Shigeaki Hinohara, a Japanese doctor who passed away earlier this year at the age of 104, was the oldest Japanese educator and clinician. He wrote 150 books and Living Long, Living Good is a bestseller. With this in mind, we made a list with his 14 tips for a healthy, happy, and long life.
How to Lead a Healthy and Long Life
- Avoid using the elevator-take the stairs and carry your own stuff
He constantly emphasized the importance of these two physical activities.
- Do not believe in everything your doctor says
You should always explore, read more, and educate yourself.
- Share your knowledge
Even at an older age, Dr. Hinohara gave lectures on a yearly basis in schools, business communities on different topics, including war and peace. He spent more than 90 minutes standing up while giving the presentations.
- Retiring is not obligatory
If you love what you do, retiring should not be an option for you.
- Planning is good
If you want to enjoy your life more, avoid overcrowding your schedule with unnecessary meetings, additional work, all kinds of appointments, etc.
- Prevent weight gain
For breakfast, the doctor ate orange juice, coffee, and a tbsp of olive oil. For lunch, he consumed cookies and milk, whereas for dinner, he opted for fish, rice, and veggies. Twice per week, he consumed 100 grams of lean meat.
- Feeling good is necessary for the energy levels
You can significantly elevate your mood and energy if you do not adhere to all kinds of rules. Be more like children who are always trying to have fun until they become hungry or sleepy.
- Aging can be wonderful
Shortly before his death, the doctor was socially active; he volunteered, and worked 18 hours per day for 7 days!
- Have a role model
When he faced some minor or major issues throughout his life, he always asked what his father would do if he was in his place.
- Avoid worrying too much
As life is unpredictable and full of accidents, worrying can only harm you. Namely, at the age of 59, the doctor was hijacked by the Red Army and he spent 4 days under extreme heat of 40 degrees handcuffed to a chair.
- Science cannot cure people on its own
According to his beliefs, diseases can be treated with the help of visual and liberal arts. He considered that every being has its own uniqueness.
- Do not be preoccupied with money
He was aware that he cannot take anything with him when he leaves this world.
- Pain is rather mysterious
To forget about pain, as the doctor pointed out, you need to do something interesting. For him, music and animals were one of the best treatments for pain management.
- Inspiration is crucial
In order to remain motivated throughout life, you need to go out in the world and find what makes your heart sing. For the doctor, the poem Abt Vogler by Robert Browning was motivating.
source: 104-Year Old Japanese Doctor Recommends These 14 Healthy Pieces of Advice
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