How to Live to Be 100 and Qualify as a Centenarian.

Living to be 100 years old qualifies you as a centenarian. Centenarians often practice certain lifestyle characteristics that may be linked to living for 100 years and beyond. The key aspects of their lifestyle include a combination of mental and physical life choices.

Of all the people in the world, the Okinawan’s of Japan are recognized as being the ones who tend to live the longest. The Okinawans have been studied on several occasions by scientific researchers for their ability to live to be 100 and the results may help the rest of the world to live longer, healthier lives.

Okinawans live to the age of 81.2 years on average and are ranked number 1 in life expectancy in the world. North American residents are ranked 18th with an average life span of 76.8 years. The Okinawans live to be 100 simply because their bodies are healthier than those of every other sector of the population.

Heart Health

With the chance of coronary heart disease ranking five times lower than North Americans, the Okinawans are simply living a healthier lifestyle. The food and supplement choices they make provide them with the total health needed to live to be 100 and beyond. With an average body mass of 18-22 (with any number under 23 considered lean) there is no doubt the Okinawans are eating healthier. Other supplement and diet differences include:

1. Okinawans eat 30-40% less calories than the American people.

2. Flavonoid consumption is 8 times more than Americans with a total consumption of 100 mg per day.

3. Exercise programs are moderate with a strong focus on martial arts.

When looking more closely at the total food consumption of the Okinawan people who live to be a 100 years old and beyond the clear difference between the more Western cultures and this small sector of Japanese people comes to light. Okinawans consume:

• 7 servings of fruit and vegetables each day
• 7 servings of grains each day
• 2 servings of soy laden foods rich in flavonoids
• 2 to 3 servings of foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids per week
• 30% of total calories per day from fat
• Less than 6 grams of sodium intake from all sources per day

In order to live to be 100, food choices are not the only aspect of life that is different between the Okinawan people and the American population. Americans tend to center their lives on getting somewhere and getting there fast. The speed of life causes excessive amounts of stress and a reduced amount of time spent exercising. The Okinawans people may live to be centenarians for the simple fact that life is calmer and more focused when you give yourself the chance to relax once in a while.

With a strong social and family network, those who live to be 100 often practice various forms of relaxation techniques and meditation. Life is all about balance and the Okinawan people lend their lives to that balance. Eating well, exercising and choosing the best supplements for cellular and total body benefit can help you to live to be a centenarian too!