An Escape from America's Toxic Lifestyle

America isn't a very safe place to live.

I'm not talking about crime rates, but about death rates, or more specifically health expectancy rates, which is the length of time a person can expect to live in good health, living independently and productively with a sound mind and body.

The United States ranks 24th, dead last among all developed countries.

Why? What is so toxic about the American lifestyle?

Well, the old saying goes, if you want to spot a counterfeit, go study a genuine dollar bill.

Likewise, if you want to spot what's wrong with America, why not go study the healthiest people on Earth?

Well, that's what two brothers, one a physician and one an anthropologist, have been doing for the past decade in the islands of Okinawa, studying over 400 centenarians--people over 100 years old. And not decrepit, demented shells over 100 either-- people still living in their homes, gardening, walking to market daily, chatting with friends.

Why are they living so long? Why are their bodies on almost every biochemical measure 20 years younger or more than equivalent American bodies?

That's the subject of the book The Okinawa Program, and a fascinating read it is. The authors both try to describe the health and lifestyle of the Okinawan culture, try to explain what is healthy about it, and then how to incorporate it into our lifestyle.

The distinctives that the authors bring out chapter by chapter are a healthy primarily vegetarian diet, regular exercise, a low-pressure lifestyle, use of meditation and other forms of stress-reduction, a close supportive social network, and their "spirituality" which is mostly positive and optimistic in nature.

The book itself is well-written and documented as far as this genre goes. It's only downfall (also common to the genre) is tunnel-vision. The authors' enthusiasm for all things Okinawan rarely points out anything negative at all about the culture, to the point that you wonder how objective they really are. Beyond that, they often downplay the very tenuous nature of drawing conclusions about looking backwards and trying to figure out why things are a certain way-- you can use common sense and a little science to make a good guess that eating foods high in flavinoids may extend life, but limited science plus common sense has led us down the wrong path many a time before.

Another major point to be made is that these non-Christian authors cannot perceive the difference between mere religion (which they apparently believe is generically good for both its placebo like effect on the human body and possibly tapping into some generic higher power) vs. a genuine relationship with the genuine God.

Of course, this draws a rather brutal line in the sand for those of us who do name the name of Christ. If our lives have truly been touched by the living God, then why are we dying by the droves in our gluttony and physical laziness and frantically paced American lifestyles, while people who do not know the true God over the ocean are living lives which I suspect more closely model what Christ would have us live? Food for thought, and a worthwhile book to read and ponder.

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Tay Gay

Wonderful Insight to Change Lifestyle and Live a Healthy Long Fulfilling Life.

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