Eat well, live longer

Some populations live longer than others, it is a proven fact, and over the years scientific research has shown how a good part of this depends on a simple yet fundamental factor: nutrition together with an active lifestyle. Different latitudes mean different diets and some communities reach the threshold of a hundred years without even noticing. History tells us that at the beginning of the 1970s the influential publication National Geographic asked Doctor Axeander Loaf to visit the healthiest populations in the world to study them up close and to understand what gives them long lives.

Amongst the various countries and communities that he visited were: the inhabitants of the Hunza region in Pakistan, the Ecuadorians of Vilcabamba and the Japanese of Okinawa. Following on from his findings, many studies have been carried out to discover what really helps these populations to achieve eternal youth and, over time, many communities were found in which celebrating hundredth birthdays does not seem so hard: Nitoya in Costa Rica, the Ogliastra region in Sardinia Italy, as well as Loma Linda in California. The world is full of these oases of older people who conduct calm, active lives since they are all in good health and do not suffer the aches and pains typical of old age. But what are their secrets? 

New York Times journalist Dan Buettner speaks of Blue Zones, those areas of the planet in which are concentrated the highest numbers of centenarians, areas united by the recipe of immortality. The incredible thing is that none of them are particularly careful about their waistlines or diet. Put simply, they live on what their lands give them and keep active.

Want to know the secret to reaching the target of 100 years of age?

We cannot say it enough, at least 90% of your diet must be composed of vegetables. Vegetables are the major protagonists of the diet in the centenary zones of the planet. Green leafed vegetables are a real panacea thanks to the many properties and amount of fibre and cellulose they contain. Don’t forget to eat legumes, cereals and dried nuts; they supply important amounts of amino acids that our bodies do not produce on their own. 

The second rule: drink, drink and drink some more (water). The rule is to drink at least 7 glasses per day for hydration and to keep our body’s purifying system active and to limit the sense of hunger that is always around the corner.

Do not use white sugar or limit its use. It is noted as one of the “poisons” of the 21^st century together with refined flour and salts. Sugar notoriously creates dependence and, like everything that causes dependence, it harms our health. It is better to use honey, stevia or fructose. And sugar in drinks? That’s simple, it’s better to drink them au naturel or make your own! With the KitchenAid Maximum Extraction Juicer preparing tasty and healthy drinks is really easy. Yellow peach extract and ginger, or apple and carrots with their sweet taste will overcome any desire for a bubbly drink while maintain their nutrients without waste.
Alternatively with the KitchenAid Artisan Power Plus Blender, precious ally has a powerful engine with Adapti-Blend programs: smoothies, juices, soups and self-cleaning cycles. You will make nutrient-dense vegetables, for smoother results in the blink of an eye!

Want to take up the healthy habits of the Japanese in Okinawa? Get ready for a full immersion of fish. From numerous studies over the years it has emerged that a diet in which fish and other products from the sea are consumed every day extends life by a few years. A portion a day is enough, especially of oily fish. Be free with sardines, cod and mackerel and other fish that are considered less than noble but are really treasure troves of Omega 3 enzymes which significantly lower the level of bad cholesterol in the blood.

Eat meat in moderation. The ideal would be to replace it completely with vegetable proteins that you find in legumes and also lots of vegetables and pasta. But you do not necessarily have to give it up. The inhabitants of Ogliastra in Sardinia, like all the inhabitants of the Blue Zones, eat the meat of their livestock. So, why do they live so long?The secret is in the origin. Animals that growgrazing freely in the open are healthier than animals grown in cages and produce meat that is tasty and tender which satisfies the palate while limiting toxins and free radicals that circulate in the body. 

Drinking lots of coffee will bring you in line with the habits of the people of Nicoya in Costa Rica: consuming abundant coffee during the day saves them from Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s.  Do not limit yourself to a small cup of Espresso. Coffee finds its maximum expression with different methods of preparation, such as infusion. Get some Arabica beans (which? Be inspired in the article Hippolyte Courty e L’Arbre à Café), a coffee grinder and a coffee maker according to the method you prefer. KitchenAid has reserved an exceptional range of coffee makers for you.