In many countries around the world, people are living longer than before. People have healthier lifestyles, healthcare is better, too
Okinawa is an island off the coast of Japan. The people on Okinawa, the Okinawans, may have the logest lives and healthiest lifestyles in the world.
Researchers did a study. They started by looking at city and town birth records from 1879. They didn't expect to find many centenarian(hundred-year-olds) in the records, so they were very surpised to find so many old and healthy people living in Okinawa. The United States, for example, has ten centenarian per 100,000 people, in Okinawa, there are 34 centenarian per 100,000 people!
What is the Okinawa' secret? First, they eat a healthy diet that includes fresh fruits and vegetable. They also eat fish and tofu and drink plenty of water and green tea. But researchers think that the Okinawans have other healthy habits as well. They don't do hard exercise such as weightlifting or jogging. Instead, they perfer relaxing activities like gardening and walking. They sit quietly and relax their minds by beating deeply. They also spend time with family members amd frinds.