But that's not all. Did you know that the people who live in four particular places on planet earth live significantly longer. In this session aging I learnt that:
1. 10% of how long we live is dictated by DNA. So 90% is all about how we live.
2. The human body is programmed to make it to 90 to 95 years of age. For the 75,000 American Centarians, they hit the genetic lottery
3. We have 35 trillion cells in our body that flip over every 8 years. But every time they are renewed, there's a bit of an error and aging begins. Aging accelerates every 8 years, so a 60 year old is aging 100 times faster than an 8 year old.
4. The average American will spend the last 3 years of their life in the dying process and will consume 90% of their total lifetime health cost.
5. The average person from these four areas will spend just 6 months in this process and a fraction of the cost
6. In the US, youth is celebrated, In Sardinia and Okinawa where there is the highest proportion of centarians, the elders are revered.
7. The "Grandmother Effect" proves that if a Grandmother lives with her children and her children's children, the grandchildren are physically healthier.
8. The two most dangerous years for people: the year you were born and the year you retire.
9. There is no word for retirement in Japan.
So how do you add 14 years to your life?
1. Surround yourself with good people – the right tribe. If your 3 closest friends are smokers for example, you are nearly guaranteed to follow their lead.
2. "Hara Hachi Bu" – a Japanese phrase said before each meal that means, "only eat until your 80% full".
Eat Tofu, beans, nuts and plants and have red wine every night.
3. Right outlook. Get purpose in life and downshift at the end of each day.
4. Move naturally. Exercise programs fundamentally do not work. De-convenience your life and move more in daily life.
In short, create an environment that promotes and reinforces good behaviors and create values to live by and stick to them.
That's quite the to-do list!
the early years 