LONGEVITY, THE NEW BOOK OF UMBERTO VERONESI
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In 1921 there were 49 centenarians in Italy in 2004 was 7700. There is no doubt that life is very elongated in the last century, but we have no clear idea of why this happened. The medical sciences have proposed various theories on aging and today we know much more of a time on this subject, but there is not yet a definitive answer to the question "Why do we age?"
Umberto Veronesi with the new book Longevity (Basic Books, p.94, € 8), tackles one of the most topical issues of contemporary society. The increased longevity of the population is a fact, but to understand what it means to grow old peacefully is another thing, why not just add years to life, we must make sure that they are interesting years. From here, based on his vast experience, Veronesi invites us to reflect on our way of life, giving due weight nutrition, physical activity, mental activity, and especially to curiosity.
"I think I'm in love with the curiosity in itself. I never satisfied, my mind is never still. I love the fact that I was born curious and I am convinced that everyone has been given the same gift, then that is the sense of being lived. Several years we have the more we can learn and know. "
Longevity is a short essay that has as its main theme the aging, or rather the ability of each to age well beyond the mere genetic predisposition to do so. Veronesi the observation of the Japanese people, especially the inhabitants of the island of Okinawa: the longest in the world. An exception in the exception then. In Japan, in fact, the average life expectancy is 81.2 years and the centuries-old make up about 20% of the total population.
Cardiovascular disease is reduced by 80% compared with America and cancer by 40%, and the same goes for the many more or less serious diseases that affect the entire world population (osteoporosis, cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, etc. ..) . The merit of this is to be found in two words: ishokudoghen and Yuimaru.
The term ishokudoghen is defined as a lifestyle that involves the use of food as medicine, in particular fish, fruit, vegetables, algae are the main source of livelihood.
The concept of Yuimaru instead has a social value, indicates the sense of belonging to a community and the opportunity to feel useful in establishing the internal dynamics of the various areas of community: family, village, city etc. In addition to healthy habits so they value certain behaviors in order to keep still active not only the interests and attitudes, but also the roles within the community. For aging well is not only the rule of good physical health, but has the mindset to old age. The stimuli are crucial, love for people, animals and things promote positive reactions to illness, bereavement and habits in general. Therefore each of us can decide when to die paradoxically, because at the same time you must give up to age consciously, inevitably you give to yourself. The aim is therefore to never lose touch with yourself, even in a hundred years, but to try to determine if there are reasons to continue to live and continue to have an interest in life.
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