Week 4 Post 1

 The Island Where People Forget to Die

Island of Ikaria (w/ most centurions)-Greek islands, exiled radicals/communists (still vote communist)

• reach 90 at 2.5x the rate of the US
• Men in particular are 4x more likely to reach 90 and in good health
• 8-10 years longer without succumbing to cancers and cardiovascular disease
• 1/4 rate of dementia 
• Less depression 

One of the only physicians says:

• stay up late/wake up late/take naps (opens his office at 11 am earliest)
• No watches/clocks don't work
• Don't care about $$/Holidays=pool their money for food and wine, give rest to poor ("Not me, us" mentality)

Drink: "Mountain Tea"- doubles as medicine (drink every night)

Ingredients: Marjoram, sage, mint, rosemary, dandelion leaves

-Honey: take it like medicine. Start day with it, treating wounds, curing hangovers, treating influenza. 

Regular Diet Example:

Breakfast: goats milk, wine, sage tea, or coffee, honey, and bread.

Lunch: Beans(lentils, gorbanzos), potatoes, greens (fennel, dandelion, horta(like spinach)), and any season vegetables they have produced

Dinner: Bread and goat's milk

Christmas and Easter=slaughter family pig and enjoy small portions of larded pork for next several months

VERY social=laughter

Pharmacist from the Greek mainland: 

-wild mint: gingivitis

-rosemary:gout

-artemisia: improve blood circulation

Polyphenols, antioxidants, mild diuretics (hypertension), all gently lower BP. 

Rich in olive oil and veggies, low in dairy minus goat's milk, and low in meat. Moderate alcohol. Emphasizes home grown potatoes, beans, wild greens, and local goat milk and honey (NO PESTICIDES!)

Diet alone could equal 4+ years of life. 

Absence of sugar and white flour

-Fish 2x a week, Meat 5x a month, 2-3 cups of coffee/day, 1/4 refined sugar. 2-4 glasses of wine per day, lots of olive oil, elderly do not like soda.

80% men between 65-100 years of age reported regular sex ("good duration and achievement")

Lots of sleep

40% unemployed-Everyone has access to family garden and livestock. 

Busy and self-sufficient- "Don't go home to sit on the couch"

Relax and enjoy meals ALWAYS in company/not just what they eat but how

Connection/security...everyone knows everyone=less crime (don't shame family)

Social structure might be the most important part. Elders are always involved. There is no retirement. 

"Ikigai"= the reason for which you get up in the morning. Must always have some purpose (teach karate, guide village spiritually, etc.)

Nicoyans: plan de vida=lifelong sense of purpose

Being able to define your life meaning adds to you life expectancy

-clean air and wine (one man says this is why they live longer), another says "we forget to die". 

Cannot change your behavior when community behavior stays the same. This is why gyms and diets do not work for so many people. 

McKinney, Amanda. "Introduction to Lifestyle Medicine". DoaneX: BIOL-212X.  https://courses.edx.org/courses/course-v1:DoaneX+BIOL-212x+2T2020/886f85ee3d284626b884d40ce7d80248/.