A long and healthy life!

My great grandmother Ignacia Ramirez Vd. de Becerra lived to 108 years old.  She passed away in 1979 when the average life expectancy was 61 years of age.  Statistics  from that era showed that the average female smoker would lose about 2.2 years of life (803 days).*  Doña Ignacia chain smoked, hand rolled, unfiltered cigarettes of pure tobacco and took one shot of her daily ‘medicine’ from a cork topped clay jug she kept in a kitchen cabinet.  The last time I saw her she was 105 not in ill health, just not as mobile due to muscle weakness, yet her mind was very sharp. She was happy and healthy. I have often wondered were good genes the only factor…could it be that simple?

A study carried out by researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine have indicated the presence of a longevity gene, however there are skeptics that consider these findings inconclusive.**  It does seem wise for one to remain objective when reading articles that contain wording such as; studies show, recent findings and proof positive. After all, if we do not have centenarians in our family line are we meant to just throw in the towel? Do the experts really have any insight as to how long a person will live?  On the other hand, based upon studies comparing life expectancy of twins raised separately; gerontologists agree the most common explanation is 70-80% environment and 30-20% genes.***

Ignacia was born in 1871 in Oaxaca, Mexico. Even though she lived through stressful years of a revolution; as the wife of a political official, she led somewhat of a charmed life.  She had someone to tend her garden and a cook.  The food for her meals were bought daily at the market or grown on her own land. These foods consisted of tomatoes, beans, figs, squash, rich dark chocolate, corn, chili and a selection of fresh caught game.  The game was a variety that included fish, wild turkey, deer, boar, armadillo and iguana. She ate locally and seasonably and all food was grown and caught in the fertile rivers and valleys surrounding her homeland. She walked daily and kept her mind active.    

So what can be done in present day to live such a life in comparison? As for myself, I often think of Doña Ignacia and her daily habits, good and bad; I then get to work on taking even the smallest steps to create a healthier community in my little corner of the world.  Here in our chemically induced and stress filled environment we will have to work harder to, as Gandhi said “be the change you wish to see in the world”. We are challenged to set examples for ourselves, our children (even if we have none of our own) and our community.  This article will be the first in a series to provide examples of the many ways you can create change to improve your own environment. I will offer you information on what is already taking place in our country today and possibilities for a future that will not promise us a long and healthy life but certainly increase the odds.

* http://bluestonechiro.com/pdf/HealthRisks-LifeExpct-Article_32-03.cohen%5B1%5D.pdf

**http://www.newsweek.com/2010/07/07/the-little-flaw-in-the-longevity-gene-study-that-could-be-a-big-problem.html

***http://www.bumc.bu.edu/centenarian/overview/