Secrets of longevity. Eat more vegetables and fruits. And for others, the key is in education.

In order to live to a ripe old age, while maintaining clarity of mind and good spirits, it is not at all necessary to limit oneself in everything and give up the joys of life. As it turned out, the secret lies in completely different things. We have collected advice from the oldest people on the planet, who definitely know the secrets of longevity and the recipe for happiness.

You can't have too much olive oil

Surprisingly, most people who exchanged a hundred years admitted that after certain age developed their own nutrition system, adding to the diet enough olive oil. At the same time, ladies of venerable age used this product not only for food, but also for cosmetic purposes- rubbed into the skin to maintain its softness and beauty.


Indulge in small pleasures

Many centenarians admit that despite the assurances of doctors, they have not abandoned their loved ones. alcoholic beverages(only reduced the dose consumed), favorite desserts or junk food like hamburger and french fries. But everyone advises to give up sugar and reduce the consumption of red meat to two times a week. Instead, you can lean, for example, on fish.

Avoid carbonated drinks

Don't forget to floss

What's with the teeth, you might ask. However, doctors say that using dental floss it is necessary regularly - and not only in order to maintain healthy teeth as long as possible. The thing is that a lot of bacteria accumulate in the oral cavity, which can enter the circulatory system and cause heart failure, microstroke and, as a result, dementia. Therefore, centenarians recommend not to forget to brush your teeth regularly and generally pay due attention to your health. And that may be too late.

Avoid stressful situations

This is perhaps one of the most important rules. Can you influence the situation if you worry and wind yourself up? It seems the answer is obvious. Therefore, try not to be nervous and not worry about trifles. For the same reason, as many advise the oldest people planet, you should not take loans or accumulate debts. You need to live within your means and achieve something in life on your own, and not run for another loan, which then will have to be repaid with high interest.

Walk outdoors more

It has long been proven that hiking beneficial effect on the body. After all, regular physical exercise does not mean that you need to register in the gym or tire yourself with excessive loads. You can just give up the car and walk more. For example, according to recent research conducted by the supplier medical services Evercare, 41% of people who celebrated their 100th anniversary admitted that they still continue to walk more because it helps them maintain vitality.


Find something for your soul

You should not lock yourself within four walls as soon as you notice the first age-related changes. On the contrary, it is necessary to constantly invent new activities (or entertainment) for yourself so that there is no time for nonsense. Think about it, perhaps all your life you wanted to help other people, but before you had no opportunity? Or let's say you like pets but couldn't afford them? Then you can try yourself as a volunteer and help the same shelter as much as possible.

Read and solve crosswords

As far as possible, of course. Experts say that not only physical, but also mental training is very important. And if you want to keep your mind clear for as long as possible, then solve at least one crossword puzzle a week, and even better, master some musical instrument! Many centenarians admit that this is what allowed them to maintain brain activity and interest in life.


Don't ignore your family and friends

Relatives and friends are perhaps the most valuable thing that every person has. In addition, recent studies conducted by American scientists have shown that people who have family and friends live much longer than those who avoided responsibility all their lives and never reached the registry office. At the same time, it is not enough to create a family, it is necessary every day to be interested in their life, to exchange positive emotions or just spend time together, showing how important they are to you.

Connect more with youth


You should not refuse to communicate, demonstrating with all your appearance that "but in our times, young people were different." Of course, others, but that's the beauty of it. Most centenarians feel their value and gain new meaning life, as soon as they begin to communicate more with young people, passing on their experience to them or learning something new from them. After all, it is not in vain that they say that if you want to feel younger, then make yourself young friends.

Do what you've always dreamed of

If for some reason you have put off your dream for later, now is the time to remember it and make it come true! Many centenarians admitted that the only thing they regretted in old age was that they constantly thought about others, forgetting about themselves and their desires. As a result, some of them, only at the end of their lives, dared to go on a trip around the world, jump with a parachute, learn to drive a car (boat, plane, etc.) or do other things for which there was no time before.

Dan Buettner

Famous American traveler and writer. Explored the "blue zones" of the Earth as part of the National Geographic project.

Buettner, along with a team of researchers from the National Geographic Society, has spent more than a decade researching five places on Earth where people live the longest and have very low rates of heart disease, as well as cancer, diabetes and obesity.

He calls such places "blue zones" and, in his book Blue Zones in Practice, describes the characteristics of each of the zones. Wherein Special attention he gives food. Here are some tips from Dan Buettner.

What is worth eating

Best Foods for Longevity

Include in daily diet at least three products:

  • Legumes (beans, chickpeas, lentils).
  • Greens (spinach, kale, chard, fennel).
  • Sweet potato.
  • Nuts.
  • Olive oil (preferably cold pressed).
  • Oatmeal.
  • Barley groats.
  • Fruits (any).
  • Green and herbal tea.
  • Turmeric.

Best drinks

  • Water.
  • Coffee.
  • Green tea.
  • (no more than two glasses a day).

What not to eat

Foods to Limit

  • Meat. Eat meat twice a week or less, but you can eat fish every day.
  • Dairy products: cheese, cream, butter. Try to eat them as little as possible. Goat and sheep milk products are more useful.
  • Eggs. Eat no more than three eggs a week.
  • Sugar. Try to avoid it completely. Better eat honey and fruits.
  • Bread. Give preference to whole grain bread, as well as bread made from sourdough dough.

Foods to Avoid

  • Drinks high in sugar (soda, juices).
  • Salty snacks (chips, crackers).
  • Meat products (sausages, sausage, smoked meat).
  • Sweets (cookies, chocolate).

Nutrition rules

  1. 95% of food should be of plant origin.
  2. Eat the largest portion for breakfast, the medium one for lunch, and the smaller one for dinner.
  3. Stop eating when you feel like you are about 80% full.
  4. If you want to snack, eat some fruit or some nuts.
  5. Cook at home and eat with family and friends as often as possible.

List of the most popular products for longevity by zone

Ikaria island, Greece

  • Olive oil.
  • Greens.
  • Potato.
  • Legumes.
  • Feta and goat cheese.
  • Bread on bread sourdough.
  • Lemons.
  • Herbal tea.
  • Coffee.
  • Wine.

Okinawa, Japan

  • Tofu.
  • Sweet potato.
  • Brown rice.
  • Shiitake mushrooms.
  • Seaweed.
  • Garlic.
  • Turmeric.
  • Green tea.

Sardinia, Italy

  • Olive oil.
  • Legumes.
  • Goat and sheep milk.
  • Barley.
  • Bread on bread sourdough.
  • Fennel.
  • Potato.
  • Greens.
  • Tomatoes.
  • Zucchini.
  • Cabbage.
  • Lemons.
  • Almond.
  • Wine.

Loma Linda, California

  • Avocado.
  • Salmon.
  • Nuts.
  • Fruit.
  • Legumes.
  • Water (seven glasses a day).
  • Oatmeal.
  • Whole wheat bread.
  • Soy milk.

Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica

  • Cakes made from cornmeal.
  • Black beans.
  • Pumpkin.
  • Papaya.
  • Bananas.
  1. Move every day (for example, walk).
  2. Communicate more, especially with family.
  3. Know why you get up in the morning. Knowing your purpose has been found to add up to 7 years to medium duration life.
  4. Believe. It has been found that attending religious services four times a month (no matter what your religion) adds 4 to 14 years to life.
  5. Choose one life partner. This can add up to 3 years to the average.
  6. Try to sleep for 8 hours.
  7. Have sex. 80% of the inhabitants of the island of Ikaria between the ages of 65 and 100 still have sex. It has been proven to prolong life.

Eat well, worry less, move more and love more.

Dan Buettner

Surely, many would like to meet at least once in their lives a centenarian and ask him one single question: “How did you manage to live so long?”. I also wanted this, but life has developed in such a way that I have not yet met a single centenarian. Then I decided to look for the answer in books and the Internet - I found a lot of material and chose the most important thing from it. It turned out to be a very compact and, I hope, useful reading for many people. For convenience, I broke this article into ten parts, and each part of it can be presented as a separate piece of advice from a long-liver.

Before proceeding with the presentation of the first advice, I want to say that all the material in the article is based on the scientific research of scientists from different parts Sveta. Adhering to these tips or not is a personal matter for everyone, but it won't hurt anyone to know about it!

Tip one

Be moderate in your food intake. Usually we are told that the average person should consume two and a half thousand calories daily. Try to reduce this number of calories to one and a half thousand. What will it give? The cells of your body will not receive a large load to burn extra calories, thereby increasing cellular activity. Your cells will begin to renew at an accelerated pace and, as a result, you will become less likely to get sick. In other words, you will lose susceptibility to many diseases.

But here the main thing is not to overdo it: if you cut too much calories consumed per day, you can greatly harm your body. Even if you have reduced your diet to one and a half thousand calories and feel uncomfortable, then try increasing your calorie intake to exactly two thousand.

Tip two

Include in your diet according to your age. So, for example, if a woman over 30 eats nuts and liver more often than she did before, then she will appear later. For those over forty, it will be very useful to include foods rich in beta-carotene in the diet. If you are over fifty, then pay attention to foods containing magnesium and calcium - the first is needed for your heart, and the second for your bones.

Also, for those over 50 years old, it is useful to eat fish so that the heart is normal. Men who are over forty should lean on kidneys and cheese, in which in large numbers contains selenium. The presence of selenium in food.

Tip three

Try to work at the job that satisfies you both morally and materially. And do not listen to those who claim that the lack of work as such can prolong longevity - this statement is fundamentally not true! As the French say: "Work keeps you young." But not every job is capable of such miracles!

If you are happy to go to work and are not burdened by it, then consider yourself lucky. Just as lucky (according to research) are sociologists, artists, conductors, rhythmologists and philosophers.

Tip Four

If you do not have a family, then be sure to get one! The presence of sex in life makes a person look 14 years younger. Why is this happening? Endorphin is the “guilty” of this - a hormone produced during sex. Otherwise, it is also called the "happy hormone". Endorphins are great for strengthening immune system the whole organism.

But not only sex can give us extra years youth - feelings such as tenderness, love and care also push aging into the background. Do not neglect these feelings, give them to your loved ones!

Tip five

Have a goal in life and persevere in pursuit of it. People who are sluggish by nature, not only in movement, but also in life position, live much less than their purposeful contemporaries. Have an active life position, to follow your dream and not turn anywhere no matter what - this is the fifth piece of advice from centenarians.

Tip six

Don't be sluggish - choose to move! You don't have to be a sprinter or a wrestling champion: you can just do the simplest for eight minutes a day. physical exercises at home or in the office and thus stay in great shape on the long years. People who play any sport on a daily basis live longer than those who don't.

Tip Seven

Never sleep in a stuffy and hot room. Scientists have proven that the most favorable temperature for sleep is 17-18 degrees Celsius. It is at this temperature, as well as in a well-ventilated room, that sleep can be called truly healthy.

Tip Eight

Do not be too constrained in your desires. If you suddenly urgently want something and you can afford it, then it is better to satisfy your need, whether it be a good piece of cake or a new and very expensive handbag. Pamper yourself from time to time - this will only benefit. Of course, one should not completely indulge one's desires, but there are people who are so squeezed that their whole life passes in constant deprivation and, therefore, in unceasing stress. And stress, as you know, is not conducive to longevity.

Tip nine

Let the negativity out. You shouldn't hoard yourself negative emotions, it is better to give a little discharge and get rid of the negative at any opportunity. Of course, you should not take it out on friends and loved ones - come up with a better way to get rid of it. The Japanese, for example, make a doll of their boss (or another person from whom they receive the largest portion of negative experiences) in full height and beat her to the point of exhaustion. As a rule, at the same time, all negative emotions go away, and the country of Japan occupies not the last place in terms of the number of centenarians living in its territory.

Share your troubles and sorrows with friends - in this way you will get rid of negativity and get good advice. Do not keep resentment and anger in yourself - remember that very bad diseases appear from this, the treatment of which, if possible, is very, very laborious and costly. It is easier to remove all the negativity without a trace and live only on positive emotions.

Tip ten

Stimulate brain activity. Accustom yourself to buying crosswords and scanwords at the nearest Rospechat kiosk, start learning some foreign language, play more chess - all this involves not only your brain, but also other organs of the body, from which the whole organism as a whole begins to function better. Moreover, in this way you will prolong your youth and postpone the inexorable process of degradation due to the general aging of the body.

That's all ten tips from centenarians. Nothing difficult, right? However, are we following these tips? How do we live? What diseases do we suffer from and can we somehow change the quality of our life in terms of health for the better? Most likely, the lion's share of the readers of this article (and, in part, the author himself) will not be able to say that these ten tips are fully implemented in their lives.

So let's change something, listen not only to these tips, but also to other wishes and guidelines for healthy lifestyle life! It is much easier and cheaper to prevent a disease than to get rid of some disease that has appeared from nowhere. And ten tips from centenarians, albeit a little, will help us in this!

Everyone knows that the Japanese are long-livers. If a Japanese lives for 100 years, this does not surprise anyone, since for the majority of the population of such a developed country this phenomenon is the norm. For many years, scientists have been trying to unravel the secret of such a life expectancy.

The Japanese themselves claim that their "survivability" directly depends on the way of life and certain habits. If you want to live long and happy life heed these tips.

Japanese advice

1. When talking on mobile phone, it is better to keep it near the left ear.
2. Reduce coffee intake to 1 time per day.
3. Take medicines with slightly warm water.
4. The last meal should take place before 17.00.
5. Try to eat less fatty foods.
6. Be sure to drink water, but remember that it is better to saturate the body with fluid in the morning, before going to bed, try not to drink a lot.
7. Try to place all chargers in the house so that they are away from you at all times.
8. It is best to fall asleep at 22.00 and wake up no later than 6.00.
9. If you took medicine before going to bed, walk around a little, do not immediately take a horizontal position.
10.Do not use your smartphone if the device is at a minimum. The fact is that at this time the level of radiation that comes from the phone is 1000 times higher than normal.

Freshly squeezed juices for wellness

1. Juice with carrots, ginger and apple improves immunity.
2. Apple, cucumber, and celery juice prevents cancer, lowers bad cholesterol, helps with indigestion, and relieves headache.
3. If you make juice from hot pepper, apple and milk, you will prevent bad smell out of the mouth and lower the temperature.
4. Orange juice with the addition of ginger and cucumber will moisturize the skin and improve its color. Such a drink can lower the temperature.
5. To remove salt from the body and improve the condition of the kidneys and Bladder, it is worth drinking juice from pineapple, watermelon and apple.
6. Combinations of apple, kiwi and cucumber will moisturize the skin and contribute to the appearance of a healthy glow on the cheeks.
7. The miraculous combination of carrot, apple, pear and mango will increase the body's ability to resist toxins and reduce arterial pressure.
8. A mixture of grape and watermelon juice with milk will saturate the body with vitamins B2 and C, which can increase cellular activity and improve immunity.
9. Papaya and pineapple juice with milk will enrich the body with iron, vitamins C and E, improve skin condition and improve metabolism.
10. The combination of banana, pineapple and milk will prevent constipation.

How to drink water

The Japanese do not get tired of repeating that the secret of their longevity lies in the water. They even developed a technique that can cure a number of diseases, for example: headache, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, gastritis, diabetes, hemorrhoids and many others.

1. On an empty stomach, you need to drink 4 stacks. water 160 ml. This should be done before you brush your teeth, after brushing your teeth it is not recommended to eat for another 45 minutes.
2. Do not eat or drink anything for two hours after the main meals.
3. If you cannot drink 4 glasses of water at once, start with a smaller amount and gradually increase the doses to the desired one.
4. Drinking water on an empty stomach is recommended for those who suffer from high blood pressure(within 30 days), with gastritis (10 days), with diabetes(30 days), constipation (10 days), cancer (180 days). If you suffer from arthritis, follow the method for 3 days in the first week of the course, then, starting from the second, every day.
5. If you can not stop drinking food, drink hot drinks, in which case the food will be better absorbed and digested faster, this may reduce the likelihood of developing cancer.

Important to know about heart attacks

It turns out that not all heart attacks are accompanied by chest pain. Common symptoms of this problem are jaw pain, profuse sweating and nausea. Be vigilant, follow the signals that your body gives you.

Dan Buettner

Famous American traveler and writer. Explored the "blue zones" of the Earth as part of the National Geographic project.

Buettner, along with a team of researchers from the National Geographic Society, has spent more than a decade researching five places on Earth where people live the longest and have very low rates of heart disease, as well as cancer, diabetes and obesity.

He calls such places "blue zones" and, in his book Blue Zones in Practice, describes the characteristics of each of the zones. At the same time, he pays special attention to nutrition. Here are some tips from Dan Buettner.

What is worth eating

Best Foods for Longevity

Include at least three foods in your daily diet:

  • Legumes (beans, chickpeas, lentils).
  • Greens (spinach, kale, chard, fennel).
  • Sweet potato.
  • Nuts.
  • Olive oil (preferably cold pressed).
  • Oatmeal.
  • Barley groats.
  • Fruits (any).
  • Green and herbal tea.
  • Turmeric.

Best drinks

  • Water.
  • Coffee.
  • Green tea.
  • (no more than two glasses a day).

What not to eat

Foods to Limit

  • Meat. Eat meat twice a week or less, but you can eat fish every day.
  • Dairy products: cheese, cream, butter. Try to eat them as little as possible. Goat and sheep milk products are more useful.
  • Eggs. Eat no more than three eggs a week.
  • Sugar. Try to avoid it completely. Better eat honey and fruits.
  • Bread. Give preference to whole grain bread, as well as bread made from sourdough dough.

Foods to Avoid

  • Drinks high in sugar (soda, juices).
  • Salty snacks (chips, crackers).
  • Meat products (sausages, sausage, smoked meat).
  • Sweets (cookies, chocolate).

Nutrition rules

  1. 95% of food should be of plant origin.
  2. Eat the largest portion for breakfast, the medium one for lunch, and the smaller one for dinner.
  3. Stop eating when you feel like you are about 80% full.
  4. If you want to snack, eat some fruit or some nuts.
  5. Cook at home and eat with family and friends as often as possible.

List of the most popular products for longevity by zone

Ikaria island, Greece

  • Olive oil.
  • Greens.
  • Potato.
  • Legumes.
  • Feta and goat cheese.
  • Bread on bread sourdough.
  • Lemons.
  • Herbal tea.
  • Coffee.
  • Wine.

Okinawa, Japan

  • Tofu.
  • Sweet potato.
  • Brown rice.
  • Shiitake mushrooms.
  • Seaweed.
  • Garlic.
  • Turmeric.
  • Green tea.

Sardinia, Italy

  • Olive oil.
  • Legumes.
  • Goat and sheep milk.
  • Barley.
  • Bread on bread sourdough.
  • Fennel.
  • Potato.
  • Greens.
  • Tomatoes.
  • Zucchini.
  • Cabbage.
  • Lemons.
  • Almond.
  • Wine.

Loma Linda, California

  • Avocado.
  • Salmon.
  • Nuts.
  • Fruit.
  • Legumes.
  • Water (seven glasses a day).
  • Oatmeal.
  • Whole wheat bread.
  • Soy milk.

Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica

  • Cakes made from cornmeal.
  • Black beans.
  • Pumpkin.
  • Papaya.
  • Bananas.
  1. Move every day (for example, walk).
  2. Communicate more, especially with family.
  3. Know why you get up in the morning. Knowing your purpose has been found to add up to 7 years to your average lifespan.
  4. Believe. It has been found that attending religious services four times a month (no matter what your religion) adds 4 to 14 years to life.
  5. Choose one life partner. This can add up to 3 years to the average.
  6. Try to sleep for 8 hours.
  7. Have sex. 80% of the inhabitants of the island of Ikaria between the ages of 65 and 100 still have sex. It has been proven to prolong life.

Eat well, worry less, move more and love more.

Dan Buettner