Tuesday, November 13, 2012
"We just forget to die", a 101-year-old Ikaria resident, tells a NYT journalist that came all the way to the small Aegean island to investigate its long-kept secret: the extraordinary longevity of its residents.
And so goes the title of the NYT article: Ikaria, The Island Where People Forget To Die, as, indeed, there seems to be no other explanation for the incredible state of health of the island’s fresh and sprightly centenarians. All possible factors have gone under the magnifying glass.
Healthy diet, wine, physical exercise, the island’s delicious mountain tea, a culture of no stress, you name it! But the truth is, we do not know, the NYT article concludes, apart from the fact that all these mutually enhancing factors are at work to form a uniquely healthy lifestyle, ecosystem and culture.
This is too broad an explanation, for Italy’s daily Corriere della Sera, which bets the secret is in the naps: as Ikarians are known for their devotion to sleeping late in the morning and their cherished afternoon nap.
The Guardian: The Greek island diet you can eat forever ; Greek News Agenda: Pioneer Power Plant on Ikaria
