The Secret behind Long Life on the Island of Ikaria

If you have ever studied long life among human beings, the name “Ikaria” may be familiar to you. Ikaria is a charming Greek island in the Aegean sea. With more healthy and alert inhabitants over 90 years old than anywhere else on our planet, it has been given the honour of “the healthiest place on Earth”. Many people have written about this phenomenon and unsuccessfully tried to interpret its cause. Here, you will discover at the secret to long life held by the Ikarians.

The three pillars

So, why do the islanders of Ikaria live such long and healthy lives? Do they have full control over the chemical functions of their body? Do they control the possible genetic abnormalities that lead to cancer or cardiovascular diseases? The answer is no, because that is impossible. As we know, humans are vulnerable to many diseases. 

No, it is not a matter of genetic properties. There is nothing genetically different about these islanders from the inhabitants of neighbouring islands. Instead, their longevity comes from three pillars, which contribute cumulatively to the protective force holding entropy at bay.

The pillar of diet

The first, and most well-studied, pillar of longevity is diet. It is widely recognised that a poor diet is incongruent with the long-term health of the human body. One study found that almost half of human deaths are directly linked to poor diet, leading to illnesses such as stroke, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.[1] It is no surprise then that the residents of Ikaria have a very different diet to that of the Western world.

There is no widespread consumption of fast foods, processed foods, and junk foods. On the contrary, the Ikarian diet is simple, plain, and natural.[2] It is made up of fresh, organic produce, often produced on the island including fruit, vegetables, olive oil, and honey. Even their meat consumption is balanced compared to the Western world. Moreover, the animals on this secluded island are fed freely in nature and are far healthier than the industrial animals mass-produced in the West.

The pillar of peace

The second pillar is a peaceful lifestyle. Unlike the rest of the Western world, the island of Ikaria is not a fast-paced, consumer-driven, materialistic society. Residents are not permanently attached to their smartphones being drip-fed social media at all hours of the day. They don’t rush off to office jobs then spend their evenings glued to the television screen. They are not competing with their fellow man for fame, riches, or success.

Instead, they live a simple, natural life of manual, rural labour. They exercise daily with hikes in the fresh, mountain air. They take naps, use minimal medication, and remain active even in old age. They are quiet, peaceful, and welcoming people who share what little they have and enjoy a strong sense of community and social connections. In doing so, they avoid the busy lifestyles of stress and anxiety so common in the West.

The pillar of the mind

Unbeknownst to most humans, the brain has hidden properties that enable it to look after the body. Thanks to an increasing amount of research into this subject, even some mainstream scientists are beginning to accept that our mind plays a huge role in the physical health of our body and even our lifespan.[3]

If optimistic thinking can reduce the severity of our illness symptoms and increase our life expectancy, then imagine the possible results if we did not consider illness at all?

The island of Ikaria (and many other similar regions in the world famed for their good health and long life) is isolated and difficult to access, as it has been for thousands of years. In the past, the island was so isolated from the world that it was used as a place of exile. In these isolated conditions, the inhabitants developed a mentality that did not include a strong concept of health or illness. Unlike other Westerners, they dedicated no time to worrying about illness, creating a protective shield in their brain. This mentality was passed through the ages and has reached the modern day.

The future of Ikaria

Unfortunately, I predict that in the coming years, Ikaria’s fame will disappear because the Western way of life has invaded to an extent. It is not intense at present, and visitors to the island will still find an relaxed, peaceful mentality in the entire population. However, as tourism is increasing year by year, this will naturally bring about changes in the attitude of the residents.

The first seeds of doubt, anxiety, and psychological pressure will sprout in their minds, and the deterrent power of the shield will be weakened. They will become aware of illnesses and their unusual health status. Moreover, in a few decades, they will be inoculated with the Western way of life and the Western diet. Perhaps we will even see a McDonalds open there. Eventually, their standard of living and life expectancy will decrease and Ikaria will be no different from the rest of the West.

For now, we can take their lifestyle as a positive example of how to extend our lifespan. If you would like to discover how to significantly extend your life, you will find more secrets in The Temple of Consciousness.

---

[1] Renata Micha, RD, PhD; Jose L. Peñalvo, PhD; Frederick Cudhea, PhD; et al, JAMA, Association Between Dietary Factors and Mortality From Heart Disease, Stroke, and Type 2 Diabetes in the United States (2017)

[2] https://greekcitytimes.com/2019/04/06/ikaria-the-island-where-people-live-longer-than-just-about-anywhere-else-in-the-world/#:~:text=Ikaria%20is%20a%20part%20of,the%20age%20of%2090%20years.

[3] https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/the-brain-can-you-really-think-yourself-healthy/