Andrea Frazzetta/LUZphoto for The New York Times
Diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in 1976, Stamaitis Moraitis left the U.S. and moved back to Ikaria, a mediterranean island, to be close to his family and enjoy his last 9 months on earth.
He got lots of rest, planted a garden and vineyard, got lots of fresh air and sunshine, ate fresh local food, slept late, took naps, ate and drank with friends at night, and started going to church.
He radically changed his diet and lifestyle.
He slowed down, simplified his life and guess what happened…his body healed!
30 years later he’s 96, still alive and cancer-free.
No surgery, no drugs, no chemo. Not even any alternative therapies.
No surgery, no drugs, no chemo. Not even any alternative therapies.
It just so happens that the island of Ikaria is classified as a “Blue Zone”.
Blue Zones are areas around the world with the longest living people. Ikarians live on average 8-10 years longer than Americans. Here’s what they do:
They eat fresh local food that they produce themselves.
They get exercise working in their gardens and walking up and down the hilly terrain.
They eat lots of olive oil, vegetables, potatoes, wild greens, and six times more beans per day than Americans, like garbanzo beans, black-eyed peas and lentils.
They eat fresh caught fish about twice a week and other meats about five times a month.
They drink goat’s milk and eat honey.
They drink lots of herbal teas like wild marjoram, sage, mint, rosemary, artemisia, and dandelion.
They consume very little refined sugar. 75% less than Americans.
They spend a lot of time socializing and sharing meals with each other.
And get this. They drink on average 2-3 cups of coffee and 2-4 glasses of wine per day. Wowzers!
Here’s a link to the full New York Times article by Dan Buettner
If you’re interested in finding out what the longest living people groups have in common, check out Dan’s book:
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