating and other life habits.

He came to the conclusion that all long-lived people are connected by several healthy life habits.

1. Eat healthy

The diet of long-lived people includes an abundance of nutritious foods.

Among them are home-grown and indigenous fruits and vegetables, wild herbs and greens, legumes (beans and lentils) and nuts.

Meat is never on their menu.

They hardly know about refined sugar and processed products.

2. They have a life purpose

Most centenarians emphasize how important it is to find a purpose in life, so to know why you exist in this world.

Existence of purpose can prolong life by as much as 8 to 10 years, research has shown, and at the same time significantly reduces the risk of dementia.

3. They are happy and optimistic

Centenarians are happy people, who love life and other people.

They often claim that the secret of their longevity is precisely that they do not carry bitterness within them, but inner peace and a sense of satisfaction.

Research has shown that a sense of happiness prolongs life by at least 35 percent.

Long-lived people share similar life habits:

they simply live

have enough sleep

they nurture a sense of community

they work in the garden, growing most of their food themselves

they are loyal to their families

nurture spirituality

have a healthy relationship with their own body

they live in cultures that respect the elderly

5 blue zones where people live the longest

1. Okinawa, Japan

The Japanese archipelago of Okinawa is also popularly called “Japanese Hawaii” thanks to its beautiful beaches and excellent weather and climate.

In addition to being the longest-lived - in a population of 1.3 million people there are as many as 740 centenarians - Okinawans are also the healthiest.

Older people are active and rarely ill.

In addition, in Japan, the elderly age with dignity because they are valued and accepted in the family and society, which also contributes to a longer life.

Okinawans follow the rules of hara hachi bun me or in translation - the stomach is 80% full.

This means that when they sit down at a table, they do not practice eating to satiety, but stop eating as soon as they feel that their stomach is about 80 percent full.

They eat a variety of foods: plenty of fruits, vegetables, tofu and other soy products, brown rice, shiitake mushrooms and garlic.

They drink green tea, which is a strong protector of the heart and general health.

Okinawans are strongly connected to nature and live in harmony with it.

2. Sardinia, Italy

For every hundred thousand inhabitants on the Italian island of Sardinia, there are as many as 24 centenarians.

It is unusual that there is an equal number of women and men who have exceeded one hundred, while in the rest of the world there are as many as five women who experience the same age per one hundred-year-old.

The secret of their longevity, in addition to genes, lies in the Mediterranean diet, consumption of whole grains, goat's milk and cheese, beans, chickpeas, tomatoes and almonds.

What gives strength to these vital people in Sardinia is the feeling of belonging and interconnectedness, so the elderly feel important links in society.

Apart from being quite active, the inhabitants of Sardinia also enjoy their holidays and cultivate a positive attitude towards life and the world.

3. Loma Linda, California

Loma Linda is a Southern California city inhabited by the Seventh-day Adventist community.

They are completely different from other Americans - they cultivate healthy eating habits, such as vegetarianism, do not drink alcohol and do not smoke.

In addition, they drink plenty of water, eat plenty of nuts, get plenty of exercise, and maintain a healthy weight.

They experience their body as a temple.

They also nurture family togeth

3. Nicoya, Costa Rica

On the Costa Rican Nicoyi Peninsula, a 60-year-old man is even twice as likely to live to be 90 years old than the average American.

The inhabitants of this peninsula also have the lowest cancer rate in the entire country.

They spend a lot of time outside, in the air and in the sun, they are quite active, loyal to their families and have a strong sense of spirituality.

They eat a lot of corn, rice, beans, papayas, pits, bananas and sleep for 8 hours, and the water, which they drink in larger quantities, is naturally rich in magnesium and calcium.

4. Ikaria, Greece

Greeks living on this island are three times more likely to live to be 90 than, for example, Americans.

They have a 20 percent lower risk of cancer, a 50 percent lower risk of heart disease, and dementia is almost non-existent.

Chronic diseases are a real rarity in Ikaria.

The inhabitants of this island are mostly farmers, they move a lot, but they also like the afternoon siesta.

They eat an abundance of wild herbs that grow on the island and feta cheese and drink herbal teas with the addition of sage and marjoram.

They often consume nuts, and rarely produce from cow’s milk.

In addition, they are very social and generally practice healthy living habits.

The inhabitants of Ikaria apply three key principles in their diet:

90 percent of the calories they ingest come from foods of plant origin

65 percent of their menu is made up of complex carbohydrates

consume a cup of beans a day

Beans are an important part of the diet in other blue zones as well.

In addition to being affordable, this legume contains healthy proteins.

Scientists believe that regular consumption of beans can extend life expectancy by at least a few years.

The secret of one of the longest-lived women in the world

Just before she died at the age of 112, Canadian Orma Slack revealed her secret to longevity.

Ever since I was a kid, for me the world hasn’t changed for the worse or for the better. Things don’t change, so just sail the river of life. The secret of my longevity is that I have always had a positive attitude towards people and life. I don’t remember ever saying anything bad about a neighbor, family member, or friend.

Did you know that the length of your life expectancy is only 20% dependent on genes, while the remaining 80% is influenced by your environment and your habits?

Therefore, the key to the duration of your life is truly in your hands.

With healthy habits and diet, a positive attitude and finding a purpose in life, you can greatly extend your lifespan.