Okinawa — a small Japanese island, is known as the healthiest place on earth.
It has the highest number of centenarians — people who are 100 or more.
Here are the 3 Okinawan secrets of living a long healthy life-
1. Hara Hachi Bu (腹八分目)
Stop eating when you are 80% full.
Eat till you are satisfied, but not stuffed.
Simple, yet very effective.
• no overeating
• no excess fat gain
• no calorie counting
Eat for nourishment, not for entertainment.
Interestingly — similar principle also appears in Ayurveda, dating back to the 4th century BCE.
Ayurveda has the 70-30 rule — which states that 70% of your stomach should be filled and 30% should be empty.
2. Ikigai (生き甲斐)
A reason to live — a deep sense of purpose.
Your ikigai is intersection of 4 things:
• what you are good at
• what you love doing
• what the world needs
• what you will be paid for
You must actively set out to find your ikigai.
Ikigai is a fundamental health and wellness principle.
Physical wellbeing is greatly affected by one’s mental–emotional health and sense of purpose in life.
To live a long life - you must be "motivated" to live a long life - you must have a reason deep in your bones.
