.
A team of demographers recently discovered that a Greek island in the northern Aegean Sea is home to more people who reach a healthy age of 90 than any other place known.
In September I was in Crete, the largest of the Greek Islands, hiking the Samarian Gorge, the longest gorge in Europe. In the first hour of my 7 hour hike, I slipped twice. The second time after a long slide down the gravel -hiking poles, fanny pack and all- I landed on my tush. I looked up to find a very old woman followed by two donkeys who put her hand out to help me up. She looked pretty fit and peppy after climbing UP the gorge for – oh say- 5 hours. Now that I know I could have been in a longevity zone, I should have asked her what she puts in her protein shakes.
Still, I don’t think the spot where the oldies flourish is gonna be Crete. It’s the hang out for the younger crowd – the 70-year-olds who discard their clothes, lounge on the beach and go play in the surf … seriously, totally naked. And you never get used to it.
At www.aarp.org/longevityquest you can follow along the adventure with anthropologist, scientists and doctors. They’ll let you know in April 2009 what island it is and you’ll get to vote daily to decide how the exploration unfolds – where team members go, what they do, whom they see. Each night the teams crew will report back with written accounts, photographs, and videos. You can sign up now. Sounds better that voting for your favorites on Dancing with the Stars, doesn’t it?
Meanwhile, if you are planning a break from your work and want a longevity hot spot go to, start bookin’ to the other four places identified as a “longevity hot spot” -Okinawa, Costa Rica, Sardinia, or Loma Linda, CA.
And don’t forget one of the coolest sites for research on health, aging, and determining your vitality is www.bluezones.com.
Meanwhile think about it. Why do the residents in these places live so long? Does their koolaide sparkle with some ancient recipe for adding years to a life? Is there a little beetle bug of youth swarming up their trees? Go check one out and let us know
3 Responses (add yours)
Phenomenal blog, numerous amusing information. I believe 4 of days ago, I have viewed a similar blog. Does anyone know how to track future posts?
Thanks for stopping by, Gudrun! The best way to track future posts is to sign up for our email notifications here: http://yoursabbatical.com/exchange/get-email/.
Continuing the Discussion
[...] http://yoursabbatical.com/the-sabbatical-mindset/2008/11/30/put-a-longevity-hot-spot-in-your-sabbati... [...]