long life & the 7 essential diet habits on the island of okinawa, japan - yahoo voices -...

MORE: Japan Okinawa Long Life

Long Life & the 7 Essential Diet

Habits on the Island of Okinawa,

Japan

Why Longevity in Japan is the Highest in the World - the

Secret to Long Life

Deborah Jean Duehring, Yahoo Contributor Network

Apr 30, 2010 "Share your voice on Yahoo websites. Start Here."

Okinawa, Japan- Locals are well known for their long life and a low risk of disease. Most of the

longevity in Japan is thought to be related to a healthy lifestyle, low calorie, and nutritionally dense

diet.

There are many theories on aging, but how long we can live, quality of life, and why we age to begin

with, have been the primary focus for years.

The study of aging is called gerontology, There are 2 groups associated with the aging theory. The first

group believes that it's a natural and pre-programmed process. That you have very little control over

aging.

The second group, the one I believe in, states that aging is a result of damage done over time. The

things we do to our body over the course of our life have a direct impact on longevity. Things like

smoking, excessive sun exposure, and eating processed overcooked foods, have all been proven to

shorten the life expectancy of the average person.

At the end of the day, aging is a compilation of many thing, genetics, chemistry, physiology and

behavior.

According to wikipedia, The oldest verified person to live was a French woman named Jeanne

Calment, she lived to be 122 years & 164 days old.

The oldest woman still alive today is, Kama Chinen a female, she was born on May 10, 1895. As of

April 29, 2010, she's still kickin' at the age of 114 years & 354 days.

While Japan has the second highest rate of centurions (people over 100) in the world, Okinawa has the

highest percentage with five times as many per 100,000 people. In comparison, the United States

ranks only 38, with women averaging 80.8 years old and men averaging 75.6 years.

According to the United Nations (2005- 2010), The Japanese rank #1 in life expectancy. It's no

surprise that Japanese women have the longest life span. The average age for women in Japan is 86.1,

Japanese men 79.0 years.

Long Life & The Secret To Longevity

Many studies have been done and support the argument that their diet and healthy lifestyle is directly

linked to long life.

The studies have shown several common factors that have contributed to the large number of

centurions in Okinawa. [source: The Okinawa Centenarian Study]

1) A diet that is heavy on grains, fish, and vegetables and light on meat, eggs, and dairy products

2) A low-stress lifestyle, is a very important factor.

Related ResultsLose Belly Fat Naturally

Boost Key Fat Loss Hormones And Shed Weight

Faster In Just 3 Steps.

www.RealDose.com/Weight-Loss

Anti Aging Diet

Sharpen Memory and Attention with Brain Games

Made by Scientists

www.lumosity.com

Watch Voices Online

Full Length Movie, Gossip & Videos Watch Voices

Instantly.

www.yidio.com/movie/VoicesSponsored Results

Related Content

The Okinawa Diet: The Key to Longevity?

A Review of Japan's Higher Education System:

Looking at McVeigh's Book Japanese Hi...

Enjoy Dairy Products While Being Lactose Intolerant

Review of Hormel Healthy Lifestyle CompleatsHomestyle Beef with Mashed Potatoes &...

Healthy Living - The Benefits of Green Tea

What is a Healthy Lifestyle?

A Healthy Lifestyle on a Budget

Flag Post a comment

Entertainment Auto Business Creative Writing Health Home Improvement Lifestyle News Sports Tech Travel All Categories

Alternative Medicine Dieting & Weight Loss Diseases & Conditions Drugs & Medications Fertility & Pregnancy Fitness & Exercise

Sign in Sign up MailSearchVoices

Long Life & the 7 Essential Diet Habits on the Island of Okinawa, Japan -... http://voices.yahoo.com/long-life-7-essential-diet-habits-island-5931214.html

1 de 4 15-09-2013 21:59

3) The Japanese have strong family ties. The elderly are well taken care of, and not isolated or

separated from their loved ones like other cultures.

4) The level of physical activity in Okinawa is higher then in other cultures. The locals will work until

much later in life.

5) They embrace spirituality. Their sense of purpose comes from within, as prayer and meditation

ease the mind of stress and worldly problems.

The traditional Okinawan diet consists of a low calorie intake. It has been said that there is a tight

correlation between the high proportion of Okinawan's over 110 years of age and the relatively low

caloric diet. With exception of pork, almost no meat is consumed; virtually no eggs or dairy products

are consumed either. The Okinawan's include pork in their every day diets, but will keep the fat

content low by boiling it off first.

The 7 Essential Foods Associated With The Okinawan Diet

Organic Fresh Vegetables: Most of their meal consists of fresh vegetables. The Okinawans eat as

many as 8 servings of vegetables and 2 serving of fruit a day. Papaya and sweet potato are among the

staple foods in their diet. Other staple vegetables are radish, marrow, onions, carrots, cabbage and

leafy greens.

Seaweed or Wakami: Is an antioxidant rich, nutrient and mineral dense food. It's an important

part of the Okinawan diet. Seaweed is a staple in japanese quizine .

Soy: This is among the staple food consumed by the Japanese. The studies on soy are ever changing,

but given the longevity of the Japanese, it's safe to say that soy is good for all.

Whole Grains: The Okinawan diet includes 6 to 8 servings of whole grains daily. Rice and noodles

are the staple grains in their diet

Green Tea (Matcha): They drink green tea several times a day. It has been well documented that

green tea has a long list of health benefits.

Fish: They consume fish several times a week. Fish high in EFAs ( Omega 3s), such as salmon and

tuna, common staples in the Japanese diet.

Meat is the lowest consumed staple on their diet: As stated before lean pork is boiled to ensure

the majority of the fat is removed from the meat before it's consumed.

Papaya: is also among the staple foods used in many cultures, particularly Japan.

Papain, is the enzyme contained in Papaya, that breaks down proteins. Papaya is believed to be the

only source of papain. Of its many uses, the aiding in digestion is on the top of the list.

Papayas are a rich source of vitamin A and C. A small amount of papaya

can provide 150% of the recommended dietary intake of Vitamin C. Its a good source of potassium,

foliate, and fiber.

This is the secret to the Okinawan diet!

Enjoy!

source: www.o-cha.com,

source: unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/socind/health.htm

source: www.okicent.org

source: http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/soymessina


2 de 4 15-09-2013 21:59

Natural Beauty Comes From a Healthy Lifestyle

A healthy lifestyle is the first step toward a naturally more beautiful you.

#4 Rated Healthy Reader Blog is Your Guide to a Healthy Lifestyle

#4 top rated health blog provides philosphy on nutrition, exercise, andother healthy lifestyle choices.

Healthy Lifestyle - Low Fat Foods and Exercise

Doctors constantly cajole us to live a healthy lifestyle by diet

and exercise. There is a motto that is apropos here: Keep it

simple!

Results for Long Life & the 7 Essential Diet Habits on the Island of Okinawa, Japan:

www.JoyBauer.com

Joy's Free Diet Profile Learn how to lose up to 5 lbs this week. Start at JoyBauer.comFree!

www.RealDose.com/Weight-Loss

Lose Belly Fat Naturally Boost Key Fat Loss Hormones And Shed Weight Faster In Just 3Steps.

www.Lumosity.com

Sharpen Your Brain Boost Memory & Cognition With Fun Research-Proven Games.Try for Free!

DietsInReview.com

Basketball Star Workouts Find out How Basketball's Elite Players Stay in Shape!

Sponsored Results

Published by Deborah Jean Duehring

I was born and raised in Miami Florida, where I sill live today. I am a former graduate of Florida Collage of Natural Health,

with a degree in Massage Therapy. I believe that the treatment of alternative med... View profile

1 Comment

Sign in to Comment

Joanne 2/20/2013

Entertainment

Auto

Business

Creative Writing

Health

Home Improvement

YAHOO VOICES

Autos

Finance

Games

Groups

Health

Mail

Maps

Movies

Music

My Yahoo

News

Shine

Shopping

Sports

omg!

Travel

TV

Contributor Network

ALSO ON YAHOO

Join / Sign in

Help

Community

Resources

Blog

Forum

Promotional Tools

Contests

User Search

YAHOO CONTRIBUTOR NETWORK

Travel to Okinawa Japan:Ocean E...

Travel to Okinawa Japan:Heading...

Travel to Okinawa Japan:Okinawa...

Tell me more about Okinawan S.O.D. now


3 de 4 15-09-2013 21:59

Lifestyle

News

Sports

Tech

Travel

Slideshow Library

Video Library

All Yahoo Services »

Copyright © 2013 Yahoo Inc. All rights reserved. | Yahoo! Health and Lifestyles Network.

Questions or Comments Privacy Policy About Our Ads Terms of Service Copyright/IP Policy Disclaimer Careers


4 de 4 15-09-2013 21:59

long life & the 7 essential diet habits on the island of okinawa, japan - yahoo voices -...

Documents