The Secrets of Longevity
I’d like to start my speech from the statement “ The morning sun never lasts a day”. The world is a complicated place. Though conveniences of the modern world are supposed to help make your life longer. But I ask the question “ Are there any secrets of long life?”.
It was surprising for me that there is a huge number of such secrets. So, as you have already understood I’m going to tell about them.
The answer to the question seems to be clear: healthy lifestyle, sport, diet, etc. But the secrets are wider and deeper than you think.
Let’s go to China to know their secrets…
If you believe the Shih Ching ("Book of Songs"), the first manifestation of human happiness is longevity. But in order to achieve, you need to keep your body and mind clean and comply with healthy lifestyle. Tibetan monasteries are located high in the mountains, where there is peace and harmony. Fertile land contributes to peace and a healthy lifestyle.
I can’t but mention the British queen who has already celebrated her 90th birthday this year and her secrets of longevity.
The Queen can thank her mother, who lived to 101, for passing on good genes.
"If you have parents and grandparents who made it into their eighties and nineties there is a chance you have inherited good genes.
She also avoided bad habits. Even Prince Philip gave up cigarettes on his wedding day, because Elizabeth's father's addiction to cigarettes had caused her anguish.
She keeps on a diet, does exercises to keep fit. She sleeps for 7 hours and gets up at 7.30 a.m. every day.
And I personally convinced that luck also plays a part. A person can have the most favourable genetics, live a perfectly healthy lifestyle, enjoy great wealth and still die an untimely death due to accident or disease.
What is more interesting for me is the fact that there are five so-called blue zones. They have been identified and researched by journalist Dan Buettner in partnership with National Geographic during more than five years of on-site investigation. The people who live in the blue zones, aren't aware that they have the secrets of longevity, they just know they live longer.
So what are their secrets of longevity and health? Is there something secretive about their way of life, or do they possess super genes that help them live longer?
I’d like to show you such mysterious places:
The Italian island of Sardinia
Okinawa, Japan
Loma Linda, California
Costa Rica’s isolated Nicoya Peninsula
Ikaria, an isolated Greek island
Buettner discovered that the secret is lifestyle. Quite simply, these people live a lifestyle that includes a healthy diet, daily exercise, and have a low stress life that incorporates family, purpose, religion, and meaning.
The secrets of longevity are really no secret. Deepak Chopra recently said something that caught my attention. He said:
As I see it: If you want to live longer, stop focusing on the 'things' in your life. They won’t make you happy! Instead, focus on yourself, your lifestyle, and the people that surround you. [link] are two key contributors to disease and illness. Your life should be rich and full in relationships and spirituality. They say “No man (or woman) is an island”. The secrets of longevity means living a simple life, which will in turn make you healthier and happier. Maybe then we can all be lucky to celebrate our 100th birthday.
