Ingabe Imfihlo Yokuphila Isikhathi Eside Ise-Okinawa?
NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EJAPANE
◼ Ngo-2006, kwakulinganiselwa ukuthi kunabantu abangaba ngu-740 abevile eminyakeni eyikhulu ubudala eziqhingini zase-Okinawa, eJapane—amaphesenti angu-90 kubo abesifazane—emphakathini wabantu abayizigidi ezingu-1,3. Lokhu kusho ukuthi bangaba ngu-50 abantu abevile ekhulwini leminyaka kubantu abangu-100 000, ngokwe-Okinawa Centenarian Study, eyayiholwa uDkt. Makoto Suzuki. Emazweni amaningi asethuthukile, kucatshangwa ukuthi isilinganiso siphakathi kwabantu abayishumi nabangu-20 kubantu abangu-100 000.
Lolu cwaningo oluqhubekayo, okuthiwa “luwucwaningo olude oluqhubekayo emhlabeni mayelana nabantu abevile ekhulwini leminyaka,” lwathola ukuthi “inani elingavamile labevile ekhulwini leminyaka laliyimiqemane.” Ukuze bathole ukuthi kungani kunjalo, uSuzuki nethimba lakhe bahlola indlela yokuphila nofuzo kwabangaphezu kuka-900 abevile ekhulwini leminyaka, kanye nabantu abaningi base-Okinawa abaneminyaka engu-70 noma ngaphezulu. Abacwaningi bathola ukuthi laba bantu babenomzimba omncane futhi beyimiqemane, imithambo yabo yegazi yayingavalekile, futhi laliphansi kakhulu inani labanomdlavuza nesifo senhliziyo. Kulabo asebecela ekhulwini leminyaka, bambalwa ababenenkinga yokulahlekelwa yingqondo uma kuqhathaniswa nabantu bakwamanye amazwe asethuthukile. Iyini imfihlo?
Esinye sezici eziyinhloko kwakuwufuzo. Kodwa kwakuneminye imithelela—ukugwema ugwayi, ukulinganisela ophuzweni nokudla ngendlela efanele. Ukudla kwase-Okinawa kunama-kilojoule amancane futhi kunemifino nezithelo, kumahhadla ngokwemvelo futhi kunamafutha anganqumi (i-omega-3). Laba bantu bananomkhuba wokuyeka ukudla uma nje sebeqala ukuzwa ukuthi basuthi. UDkt. Bradley Willcox, naye owayengumhloli kulolu cwaningo, uthi: “Kufanele uyeke ukudla uma uqala nje ukuzwa ukuthi ususuthi. Kuba nesikhawu semizuzu engu-20 ngaphambi kokuba isisu sitshele ubuchopho ukuthi ususuthi.”
Abantu base-Okinawa bavivinya umzimba ngokunakekela izivande, ukuhamba nsuku zonke, ukudansa, noma eminye imisebenzi. Ukuhlolwa kobuntu babo kwembula ukuthi abantu abevile ekhulwini leminyaka babenethemba lokuhle futhi bevumelana nezimo. Babhekana kahle nokucindezeleka, futhi abesifazane ikakhulukazi babonakala “benobudlelwane obuqinile nabanye.”
UWillcox uthi “alikho iphilisi eliwumlingo” lokuphila isikhathi eside. Njengoba lolu cwaningo lwembula, lokhu kuthonywa ufuzo, ukudla, ukuvivinya umzimba, imikhuba emihle, “kanye nezindlela ezifanele zokubhekana nokucindezeleka.”