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Sign up with Google Sign up with FacebookQ: Secret of longevity in China Yunnan Bama village ?
There was a TV program on the centenarians from the famous village of Bama in Yunnan province.
There were these charming old ladies, this one 109, that one 107, still active and alert minded.
When asked as to the secret of their longevity, they replied simply : eat only to 70% of your fill.
Is this THE key to longevity ?
They also said that their village Bama is situated in a nice place, with good water, fresh air, and they will not leave it for anywhere else.
Maybe because they maintain a simple lifestyle, they are still active, and they are happy.
What do you think ? Leave the hectic city life for one closer to nature ?
11 years 17 weeks ago in Health & Safety - China
Bama is without a doubt the next 3 or 4 day vacation on my agenda.......... I have researched a little, but my family in Canada backed out last month........so it'll have to wait 'til spring now..........and I like how they call these little places ...... "little villages" 250,000 is a BIG CITY in my world.
Northwestern part of GuangXi Province ...... not Yunnan ...where I am talking about
I'm not really the biggest fan of city life over country life, but I'm not sure that these people's lifestyle is something I'd be that interested in. My wife tells me, and she brings them up rather often around our dinner table, that these people's diets consist largely of tofu, veggies, rice, and water. Living a hundred years without getting to enjoy a nice cheese burger with fries and a cold glass of ale just would almost be like a punishment on its own wouldn't it?
I suspect that the 70% rule does play a major role in their longevity. Aside from the obvious dietary benefits, I've heard "hippie" types claim that eat less food = digesting less food = less stress on the body. Not sure how much scientific evidence there is to support this.
Anyway, Japan abides by a similar "80%" rule:
www.nationalgeographic.com/healthyliving/japan-profile.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hara_hachi_bu
You are right BHGAL, this village is in Guangxi and not Yunnan.
Thanks for correcting.....
Activity makes a big difference. Some old friends of my parents where in their 70s when I was a kid and are now in their mid-90s. They had a good deal of money and actually lent my father the seed money to start his own business. they are ALWAYS going on vacations and outings and I think that's what does it.
I'm sure it's got a lot to do with eating foods that are not processed. Their diet probably also contains saturated fats, and the tofu is probably traditionally fermented. Just a guess. They've also avoided the hundreds of chemicals we are exposed to daily, vaccines, and all that other stuff.
This made me think of the French Paradox http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_paradox
Although not quite similar, it is food for thought (literally) that what we eat does impact our lives significantly. And as a positive ting, the French Paradox allows for drinking wine (the red stuff, not the misunderstood "everything with alchohol is wine" thing)