http://www.care2.com/greenliving/we-need-abkhasia.html
We Need Abkhasia
Abkhasia was the place where the traditional concept of “old” never took root. The word was banished, and in its place the long-lived pursued an ageless lifestyle-they galloped their horses, worked under the sun, and sang in choirs in which the youngest member was 70 and the oldest was 110. Abkhasia proved that growing older can be a time of improvement. Abkhasians toasted one another with the words, “May you live as long as Moses,” and they venerated the long-living as people who were achieving an ideal.
By far the greatest advantage the long-living enjoyed was this: They trusted in their way of life. Abkhasians struck Western visitors as remarkably attuned to the rhythms of life, precisely what we have lost in this country.
One gets the sense of a people who have reached a natural balance. Rather than struggling to break unhealthy habits, their culture had woven good health into their overall view of life.
In his book The Methuselah Factors, American author and Abkhasia scholar Dan Georgakas wrote, “Vegetables were picked just before cooking or serving, and if meat was to be part of the menu, guests were shown the animal before it was slaughtered. Whatever the food served, all leftovers were discarded, because they were considered harmful to health. Such concern for freshness guaranteed that a minimal loss of nutrients took place between garden and table. Most food was consumed raw or boiled, with nothing fried.”
In every society, expectations rules outcome. In a culture where wealth is the highest goal, the entire society will focus on making money, prestige will accrue to those who make the most, and the poor will be regarded as failures. The Abkhasia, a great value was placed on longevity; therefore the entire society felt motivated to live up to that ideal. In America, the reverse I true; old age is not valued, much less exalted.
Huge differences divide the Americans and Abkhasian cultures. A lifetime of light eating and considerable physical activity is something we have to consciously learn again, but to fixate on those ingredients would cause one to miss the spirit of Abkhasia, which to me is far more inspiring as a motivation to survive to 100.
This country has recently experienced an unparalleled boom in centenarians. We have won the struggle for longevity and now face the challenge of becoming a land where the long-living are still young.
Adapted from The Essential Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, by Deepak Chopra (Harmony Books, 2007).
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13 comments
add your comment »In Search of a Community to retire, where lifestyle reverts to simple, I find, as always Deepak Chopra, shares enlightenment. Not only diet, and health but mode of transportation? Developments for retiree who want to travel about without car, in an animal friendly zone of riding horses is what I am hoping to do until I reach 100. A little walking in between. I am so baffled as to why this reversal to simple has received no attention in the world of green. Equines have been spiritually intuned since their first existence of being only fouteen inches tall, to the life time of service, from emotions to grace to beauty to toil for the Human race. Protecting the overproduction of the breed, as well as learning from their innate intuition of survive without harm, is ready for some recognition. Leonardo Da Vinci, in his 24 foot horse sculpture, was surrounded by mechanisms of ofther inventions, not needind fossil fuels for electricity.
Follow the leaders of those who have shown us natural ways of getting along. From how to fly to how to live in grace. I was overly shocked to have had a conversation with a public environmentalist that the nitrogen run off they feared was greater than the synthetic fertilizers killing our soils..So please, remember, Nature first, horses can preserve the soil, with proper, understanding, use for getting around pedestrian friendly/bike friendly/horse friendly societies, just wondering if this race welcomes the equines in their healthy lifestyl
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ha!
i love the picture!!
: )
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Superb article with wonderful comments! God bless all of you! Live happy long life!
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In some respects I agree with Deepak and I will add my own views on longivity.Ancient Hindu scholars and saints were known to have lived very long with austere living style and abhored material wealth.The concept of simple living has been the message of every religion and no where mindless rejoicing of the senses was
encouraged.Today the world is in a different situation and long life seems to be associated with requisite financial wellness.Surprisingly in the developed west it is the wealthy who eat properly using quality ingredients while the poor just manage to survive on bad and fat filled food that harms body and consequently mind.In poorer countries people eat less and properly and so stay healthy and the rich in these countries copy the bad eating style of the west and suffer.I think eating for sustaining body and mind is important and this is not the purpose of life.Enjoy your food,thank God for being able to eat and use the energy in a productive and creative manner.
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Immortality sounds good,Why not!! I have many things to see and experience and do and certainly do not want to rush through it all. The awake,alive life is available for all of us who want and believe. Love,kindness and veggies are the fuels.
Pat Tyler
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learn more about the Abkhasians and other long lived nations form 'Healthy at 100' by John Robbins.
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Abkhasians
The Abkhasians live in Abkhazia which is between the Caucasus Mountains of Soviet Georgia and the Black Sea of the USSR. There are three vegatation zones: subtropics, springs of mineral water, and an abundant resource of forest. They use all of their resources wisely. They build boats as a means of transportation and trading, they hunt game and pick berries and farming is also an important factor in their way of life. They have plenty of resources from which to choose.
The population of this group is 100,000. Currently the Abkhasians are working for autonomy from Georgia (part of the former Soviet Union.) The Abkhasians don't live near a university research center or pharmacy, yet they are very healthy. The Abkhasians have a diet high in raw or vegetarian sources. These foods are 98.5% of their diet. They eat full-grown produce with out cooking or processing it. One of the main courses of food is the seed of a peach. They also eat grains and very little meat.
A healthy life style allows the Abkhasians to be full of vitality, health, and vigor. This culture is one of the most famous groups because the people have some of the longest life spans in the world. These people work and play past 80 years old and many are still active after 100 years old. Not having so much excess protein in their diet leads to a slower growth and a slim, compact body. There has never been a reported case of cancer among the Abkhasians. This culture has no degenerative diseases tha
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Abkhasians
The Abkhasians live in Abkhazia which is between the Caucasus Mountains of Soviet Georgia and the Black Sea of the USSR. There are three vegatation zones: subtropics, springs of mineral water, and an abundant resource of forest. They use all of their resources wisely. They build boats as a means of transportation and trading, they hunt game and pick berries and farming is also an important factor in their way of life. They have plenty of resources from which to choose.
The population of this group is 100,000. Currently the Abkhasians are working for autonomy from Georgia (part of the former Soviet Union.) The Abkhasians don't live near a university research center or pharmacy, yet they are very healthy. The Abkhasians have a diet high in raw or vegetarian sources. These foods are 98.5% of their diet. They eat full-grown produce with out cooking or processing it. One of the main courses of food is the seed of a peach. They also eat grains and very little meat.
A healthy life style allows the Abkhasians to be full of vitality, health, and vigor. This culture is one of the most famous groups because the people have some of the longest life spans in the world. These people work and play past 80 years old and many are still active after 100 years old. Not having so much excess protein in their diet leads to a slower growth and a slim, compact body. There has never been a reported case of cancer among the Abkhasians. This culture has no degenerative diseases tha
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Very interesting article and nice to learn about these mysterious Abkhasians. Where are they? Where is this country? Am I the only one who has never heard of them before? When I was a little kid I wanted to live to be 100 - that was my goal! Now I think - umm maybe not! But maybe...
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HA ! when I tell people I'm 59 they invariably say, 'you don't look that old, or you don't look like 59. And I wonder what does 59 Look LIKE? And why do we 'judge' other people invariably...I'd love to hear, 'good for you', and that's it. What's imiportant is attitude, about numbers, or other's people's perceptions, and feeling that one has a purpose and finding it...I'd like to banish some of those meaningless judgmental words, too - right fron our minds! It's wonderful to be experiencing new and old things with new eyes - and heart. Why should not the outside be maintained when one feeds the inside with good food, love and focus. Horray for me: I'm a crone!
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