Misao Okawa, until April 1, 2015, when she passed away peacefully in her sleep from heart failure at age 117, was the world's oldest woman. She was born on March 5, 1898 and lived in Osaka Japan. When asked about her secret to long life, she replied that she ate delicious food.
Perhaps the most obvious factor contributing to a long life is good nutrition, but there must be a combination of things that will promote a long and healthy life. Perhaps Misao Okawa embodied the perfect combination of excellent genetics coupled with behavior and lifestyle, which contributed to her long life. In fact, it is widely known that the Japanese generally have long lives that are often relatively healthy. There are a number of factors which contribute to why the Japanese have such longevity, including healthy diets, an equal and cohesive society combining both traditional and ancient customs with ultra-modern lifestyle, values, and technology. They have universal health care and the people tend to look after one another, especially within families, where the younger generation will care for the aged.
Here are some of the secrets that may have contributed to Misao Okawa's very long life.
Perhaps the most obvious factor contributing to a long life is good nutrition, but there must be a combination of things that will promote a long and healthy life. Perhaps Misao Okawa embodied the perfect combination of excellent genetics coupled with behavior and lifestyle, which contributed to her long life. In fact, it is widely known that the Japanese generally have long lives that are often relatively healthy. There are a number of factors which contribute to why the Japanese have such longevity, including healthy diets, an equal and cohesive society combining both traditional and ancient customs with ultra-modern lifestyle, values, and technology. They have universal health care and the people tend to look after one another, especially within families, where the younger generation will care for the aged.
Here are some of the secrets that may have contributed to Misao Okawa's very long life.
Diet
Misao Okawa was quoted as saying that her main secret to a long life was "eating delicious things," including beef, noodles, and rice. It is widely recognized that the Japanese diet, consisting mostly of fish, rice, fruit, and vegetables is not only delicious, but incredibly healthy. Nutritionist blogger Catherine Saxelby says:"The traditional Japanese diet, with its emphasis on vegetables, seafood, soy, clear broth, rice, green tea and seaweed, is a semi-vegetarian diet with less fat, less sugar and more antioxidants...
In the midst of a global obesity epidemic, the Japanese have the lowest obesity rates in the developed world, as well as lower rates of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and some (but not all) cancers." Catherine Saxelby.