secrets to living longer

something that our prime minister said at the national day rally this year may not come true. he said that 'women will outlive men.' that was true in the past and may be true even today but i am not so sure if it is going to be true in the future. today's women are enmeshed in the same stressful and pressurising environment as men.

according to a report in the national geographic, one of the secrets of longevity is less stress and more socialising. in a study of centenarians in sardinia in italy, they found that the men live as long as the women. the reason: the women in sardinia wear the pants and so the men lead a less stressful life.

in the same study, they also found that the consumption of traditional, natural food as opposed to processed food is a contributing factor to longevity. this is also practised by the older generations of okinawans - the longest living japanese, though not true among the younger generation of okinawans.

the researchers also found out that people who live to a ripe old age tend to have an active lifestyle and they have a positive, healthy behaviour. this was evident among the seventh-day adventists who live in loma linda, california. this group of people outlive the average americans by about a decade.

according to a dr chopra, by returning to a more simple and natural way of living with more peace and freedom, by becoming more family oriented where there is lots of love, having a good family life through healthy communication and understanding, and by improving our awareness, attitudes and values, we are bound to have a more healthy, fulfilling and rewarding life.

according to the national geographic report, genetics contributes 30% to longevity, the rest is up to your lifestyle, up to you.