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Healthy Cultures
There are some cultures in the world that have always managed to stay healthy, but what are their secrets for turning back their body clocks?
Okinawans
Seaweed, tofu, oily fish and plenty of fruit and veg will keep you living on and on.
The Japanese island of Okinawa in the South China Sea has the longest living inhabitants in the whole world, who have an average life expectancy of 81.2 years. A 25-year research programme found that this was down to a diet rich in tofu, fish and vegetables, and low in meat, eggs and dairy food. Residents mix seaweed and tofu into 'mooi tofu'. Seaweed contains vitamins A, B1, B2, C, E and the soybeans in tofu are loaded with flavanoids. These fight breast and prostate cancer and hold back heart disease. The cold-water fish in their diets, such as tuna mackerel and salmon contain Omega3s, which reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers.
Seaweed, tofu, oily fish and plenty of fruit and veg will keep you living on and on.
The Japanese island of Okinawa in the South China Sea has the longest living inhabitants in the whole world, who have an average life expectancy of 81.2 years. A 25-year research programme found that this was down to a diet rich in tofu, fish and vegetables, and low in meat, eggs and dairy food. Residents mix seaweed and tofu into 'mooi tofu'. Seaweed contains vitamins A, B1, B2, C, E and the soybeans in tofu are loaded with flavanoids. These fight breast and prostate cancer and hold back heart disease. The cold-water fish in their diets, such as tuna mackerel and salmon contain Omega3s, which reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers.
Mediterraneans
Lots of unsaturated fat, antioxidants fromfruit and veg and moderate ammounts of red wine lead to a long life.
The health benefits of a Mediterranean diet were first realised in the '60s when scientists found that despite a high-fat diet the residents of Crete had very low rates of heart disease, low incidence of some cancers and a long life expectancy. The classic Mediterranean diet has lots of fruit, vegetables, wholegrain cereals, nuts and pulses with (monounsaturated) olive oil as the main source of fat. Poultry and fish are eaten in moderate amounts and red meat in low amounts. Red wine is drunk in moderation usually with meals. Antioxidants in red wine, coffee and tomatoes slow down the ageing process, while olive oil helps to control LDL blood cholesterol, protecting the heart.
Lots of unsaturated fat, antioxidants fromfruit and veg and moderate ammounts of red wine lead to a long life.
The health benefits of a Mediterranean diet were first realised in the '60s when scientists found that despite a high-fat diet the residents of Crete had very low rates of heart disease, low incidence of some cancers and a long life expectancy. The classic Mediterranean diet has lots of fruit, vegetables, wholegrain cereals, nuts and pulses with (monounsaturated) olive oil as the main source of fat. Poultry and fish are eaten in moderate amounts and red meat in low amounts. Red wine is drunk in moderation usually with meals. Antioxidants in red wine, coffee and tomatoes slow down the ageing process, while olive oil helps to control LDL blood cholesterol, protecting the heart.
Thais
Cocunut oil, corainder and chillies can kill disease and control body fat.
The south-east Asian diet is bursting with age-defying nutrients. The capsicum in chillies is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, which fights infection. Coriander can lower blood sugar levels and 'bad' LDL cholesterol, and it even has antibacterial properties.
Coconut may be high in saturated fat but this contains lauric acid, and capric acid, which have recently found to have antiviral, antibacterial and antiprotozoal functions. Other research has shown that including coconut fat in your diet can help your body to control body fat levels, protect against alcohol damage to the liver and boost your immune system’s anti-inflammatory response.
Cocunut oil, corainder and chillies can kill disease and control body fat.
The south-east Asian diet is bursting with age-defying nutrients. The capsicum in chillies is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, which fights infection. Coriander can lower blood sugar levels and 'bad' LDL cholesterol, and it even has antibacterial properties.
Coconut may be high in saturated fat but this contains lauric acid, and capric acid, which have recently found to have antiviral, antibacterial and antiprotozoal functions. Other research has shown that including coconut fat in your diet can help your body to control body fat levels, protect against alcohol damage to the liver and boost your immune system’s anti-inflammatory response.
Laplanders
Reindeer meat is the staple inside the Arctic circle because it provides more than just protein.
Herded reindeer meat is 3-7 per cent higher in protein than domestic red meat. It has the lowest cholesterol levels of any red meat and has comparable saturated fat content to domestic white meat and fish. Because wild reindeer have a varied and nutrient-dense diet of moss, lichens and plants too tough for humans to digest their meat and marrow also carries more nutrients than domestic animals. In fact it’s so plentiful in nutrients, such as vitamin C, that the indigenous Sami people of Lapland are able to live almost entirely off reindeer in the winter months. They crack open the bones for marrow and even mix reindeer blood into soups.
Reindeer meat is the staple inside the Arctic circle because it provides more than just protein.
Herded reindeer meat is 3-7 per cent higher in protein than domestic red meat. It has the lowest cholesterol levels of any red meat and has comparable saturated fat content to domestic white meat and fish. Because wild reindeer have a varied and nutrient-dense diet of moss, lichens and plants too tough for humans to digest their meat and marrow also carries more nutrients than domestic animals. In fact it’s so plentiful in nutrients, such as vitamin C, that the indigenous Sami people of Lapland are able to live almost entirely off reindeer in the winter months. They crack open the bones for marrow and even mix reindeer blood into soups.
Inuits
Low amounts of saturated fat, diary and carbohydrates in Igloo cuisine mean a healthy body.
Scientists studied the indigenous people of the Arctic circle (Inuits or Eskimos) in the '70s and found that they had much lower rates of heart disease, arthritis and diabetes than other cultures. This was despite eating a whale, seal and salmon diet, which was extremely high in fat and low in carbohydrates, fruit and vegetables, apart from sea kelp.
The reason for this was that the blubber of marine mammals is very high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat, and low in saturated fat. And because they ate much of the meat raw or lightly cooked, the vitamins contained in the flesh, such as vitamin C, A and D were not destroyed through cooking. It seems that the health benefits of this diet are partly side effects of limiting saturated fats, refined carbohydrates and diary products.
Low amounts of saturated fat, diary and carbohydrates in Igloo cuisine mean a healthy body.
Scientists studied the indigenous people of the Arctic circle (Inuits or Eskimos) in the '70s and found that they had much lower rates of heart disease, arthritis and diabetes than other cultures. This was despite eating a whale, seal and salmon diet, which was extremely high in fat and low in carbohydrates, fruit and vegetables, apart from sea kelp.
The reason for this was that the blubber of marine mammals is very high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat, and low in saturated fat. And because they ate much of the meat raw or lightly cooked, the vitamins contained in the flesh, such as vitamin C, A and D were not destroyed through cooking. It seems that the health benefits of this diet are partly side effects of limiting saturated fats, refined carbohydrates and diary products.
