مکالمه ی فعالانه قسمت ج

ACTIVE SPEAKING / PART C

HOW TO LIVE TO BE A HUNDRED

Not surprisingly, eating wisely is the second characteristic of Blue Zone longevity. This means a lean, largely plant-based diet.

Is eating quickly the second characteristic of Blue Zone longevity? No, eating wisely is the second characteristic. Does this mean a fatty, largely animal-based diet? No, it doesn‟t. It means a lean, largely plant-based diet.

Indeed, Ellsworth Wareham is a vegan, subsisting on mostly fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Like many other residents of Loma Linda, he is part of a religious community of Seventh Day Adventists, who encourage a vegetarian lifestyle.

Ellsworth is a vegan, isn‟t he? Yes, he‟s a vegan. What does he mostly subsist on? He mostly subsists on fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Is he a Hindu? No, he‟s not a Hindu. He‟s a Seventh Day Adventist. Do the Seventh Day Adventists encourage a wild and crazy lifestyle? No, far from it. They encourage a vegetarian lifestyle. Are you a vegetarian?

But it’s not just about the quality of the food that is eaten, but also the quantity. Ushi and her Okinawan friends live by the old saying Hara hachi bun me, which means to eat until your stomach is 80% full.

Do Ushi and her friends eat until they are full? No, they stop eating when their stomachs are 80% full. Do you stop eating when your stomach gets 80% full?

A nutrient-rich meal of vegetables, miso, tofu, seaweed, and a little fish or pork can have fewer calories than a hamburger, especially if Ushi stops eating before she is full.

What does a typical Okinawan meal consist of? It consists of vegetables, miso, tofu, seaweed, and a little fish or pork. Is it nutrient-rich or nutrient-poor? It‟s nutrient-rich, of course. Does it have more calories than a hamburger? No, it can actually have fewer calories than a hamburger. Would you like to eat a hamburger right now?

Eating healthy foods in modest quantities is the second characteristic of Blue Zone lifestyles.

What is the second characteristic of Blue Zone lifestyles? Eating healthy foods in modest quantities is the second characteristic of Blue Zone lifestyles.

So that‟s exercise and diet, but what about your outlook on life? For Ushi and many other Okinawans, this means having a clear life purpose, something they call ikigai. It‟s what gets them up in the morning and makes life worth living.

What is an ikigai? An ikigai is a clear life purpose. Do you have an ikigai?

Over the course of their life, a person‟s ikigai changes, but it is something they are always aware of.

A person‟s ikigai stays the same over the course of a person‟s life, doesn‟t it? No, it doesn‟t. A person‟s ikigai changes over the course of time.

For Ushi, it has become longevity itself, which is a source of pride for her family and village. She simply lives for her immediate community, and that is enough to keep her going.

What has Ushi‟s ikigai become? Her ikigai has become longevity itself. Is longevity a source of shame for Ushi‟s family and village? No, on the contrary, it has become a source of pride.

In addition to having a clear purpose, knowing how to relax and unwind is also part of the Blue Zone way of life.

What else is part of the Blue Zone way of life? Learning how to relax and unwind is also part of the Blue Zone way of life.

One of the reasons Sardinian men live such a long time, is that their wives shoulder the burden of managing the house and family finances.

In Sardinia, the women manage the house, don‟t they? Yes, the women manage the house. And it‟s the men who manage the family finances, isn‟t it? No, actually the women also manage the family finances.

“I do the work and my wife does the worrying,” says Tonino, as he gives her a playful hug.

What does Tonino say when he gives his wife a playful hug? “I do the work and my wife does the worrying,” says Tonino.

Indeed, the ratio of male to female centenarians in Sardinia is one-to-one, compared with a one-tofour ratio favoring women in the USA.

Which has a higher ratio of male to female centenarians, Sardinia or the USA? Sardinia has a higher ratio of male to female centenarians than the USA does. How many centenarians live in your region?