EXCERPT
Okinawa Diet:
The Longevity Secret
The Longevity Secret
by Marco Carestia
Author and anthropologist Marco Carestia stops by today to share an excerpt from Okinawa Diet: The Longevity Secret.
Description
Food and diet play a crucial role in determining the lifespan of an individual. Healthy eating includes food that is balanced and provides the body with the nutrients it requires for growth and development. In his book, Okinawa Diet: The Longevity Secret, Marco Carestia explores the factors that have led Okinawa to have the largest population of centenarians in the World. The discussion below gives an in-depth analysis of the book to identify the influence the diet of Okinawa people and how it influences their health and lifespan.
One of the principal characteristics of the Okinawa diet is that it is low in salt. A low-in-salt diet is healthy for the body as it prevents the development of high blood pressure which is the primary factor that causes heart-related diseases. Therefore, taking a low salt diet highly reduces the likelihood of the people of Okinawa developing cardiovascular complications.
Secondly, the Okinawa diet has fruits in plenty. Fruits have natural sugars that are healthy to the body. Therefore, taking plenty of fruits provides the Okinawa people with the sugar that is needed by the body to function effectively. Additionally, fruits help to give the body the water necessary to keep the body well hydrated. Moreover, the Okinawa diet is rich in vegetables. Collectively, fruits and vegetables provide the body with different minerals, fiber, vitamins, as well as antioxidants.
Lastly, the Okinawans have adopted a culture of physical activity. Physical exercises are essential to the body as they contribute to the ability of the body to control weight as well as strengthen and harden the bones and body muscles.
To wrap up, it is evident that Okinawan diets are one of the healthiest diets in the world. The diet is comprised of large amounts of different varieties of fruits, plenty of fresh vegetables, low salt, among others. Coupled with exercise, the diet enables the Okinawans to have a long lifespan.
Book Video
Excerpt
Emperor Jimmu was the first Emperor of the Yamato dynasty who died when he was 126 years old, according to the Japanese mythology of “Kojiki”.
Japan possess the longest life expectancy in the world. Japan instituted a strict record keeping system and census policy in the 1870s: the registry system of birth (koseki) verified the longevity of population. Japanese centenarians receive a certificate from the Prime Minister of Japan, honouring them for their longevity.
Ancient Chinese legends already called Okinawa “the land of the immortals”, the first place in Japan where life span is above 100 years. The remote Ogimi village of Okinawa has achieved the title of “longevity village” for its high number of centenarians. They have a lower risk of heart attack and stroke, cancer, osteoporosis and Alzheimer.
Japan Ministry of Health and Welfare founded Okinawan Centenarian Study gerontologist in order to study health benefits of Okinawan style of life. Medical studies postulated that Okinawans come from an island population with high DHEA levels in the blood, a steroid that prevent the risk of age-diseases. Generally, persons with higher levels of DHEAS production tend to live longer. DHEA can become essential for body’s anti-aging defenses.
They have also identified a single gene, APOE, absent in the centenarians. APOE is a genetic variant believed to increase the risk for developing Alzheimer's disease. Aging is associated with a decline of physiological functions that can affect nutritional status. Older adults often have reduced appetite with the decline in the ability to absorb essential nutrients.
The diet is an extremely important factor with anti-inflammatory compounds which help prevent the risk of in chronic diseases. Research suggests that centenarians have high levels of vitamin A-D-E and that nutrients seems to be associated with longevity. Okinawan culture is a model of balanced diet which maximizes the consumption of locally natural ingredients. The daily diet is based intake of essential nutrients (antioxidants)which are extremely important to reducing the formation of free radicals. Free radicals are the principal factors behind almost every known disease according to some researchers.
Okinawa seem to appear also to be area with low caloric density diet. Generally, the term “calorie restriction” refers to dietary regimens that reduce calorie intake from a poor diet.
Around 1500 the Venetian nobleman Luigi Cornaro adopted a calorie restricted diet and became centenarian. Cornaro revealed the secret of longevity in his book: “The Sure and Certain Method of Attaining a Long and Healthful Life”. The Venetian nobleman suggested the principle of calorie restriction in his personal diet.
Clive McCay was author of the first publication on calorie restriction: “The Effect of Retarded Growth upon the Length of Life Span and upon the Ultimate Body Size”. This early study have shown that calorie restriction intake without malnutrition may indirectly slow the aging process in humans.
[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]
Praise for the Book
“Marco Carestia knows what it means to live a long and healthy lifespan and is courteous enough to pass down the knowledge we need to provide our bodies with youth. This was an intriguing read and left me with the means to live a healthy and long lifespan! Don't pass up the opportunity to be rich in knowledge and life! I have been waiting for a raw and honest diet and I have found youth in the process.” ~ Hope Pennie
“Okinawa Diet by Marco Carestia is a short book packed full of information about the longevity aspect of living in Okinawa, and how that came to be. The author provides a great deal of history in the book about the culture of Okinawa, militaristic and otherwise. This provides a good basis on which to understand the book. The diet itself is not that complicated, low in salt, high in vegetables and fruit, which is something we can all aspire to. However, the author delves further into the culture that enables so many centenarians to live out their lives in Okinawa. Physical activity, being revered in society, familial connections and generally staying active both physically and mentally, may all be things that contribute to a long, healthy life. This is an ancient diet that has stood the test of time, the proof is self evident in the long lives that many lead in Okinawa. Highly recommend for an interesting look at this amazing culture.” ~ V.E.
“Okinawa is a region in Japan where people have longest lifespan, hence its nick name ‘longevity island’. One of their secret is eating fresh foods until they are 80% full. Very interesting read!” ~ Liana B.
“This book is really interesting and the Okinawa diet is introduced very well. I also love the anthropological perspective in it; the presentation of how people can live and how the cultural variations can be expressed – and at the same time: even tho there are variation, there are still something that binds us together as human beings. This is a great example of what the smallest things in everyday life – like eating, way of look at food and understand saturation – can tell us more about the general phenomenons in life. This is a great book in many ways: the openness in the language, the subject and how it is presented. I'm impressed! I think that this book can speak to a lot of people, in different ways, and I absolutely recommend it!” ~ Utk
“Okinawa is one of the healthiest places in the world and one where people have the longest lifespans. The book provides many useful facts and helpful comments that people can use as a guideline for getting the most out of their lives. Brilliantly written and a very interesting read.” ~ Vance
About the Author
Marco Carestia is an anthropologist specialized in Culture of Japan with training in Japan Consulate of Milan, on the basis of his Diploma of Japanese. He has focused his studies on food culture since Milan Expo 2015.
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