Living life to the fullest must have been found in the Island of Ikaria where life expectancy is high. Dan Buettner in a feature article entitled, “The Island Where People Forgot to Die” gives hope that the longevity of life can be stretched by emulating the Ikarian way of life. The lifestyle in this island found in the west coast of Turkey fades any diet that people in the urban and suburban strive to do which include the Paleo and Vegan diets. The Greek people of Ikaria live in the lowest possible stress level, eat what they reap in their farms, drink what they brew, and do anything that they can afford. They have been self sufficient for a long time despite their isolation from what the mainstream called, civilization but they are happy.
Reading the article brings a realization that it is not only what you eat that will decide the state of your health. More importantly, the social condition where a person lives. An example is the story of the cancer patient recalled by Buettner in the article. Stamatis Moraitis lived in the USA for quite a long time with his family and was diagnosed of cancer. Instead of spending all his savings for his expensive medical treatment, he chose to go back to his ancestors’ home in Ikaria and started anew with his wife. In Ikaria, he lived the way people did without any medical restrictions. He was surrounded by friends. He breath the fresh Ikarian air, slept whenever he wanted, drank wine and herbs, ate all variety of naturally grown food, cultivate a garden, and had sex. Miraculously, he became cancer free and is approximately more than 90 years old already.
Looking at the herbs, plants, fish, and every food that the Greeks in Ikaria eat, it made me long for going back to the rural area and start anew. Life in the city whether or not you are a vegetarian or a vegan, it is still full of stress. The need for money is endless and life changes so fast. It inspired me to start growing my own food. My longing to go to the rural area may not prosper in the nearest future but I will start to cultivate an urban garden where I can grow my own food in a natural way. It would be a good start towards a long term life changing plan.
Works Cited
Buettner, Dan. “The Island Where People Forget to Die.” The New York Times Magazine. 12 Oct. 2012.Web 02 Jun. 2016.
