In spite of all the bad news about Americans’ health, the truth is that we have one of the highest life expectancies in the world, 77.9 years. (Andorra has the highest, 83.5.) But there’s a caveat: A big part of why we live so long is that we’re good at treating what you might call lifestyle diseases — things like high blood pressure and diabetes. It turns out that there are places in the world where people live about as long as we do without needing fancy medicine or surgery. We can learn from them.
Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula
Fruit every day — especially papaya, which you can now get year-round in the U.S. Papaya contains enzymes that help break down food in the stomach, which lets you absorb more nutrients. It’s also a prebiotic, which means it promotes the growth of good bacteria in the gut. Bonus tip: The staple food in Nicoya is a mix of corn and beans. Replace the corn with quinoa, a protein-rich seed from South America, and you’ve got what I call a perfect meal: rich in protein, complex carbs, fiber, and vitamins.
Sardinia
Sardinian wine from the Nuoro region contains five to ten times the procyanidins — powerful antioxidants with cardiovascular benefits — of most other varieties. Look for it next time you’re at the wineshop. Bonus tip: Many Sardinians farm their own food, including naturally grazed meat. It doesn’t just taste better, it’s also better for you, because it contains omega-3 fats that feedlot meat doesn’t. Buy grass-fed beef whenever possible.
India
The incidence of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s is significantly lower there, and we think the reason is the use of curry spices. The science isn’t complete yet, but studies on three specific spices — turmeric, chili, and cinnamon — are solid enough to report that they help reduce everything from inflammation and chronic pain to bacterial infections and cancer.
Okinawa, Japan
Okinawans drink a lot of tea, which I’m now recommending Americans use in place of coffee. Green tea in particular contains the most antioxidants. Bonus tip: We should all follow the Okinawan philosophy of eating: Hara hachi bu, which translates to “eat only until you are 80 percent full.” That’s excellent advice. Calorie restriction is the single most potent antiaging trick we know about. You’ll be hearing a lot more about it soon — by pure coincidence, my new book talks about it — but for now, just start saying no to a second helping.
Turkey
I recommend drinking kefir, the thin yogurt popular in Turkey, for overall gut health. Almost anything with live cultures in it — kimchi and kombucha, the Russian health drink you see a lot these days, are other examples — will do the trick. They’re all probiotics, meaning they supply you with good bacteria you need to absorb maximum nutrition from your food.
Provided by www.mygrenx.com/greenteapros
Article by: Mehmet Oz is a heart surgeon and the coauthor of You: Staying Young
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