How to Live Forever

Here’s what I learned from this New York Times Magazine piece about how the residents of the island of Ikaria have lived well into their 90s and into their 100s:

• Eat good food. Ikarians mostly eat fruit and vegetables that they plant in their own gardens, which is free of pesticides. They eat meat rarely (from animals they raise themselves), and don’t consume very much refined sugar or white flour.

• Drink and be merry. Ikarians drink the three following things on a daily basis: tea, coffee and wine. When they drink wine, they usually do it in the company of neighbors and friends. They laugh and dance and drink wine and feel pretty good every day.

• Sleep in, and take naps. There is no 9-to-5 culture in Ikaria. The residents wake up whenever they want, and often work late because that’s when they’re awake. There’s no working and going home to sit on the couch — it’s wake up whenever you want, get your work done as time allows, and take naps if you need them.

• Have sex. No explanation needed.

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