The Life Styles Of Villagers In Several Area Of The World:

Researchers have long been fascinated with the lifestyles of villagers in several area of the world because of their exceptional longevity.Here are the example of residents of Okinawa and residents of the Mediterranean.

Residents of Okinawa

It is quite common for residents of Okinawa to live past 100 years old. They have very low rates of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease, and many of the other aging related illnesses that plague residents of Western Nations. Older people there also maintain high energy levels and it is not at all uncommon for people in their 90s to take martial arts classes, go to dances, and go on long walks every day.

Residents of the Mediterranean

It is also quite common for residents of the Mediterranean. Residents there also routinely live to 100 years old and beyond, and remain trim and healthy well into their old age. And,like residents of Okinawa, they are free of many common age-related diseases.

What Scientists observed Okinawa and Mediterranean

Scientists who have observed the daily diets of residents of Okinawa and the Mediterranean have found that the healthy food consumed by these people gives clues to their longevity.
Refined carbohydrates are not on the menu in either one of these areas of the world. Grains in bread and noodles are complex - not overly processed - and they are not a major portion of the diet. In Okinawa, healthy protein makes up a significant portion of the diet in the form of fatty fish such as salmon, and in tofu.Fruits and vegetables, including seaweed are eaten several times a day.Now, one could ask how much of the Okinawans healthy diet is due to good diet and how much of it is just a result of good genes. For a while it was believed that because the Okinawans are a fairly self-contained society living on an island, they may have just been fortunate enough to have evolved with healthier genes than most of the rest of the world. However, as time went on it was discovered that this was not the case and that when Okinawans eat like Westerners do, they gain weight and suffer health problems like Westerners do.Recent studies have shown that Okinawans who moved away and began eating a more Western style diet are suffering from all of the same health problems that afflict people in industrialized countries, including obesity and heart disease and diabetes.So clearly the impact of diet on health and weight cannot be discounted. The Mediterranean diet also shares similarities with the Okinawan diet.Although tofu is not on the menu in the Mediterranean region, healthy protein in the form of fish is consumed regularly. Lean beef is also popular there. Carbohydrates are consumed in the form of leafy vegetables and fresh fruits rather than muffins and donuts and bagels.The residents of Okinawa and the Mediterranean are living, healthy proof of the benefits of eschewing refined carbohydrates and concentrating on healthy proteins and healthy complex carbohydrates such as green vegetables and whole wheat.