purpleflowerWhat do you think of living to 100 — you’d be a centenarian. What about 110 — you’d be a supercentenarian! Hawaii has more than double the number of centenarians than any other US city where there are 10 people per 100,000 who qualify as centenarians.

I grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii. The lifestyle is slower; the moisture in the air makes your skin feel good; the moderate temperature allows you to be outdoors all year. Except for the traffic, it would be a lovely place to retire, if it suits your style to live on an island.

The Okinawans (in Okinawa) are known to live the longest — 50 out of every 100,000 — although in Hawaii there’s a mixture of ethnicity amongst those living to be 100 years or more. There are many studies about the Okinawans. In Hawaii one of the primary researchers in geriatrics is Dr. Bradley Willcox of the Pacific Health Research Institute (PHRI). The institute has been japan-okinawa-mapstudying ethnic Japanese men in Honolulu for the past 40 years. Dr. Willcox discovered the following:

  • Lower blood sugar
  • Lower cholesterol levels
  • Weighed less
  • Significantly fewer heart attacks, strokes, cancer

Dr. Willcox says that part of it could be related to genes and exercise, but Okinawans:

  • Consume more sweet potatoes (it lowers blood sugar levels) than rice or other starches
  • Eat very little fat and tend to cook their food in water rather than oil
  • Eat small portions which lowers caloric intake (associated with longer life span)
  • Eat lots of (raw) fish which helps prevent strokes
  • Consume a red-pepper alcoholic drink called Koregusu which supposedly gets the blood circulating and stimulates the libido.

The downside of living so long? Brain shrinkage. The MRI of a 100-year old vs. a 30-year old? Expansion of empty spaces in the brain cavity. Dr. Willcox says this means older people think differently and take longer to think.

Honolulu Magazine cites additional keys to Okinawan longevity besides diet.

  1. Psychospiritual: unique belief in a religious philosophy that includes female priestesses
  2. Excercise: physical activity every day
  3. Social: strong family social network that provides support for the elderly
  4. Sense of purpose (ikigai): something they enjoy doing which gives them a reason to live

Finally, it appears that most of them have a personality which is stress-resistant — they don’t get upset. Okinawans call that tagay.


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