Questions 28

READING PASSAGE 3

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 28-40, which are based on Reading Passage 3 below.

Recipe for Long Life

There is a place where 100-year-olds live in their own homes and tend their own gardens and where the three leading killers in western culture (heart disease, stroke and cancer) occur with the lowest frequency in the world. People maintain a healthy weight without dieting throughout life. [Crack IELTS with Rob] This place is the Japanese island-state of Okinawa, home to the healthiest people on Earth. A 25-year research project, the Okinawa Centenarian Study, found that there are more than 400 people aged 100 or older in a population of 1.3 million. In the United States, there are only 65-130 centenarians in a comparably sized sample, most of whom can no longer live alone.

How have the Okinawans managed to do all this? Simple: their lifestyle habits are extremely healthy. First, they eat a plant-based diet high in unrefined carbohydrates. This gives them protection against heart disease, cancer, stroke and weight gain. [Crack IELTS with Rob] Even if you are not an Okinawan and don’t live anywhere near a peaceful tropical island, there is something you can still do, adopt some of the Okinawans’ habits, especially their dietary habits. The evidence presented in the Okinawa Centenarian Study reveals that what you eat as well as how you live and think has a huge impact on your health, weight, energy, stress level and life expectancy. Here’s how to eat like an Okinawan.

Nutrition research consistently shows that a high-carbohydrate, plant-based diet is best for long-term health and weight maintenance. Aim for eight to 10 serving of whole grains a day. Westerners eat mostly refined grains: bleached flour products such as white bread, cookies and cakes, and white rice, which have little or no fibre. [Crack IELTS with Rob] Whole grains (brown rice whole-wheat bread for example) are unrefined carbohydrates which contain lots of fibre. Unrefined carbohydrates do not cause obesity. Instead, they provide essential fuel for the brain, central nervous system and muscles, plus nutrients that decrease the risk for heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Their fibre content helps you feel full and carries waste products through your digestive tract more quickly, so whole grains can help you lose weight. If the grain is white, the chances are it’s refined and no longer a “whole” grain, which tends to be and ranges in colour from light to dark brown. Grains you should add to your diet include brown and wild rice, barley, oats, kasha, quinoa, bulgur and buckwheat.

Vegetables are a major antioxidant, which reduces cell damage from free radicals responsible for the ageing process. Plants contain antioxidants in abundance, but some more than others. The elder Okinawans eat a lot of carrots, cabbage, onions, sweet potatoes, sweet peppers and sprouts. [Crack IELTS with Rob] Fruits are fine as well, but no more than 4 servings. A diet hill of vegetables and fruit will keep you looking younger and living longer. It doesn’t matter which ones you choose, just make sure you eat a variety of vegetables and fruits.

Flavonoids, plant compounds found in soy products, flaxseed and tea, to name a few sources, are powerful antioxidants, Theoretically, they provide a weak form of estrogen where the body needs it and block the body’s own estrogen in locations where estrogen may feed cancer. The importance of flavonoids is only beginning to take hold in the medical research community. [Crack IELTS with Rob] A high blood level of flavonoids can be maintained by eating 24 servings of these products a day. Other flavonoid-rich foods readily available include onions, snow green beans, cranberry juice, apple sauce.

Aim for three servings of calcium-rich foods daily. Calcium strengthens bones and prevents osteoporosis, Good vegetarian sources are green leafy vegetables and tofu. Dairy products are also excellent sources of calcium, but consume them in moderation. Surprisingly, osteoporosis rates are lower in societies where people eat few, if any, dairy products. [Crack IELTS with Rob] The type of saturated fat in whole-fat dairy products is one of the worst offenders for making cholesterol in the body So, go for low-fat varieties, preferably two dairy servings a day and try one of the vegetarian sources as your third calcium serving.

Unless you’re eating fish or flax several times a week, you’re probåbly not getting enough omega-3 fatty acids, which are critical for maintaining optimal performance of the brain, cardiovascular system and immune system. You can get adequate amounts by eating fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids several times a week. are generally the darker-fleshed fish like salmon, tuna and mackerel. [Crack IELTS with Rob] If you’re a vegetarian, you can get omega-3s from walnuts. If you’re a meat-eater, you should try to make the switch to fish. The omega-3s in fish can help prevent clots from forming in coronary arteries and elsewhere.

Use 1 -2 tablespoons of monounsaturated vegetable oils daily. The problem is not how much fat you eat, but what kind. The highly-rated Mediterranean diet is high in fat but low in health risks because the fat in that diet is monounsaturated, the heart-healthy, good-for-you fat. “Bad” fats, the kind that clog arteries are saturated fat, derived mostly from animal sources like red meat and dairy plus trans fats, found in margarine french fries, chips and cookies. Olive, canola and flaxseed oil which reduce the bad and boost the good cholesterol, are all high in monounsaturated fats, as are avocados and almonds. Canola is the Okinawans’ oil of choice.

Up to seven servings a week of high-protein meats, poultry and eggs are fine too; don’t eat red meat every day; three times a week is plenty.. and choose lean cuts about three servings a week. Women should have no more than one alcoholic beverage a day, men two. Red wine is best as it contains compounds thought to protect against heart diseases and osteoporosis. [Crack IELTS with Rob] Drink enough water so that your urine is clear, whether it 8 glasses a day or 12. If you’re physically active, you’ll need even more.

Okinawans eat food that is high in unrefined carbohydrates and fibre, but they tend to stop eating before they are full. They call their secret ‘hara hachi bu’, which loosely translates to ‘eat until you are eight parts full (out of ten).’ Simply put, leave a little room at the end of each meal. In addition to eating healthily, I feel exercise is a way of life. [Crack IELTS with Rob] They take up martial arts and traditional dance when young and continue these activities throughout their lives; most also garden and walk. Okinawans have a deep respect for nature and believe they have an obligation to help others. These relationships with nature and community are powerful: research shows that they help extend life and lower disease risk. These are concepts that we can and should integrate into our daily lives to maintain our physical, emotional and spiritual health.

General Reading 7.3

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