ESL Blogs

Hello friends!!! It’s my first blog. There is a short story that I read in a magazine here.

Chiako is active and healthy. She gets up at 7.00 a.m. every day and goes for a brisk walk. Three times a week she plays gate-ball - national sports - with her friends. There is nothing unusual about this, except that Chiako is 102 years old. She is not alone - there are hundreds of centenarians who lead healthy lives this in Okinawa.

Okinawa is a group of Japanese islands between Japan and Taiwan. Near the beach there is a large stone with the following proverb engraved on it: “At 70 you are still a child; at 80 you are just a youth; and at 80, if the ancestors invite into heaven, ask them to wait until you are 100 and then you might consider it”.

Okinawans manage to stay slim in old age by eating a low-calorie diet which consists of three quarter plant food and one quarter animal food.  They eat seven servings of fruit and vegetables every day and they stop eating when they are 80% full. They also keep physically active the natural way by dancing, walking, gardening and so on.

Okinawans have developed a stress-resistant personality. Nobody is in a hurry, timetables are non-existent and there is always tomorrow.

They have strong networks of friends. When someone is ill and doesn’t come to work, a neighbour will always knock on their door to find out how they are.

There’s no magiс pill. If you keep fit, if you have good friends, a healthy diet and a stress-free lifestyle, you will live longer. It’s as simple as that!

Thanks you very much for your attention. And if you find mistakes, please will correct.

Best wishes!