Health secrets of the Chinese

CEBU, Philippines - In the place called Bama, in the Guangxi province of China, is located the famous "Longevity Village," where many people live up to 100 years and even beyond. The rest of the world wonders: What their secret?

China is a nation that has high longevity rate, if not the highest. The extraordinary good health records of the Chinese centenarians in Bama, for one, prove that the rest of the world is growing old unreasonably fast - the reason being imbalanced diet and lifestyle.

For the Chinese, the "secrets" of living long include practices that fuel both the body and the soul. According to www.theepochtimes.com, the ancient Chinese believe that there are certain things that enable a person to enjoy longevity.

Walking

Calmly walking 10 to 20 minutes a day can bring the blood circulation to the surface of the body and thus helps in skin maintenance.

No Heavy Thoughts Before Bedtime

Reading news and thinking about big issues immediately before bedtime must be avoided. Heavy matters must be dusted off before lying down for the night's rest. This is important in order to reduce the activities of the brain during sleep. It enables a person to fall asleep quickly and soundly.

Rubbing the Feet

Chinese proverbs emphasize the high regards of the Chinese people on the feet: "Washing the feet with hot water is much more effective than taking sleeping pills," and "If you want to take care of a tree, you should take care of its roots; if you want to take care of a person, you should take care of his feet."

According to Chinese medical science, there are more than 60 acupuncture points on the feet that have strong ties with the internal organs. Using warm water to wash the feet and rub the soles and toes promotes good blood circulation, relax body muscles, and balance the yin and yang of the body. This can also help heal wounds and maintain fitness for older people.

Nowadays, many health experts and medical scientists consider the feet as "the second heart of the human body" or "the pump of the heart." They believe in the benefits of good foot care.

Good Room Ventilation

It is important to keep the bedroom air fresh. Even on windy or cold day, leaving the window panes open for a while before bedtime, letting the fresh air in, helps one gets a sound and restful sleep during the night. It is not advisable to cover the head when sleeping.

Clean Teeth and Body

For the Chinese, it is more important to brush the teeth before going to bed than to do it in the morning. They believe the practice not only helps clean away oral sediments from the day, but also gives one a good sleep during the night. It is also good to wash the face and clean the body before going to sleep, in order to keep the skin clean and get to sleep comfortably.

Brushing the Hair

Ancient Chinese medical scientists also found that there are many acupuncture points on the head, as well. They prescribed brushing the hair and massaging the head to open those acupuncture points, relieve pain, and brighten the eyes.

Also, it is believed that rubbing the scalp with the fingertips until it is warm and rosy two times a day, in the morning and again at night, is beneficial. Massaging the scalp may clear the blood flow to the head, improve the thought and memory capacity of the brain, promote nutrition to the hair follicles, reduce hair loss, relieve brain fatigue, and make it easier to fall asleep.

Proper Diet

Ancient Chinese wisdom, backed by modern researches, indicates that the answer to the question of longevity also lies in what people eat. Adding spice to one's food may add years to life expectancy, says a new Chinese research. According to the study, those who ate fiery foods at least one day a week over four years cut their risk of dying by 10 percent and those who ate it three to seven days a week saw a 15 percent death-risk drop. The researchers credit capsaicin, the thing that gives spicy ingredients their heat, noting that it has anti-obesity, antioxidant, anti-inflammation, and anticancer properties.

All the Green, Leafy Things

Unsurprisingly, vegetables have been shown to lengthen lifespan and improve health condition. But the number of years plants add may come in abundance from particularly the dark, leafy greens. The most nutrient-dense foods on the planet, greens pack a powerful nutritional punch for just a few calories. In fact, a recent study in "Experimental Biology" has found that just one serving of greens per day not only decreases risk of death by 15 percent but also protects the brain from the effects of aging, so those extra years are good ones.

In the Longevity Village, the Chinese centenarians eat vegetables as part of their breakfast, lunch and dinner. Vegetables are always a main course on their table. Among the food groups that are consistently associated with a healthy heart and long life are fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, legumes, and fish.

And, so, the health secrets of the Chinese are no secrets after all. The rest of the world has since known that it takes a healthy diet, clean and active lifestyle, and plenty of positive vibes to live well and long.

 (FREEMAN)