Emulate Cultures That Live Longer Lives Than Ours
There are cultures who experience longevity and quality of life far different from what we experience in America. People from these cultures not only live longer, but they enjoy vibrant life all the way into their older years rather than decades of sickness and suffering.
There were many cultures included in the study including: the people of Abkhazia located on the Eastern coast of the Black Sea and the Southwestern flank of the Caucasus, the people of the Hunza Valley located in Pakistan, the people of Vilcabamba located in the southern region of Ecuador, and the Masai Tribe located in Tanzania and northern Kenya. In all of these cultures, the people live to be around 100 years-old and are in strong mental and physical health. Weight issues, heart disease, and cancer (problems that are prevalent here in North America) are virtually non-existent in these regions. Dementia is also very rare.
Some lifestyle habits that are common in all these cultures include:
- Low meat consumption
- Diets that include high amounts of raw foods
- Stay very active physically in the care of the family and the community. Never “retire”
- Stay focused on higher purpose
Some changes that you can make now:
- Remove bad fats from your diet: Stay away from vegetable oils, canola oil, grain fed beef and non-organic/non free range chicken.
- Eat more vegetables: Aim to get 5-8 servings of vegetables each day. Try to eat as many green leafy vegetables as possible.
- Remove sugar from your diet: Americans consume 27 teaspoons of sugar per day.
- Movement: Make sure to get your heart rate elevated above resting rate for at least 10-15 minutes per day. Surge training is the best type of exercise for you.
