Living Longer

I remember hearing a story years ago about a young man who wanted to know the secret to a long and healthy life. Like all of us, he was searching for the fountain of youth. He heard about a wise old man in the mountains of Tibet who was said to be 120 years old. He packed his gear and climbed to the village, where he met the wise sage in person. In his most reverent tone, he asked the centurion, "What is the secret of eternal life?" The old man thought for a moment, smiled back at the young man and said "Refrain from dying!"

This morning on Good Morning America, they reported on the results of their own similar search. Researchers visited some of the areas where people were typically living at least 10 years longer than the rest of the population. There were three common traits that stood out among all of these studies. Here they are:

1. Eat a plant-based diet. It seems the closer to being a vegetarian you become, the longer your body and mind will last. This will probably not sit well with the Atkins people, but then look where Dr. Atkins is now.

2. Eat lots of beans. OK, go ahead and make your bean jokes. So, eating a plant-based diet does not mean being without protein. Many types of beans are very high in protein and fiber.

3. Have a strong sense of family and community. People who are well connected with close ties have less illness and stronger emotional well-being. This contributes to a stronger immune system.

Here are some other common traits from Okinawa, where people live the longest:

Have a life purpose. No matter what your age, you need a purpose in life. Perhaps the best example I can think of was the legendary Rose Blumpkin of Omaha, Nebraska. She founded the midwest's largest furniture store, The Nebraska Furniture Mart. Even in her nineties as a multi-millionaire, she would come to work every day, running around the store on her scooter. At 96, she had a dispute with her family about how the store should be handled. Instead of retiring, she started an new store right across the street from her old store. She continued to work well past 100.

Keep a network of friends. It is not the number of friends that you have, but the relationship you have with them. Have at least two close friends that you can share you feelings with.

Honor your family. Close family ties are a part of life in Okinawa. The family customs and traditions are part of the fabric that keeps them together.

Another group that out lives most of the population by 10 years in located in, of all places, southern California. They are the Seventh Day Adventists. The contributing factor for their increased life span is their strong faith. In all studies, people with strong faith lived longer.

Another way to streach your life. A recent study has shown a simple way to add and average of four years to your life with a five minute routine. Every night before you go to bed, do some light streaching and deep breathing. It is during your sleep that the body repairs itself. By streaching before bed, you will help your muscle tissues relax and prepare for healing better. Deep breathing will bring fresh oxygen into your blood stream and release carbon dioxide from your system. The key is to inhale slowly, hold for a few seconds and exhale until everything is out of your lungs. The best method is yoga style breathing.

Tip your box. If you haven't read the book "You - The Owners Manual" by Drs. Roizen and Oz, you are missing a great one (No. 1 on the New York Times best seller list). It is not only full of great information, it is fun to read. Nothing like the text-book style of many MD writers. They have appeared on Oprah several times with a lot of great tips. The last time they were on, Dr. Oz recommended a glass of red wine every day. I am not a great wine connoisseur, and I have always favored white wine. I'm not fond of real sweet wines and yet I don't like them too dry or tart.

Another problem with this suggestion is that wine can get a bit expensive and it can go flat quickly after air gets in it. I found the solution at (are you ready for this?) Walmart! I picked up a box (yes, I said box) of Franzia wine called Chillable Red. At $8.74 for 5 liters, I didn't have too much to loose. This wine turned out to be the perfect beverage for that one-glass-per-day. It has a great taste, not too sweet but not dry or tart either. The box contains a plastic pouch that has a "smart tap" spout near the bottom. It works easily and efficiently without letting air get in the wine. We have kept an open box for several weeks without any signs of going flat. The size and shape are convenient for the refrigerator door, and it only cost about 30 cents per glass. I used to laugh at the people who bought their wine in boxes, but not any more. Now I am one of them. And on my way to 100.