THE ISLAND WHERE PEOPLE FORGET TO DIE
What’s the secret to living to 100? It may lie on the island of Ikaria, a place where the people drink wine daily, nap when they feel like it and dance to the beat of their own drums – with love and passion.
Ikaria – an island off the western coast of Turkey – is home to almost 10,000 Greek nationals. What’s remarkable about these people is that they live extraordinarily long lives; it is not uncommon to be passing 100 year-olds on the street.
New York Times author, Dan Buettner has been studying populations with exceptional longevity for more than a decade. Seeking to explain why people in particular locations live longer, healthier lives than the rest of the world, he immersed himself in the society and culture of the Ikarians.
So what’s their secret to living longer?
Read at The New York Times: The Island Where People Forget to Die.
4 Responses to this article
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Valma Downing October 25, 2012
Ikara was the name of a naval missile.
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Keryn October 28, 2012
So interesting. I worked in Toronto for a year and lived in “Greektown.” The school I worked at was about 90% greek families and these children had to attend “Greek School” after hours. The women who taught the Greek school were quite old and they told me wonderful stories of their lives. One told me of this Island, the story goes that when Icarus fell to earth, he fell into a pool on this island and when the locals bathe or drink the water it increases their lifespan. She also believed that it helped that many of the relatives of these people, who have moved to places like Toronto, send money to the family on the island, so there is no stress about day to day living at all.
