Scientifically Proven Secrets of the World's Healthiest and Longest-Lived Peoples

If we changed our lifestyles to match those of the healthiest communities in the world, would we live longer, too? John Robbins' book, Healthy at 100: The Scientifically Proven Secrets of the World's Healthiest and Longest-Lived Peoples, looks at the residents of Abkhasia in Southern Russia, the villagers of Vilcabamba in Ecuador, the Hunza people in Northern Pakistan and the centenarians of Okinawa, Japan. He finds these differences between their lifestyles and ours:
 
- Compared to Western society, they eat lower calorie, higher nutrient diets. Every calorie counts. They don't eat anything equivalent to white flour, sugar, trans fats, hydrogenated fats, etc.
 
- They get most of their protein from plants. We get most of ours from animals, so it comes with cholesterol, saturated fat and hormones.
 
- They have a connection to each other. (Robbins thinks this is one of the hidden factors in one's health.) They have a lot more time spent hanging out, getting to know one another and telling stories and jokes. Americans, in comparison, are an alienated, lonely culture.
 
Read more advice from John Robbins on living healthier.