- Sardinian men are over 100 years old with astonishing regularity.
- Their traditional work of herding goats and sheep on the mountainside may be the secret to their longevity.
- Sardinian men prioritize happy hours and naps to avoid chronic stress.
Fellow biohackers and billionaires who want to live longer and enjoy more time on earth are constantly looking for new ways to maximize productivity and essentially cheat death.
Technology executive and venture capitalist Brian Johnson I have a strict diet that ends at 11am every day and I once tried to inject myself with my son’s blood to inject myself with youth (it didn’t work). Other longevity seekers have started taking drugs such as: metformin and Rapamycinor put your trust in supplements such as: NMNMore.
But in parts of the world where men are already living past 100 with astonishing regularity, a big key to living longer and healthier is managing stress organically and taking time to live in the present moment. to live. Men who actually hit 100 prioritize happy time with friends over maximizing productivity.
Mountain men in Italy have an unusually high chance of living to 100
A shepherd tending her flock in Oriastra, Sardinia.
Massimiliano Maddanu, Getty Images.
In Sardinia, long ago, men stumbled upon something unique about longevity. The island has the largest concentration of centenarian men on the planet. (100 years old in America) women outnumber men Almost a 6:1 ratio, but in Sardinia the ratio is closer to 1:1).
Men’s work is one of several factors that combine to make Sardinia one of the five countries in the world. The Blue Zone, a hotspot for longevity.
The Sardinians live in towns dotted with steep stairs, where everyday life is like a calm but consistent stairmaster training. Traditionally, Sardinian men were shepherds tending sheep on mountainsides, a job that required a great deal of walking.
“They spend time with the animals, take walks in the hills, take naps, and usually return to their villages for happy hour to drink wine with their friends,” says author and longevity expert Dan Buttner. speaks. , will appear in the Netflix documentary series Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones, which premieres on August 30.
probably original quit quietlythese men consistently finish work on time, then head to contact their colleagues, laughing and teasing each other over a glass or two of the antioxidant-rich local wine called Cannonau.
“It’s not that the shepherds here are totally stress-free. They just don’t seem to have a lot of chronic stress.” said Mr. “The Sardinian man is working, but he doesn’t seem particularly stressed at work.”
Managing stress and connecting with people are proven secrets to longevity
chronic stress It causes many diseases associated with aging and can lead to premature death. Blood sugar spikes and inflammation associated with our body’s stress response can, over time, lead to further diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and obesity.
But stress can be kept in check if you can find ways to overcome everyday stressors and overcome problems like lost sheep and flock sickness.
“A sense of positive coping that can solve a given problem is a very important part of mental health, cognitive longevity and resilience to stress,” says neuro-ophthalmologist Ms. Dr. Stroni says. .
Along Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula, another longevity hotspot featured in the documentary, men adhere to similar ideas about balancing work and stress.
“I work from 6 to 10,” 86-year-old Juan Carrillo told Buttner. Carrillo often works up a sweat as he chops firewood with a hatchet or machete. The work is intensive, but relatively short. “Now that I am old, I think I have to rest.”
Juan Carillo, 86, takes a break after work.
Netflix
In the afternoon, Carrillo makes time for leisure and connection.
“I like to go out and treat myself,” he said. Some days I go to the bar to dance, shake my hips and have a cold beer with my friends.
“In Nicoya, as in all other Blue Zones, people never work for a few hours when they can have fun with their families, take a nap or socialize with friends,” Buttner said. . “They slow down to make time for the things that really matter to them.”
