Jeanne Calment was born in 1875 in France and died in 1997 when she was 122 years and 164 days old, as of now the oldest person in history. Her close family members also lived to an advanced age. She had met the artist Van Gogh in her father's shop when she was 14. She also attended the funeral of Victor Hugo in 1885. At age 85, she took up fencing and at 100 was still riding a bicycle. She lived on her own until she was 110. She was able to walk until she was 114 when she had a fall. She attributed her long life and young appearance to olive oil, which she said she poured on all her food and on her skin. Some organizations are dedicated to exploring the causes behind aging and are searching for ways to prevent it. Following are some of the places in the world that have the greatest record of longevity that have been studied for clues.
The Okinawans
People who live in the Ryukyu Islands are reported to have the longest life expectancy in the world. Scientists and anthropologists have attributed this to their diet although there are other variables such as genetics, lifestyle, and environment factors. The islanders eat 20% fewer calories than the average Japanese. Their diet also consists of 300% more green and yellow vegetables than are eaten in Japan. The Okinawan diet has 25% of the sugar and 75% of the cereals of the average Japanese diet. It includes small amounts of fish–about 1% of caloric intake–and much more soy and other legumes. A commercial diet called–what else?–the Okinawan diet purports to be based on the diet of these islanders. However, the primary principle seems to be to reduce caloric intake by reducing the caloric density of each portion. Doesn't a raw-foods diet do that?
The Hunza
The people who live in the Hunza Valley in northern Pakistan are said to be the longest lived people on the planet. This high mountain valley is surrounded by the Himalayan Mountains. The valley, itself, is at 7,999 feet above sea level. The literacy rate of the Hunza people is believed to be above 90%, with every child receiving a high school education. Some go on to higher studies in prestigious colleges. The Hunza people are unique in that they are so healthy and free of disease. They've been studied to discover the secret, and it seems to be their diet of carefully grown organic food and the glacial water. Scientists say the water is fresh and invigorating, but even more importantly, it's life enhancing and has an antioxidant effect. People here routinely live to 120 to 140 years. The old people are in good health and cancer and degenerative diseases are unknown. They don't even have dental cavities or deteriorating bones. Not only do they remain robust and strong into old age, they are able to bear children even when they are quite old. Apricots are a favorite food, and they grow throughout the valley. They eat them fresh but they also dry them. They take the pits from the apricot seeds and grind them for the oil, which is used in cooking, for fuel, as a salad dressing, and even as a facial lotion. They also grow apples, pears, peaches, mulberries, black and red cherries, and grapes. They make a light wine from the grapes as well. They also make a bread from stone ground grains such as wheat, barley, buckwheat and millet. Their diet consists of grains, fruits, dried fruits, and veggies. Raw foods for the most part!
Concluding Thoughts
An article in The Daily Mail in 2004 entitled “Happiness is the Key to a Long Life (Plus Plenty of Tea): The Formula that Could Give You an Extra 20 Years” listed the following factors that can help you live longer:
| Being happy | | 9 years |
| Living in the country | | 8 years |
| Eating a portion of broccoli a day | | 8 years |
| Having an optimistic outlook | | 7.5 years |
| Having sex regularly | | 6 years |
| Being a woman | | 5 years |
| Being happily married | | 5 years |
| Being born into a wealthy family | | 4 years |
| Drinking two cups of tea a day | | 4 years |
| Eating a balanced diet | | 2 years |
| Eating breakfast every day | | 1 years |
| Owning a pet | | several months |
On the other hand, this article also lists the following factors that take years off:
| Smoking | | 10 years |
| Heavy drinking | | 10 years |
| Not getting a good education | | 9.3 years |
| Being obese | | 9 years |
| Suffering long-term stress | | 4 years |
| Having an unhappy marriage | | 4 years |
| Being overweight | | 3 years |
| Living by a main road | | 2.5 years |
While there is no guarantee that eating a raw-foods diet will add years to your life, we never know when our time comes!, we can certainly claim that, based on the lifestyles of the Okinawans and the Hunzans, it can start the trend in the right direction. The experience of the Okinawans also indicates that we should be careful about the water we drink. Eating a raw-foods diet that includes broccoli (and don't forget broccoli sprouts) will contribute to the factors that will improve the quality of our lives as we grow older.
By TTS Health Consultant Gabrielle Gingras
By TTS Cofounder Botanical Chef Omid Jaffari
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