Healthy at 100: The Scientifically Proven Secrets of the World's Healthiest and Longest-Lived People [MP3 CD]

John Robbins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2006

Why do some people age in failing health and sadness, while others grow old with vitality and joy?

In this revolutionary book, bestselling author John Robbins presents us with a bold new paradigm of aging, showing us how we can increase not only our lifespan but also our health span. Through the example of four very different cultures that have the distinction of producing some of the world’s healthiest, oldest people, Robbins reveals the secrets for living an extended and fulfilling life in which our later years become a period of wisdom, vitality, and happiness. From Abkhasia in the Caucasus south of Russia, where age is beauty, and Vilcabamba in the Andes of South America, where laughter is the greatest medicine, to Hunza in Central Asia, where dance is ageless, and finally the southern Japanese islands of Okinawa, the modern Shangri-la, where people regularly live beyond a century, Robbins examines how the unique lifestyles of these peoples can influence and improve our own.

Bringing the traditions of these ancient and vibrantly healthy cultures together with the latest breakthroughs in medical science, Robbins reveals that, remarkably, they both point in the same direction. The result is an inspirational synthesis of years of research into healthy aging in which Robbins has isolated the characteristics that will enable us to live long and–most important–joyous lives. With an emphasis on simple, wholesome, but satisfying fare, and the addition of a manageable daily exercise routine, many people can experience great improvement in the quality of their lives now and for many years to come. But perhaps more surprising is Robbins’ discovery that it is not diet and exercise alone that helps people to live well past one hundred. The quality of personal relationships is enormously important. With startling medical evidence about the effects of our interactions with others, Robbins asserts that loneliness has more impact on lifespan than such known vices as smoking. There is clearly a strong beneficial power to love and connection.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

How do the Abkhasians of the Caucasus Mountains, the Vilcabambans of Ecuador and the Hunzans of Pakistan live to a very old age while enjoying full physical and mental health? Robbins—who famously rejected his Baskin-Robbins inheritance to pursue a healthful and compassionate lifestyle that he would eventually trumpet in his bestselling Diet for a New America—explains that all three cultures eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains and other natural foods that are low in calories, protein, sugar and fat. They cherish their children and their elders, foster a positive mental attitude and place a premium on vigorous and constant physical activity that is built into their daily routines. Industrialized nations, on the other hand, fear and loathe the aging process and disrespect the elderly. Their citizens often lead stressful lives, stuff themselves with processed foods and drive everywhere. As Robbins challenges readers to give up bad habits and adopt smarter routines concerning food, exercise and work, he distills the familiar philosophies of Dean Ornish and other gurus and serves up some hippie-dippy pap ("Dance in the moonlight"). Yet his advice is mostly commonsensical and scientifically sound, and readers seeking that elusive fountain of youth would be wise to listen up. (Sept. 12)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Robbins has moved on from his career as a successful ice-cream manufacturer to a zealous devotion to encouraging his fellow Americans to eat better. Here he examines selected data from four diverse cultures renowned for the numbers of centenarians among them. Robbins contends that the reason for these long lives lies in food and lifestyle issues. He sets store by organic foods, small portions, and lots of heart-stimulating exercise, the attributes he finds in common among all these old people despite their vast geographic remove from one another. Robbins' arguments would be strengthened if he presented more rigorous life-expectancy statistics about the general populations in which these elders flourish. Does every person in these societies live to 100? If not, what are the differences between the elders and the rest of their own societies? Advocates of globalization will cringe at Robbins' negative assessment of the inroads of world culture on formerly isolated societies. He stands on much firmer ground when he advocates greater respect for the elderly, their experience, and their wisdom in contemporary, youth-obsessed Western culture. Mark Knoblauch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• MP3 CD
• Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks; MP3 Una edition (September 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786175001
• ISBN-13: 978-0786175000
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (77 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,671,963 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John Robbins is the author of The New Good Life: Living Better Than Ever in an Age of Less.

He is also author of the international bestseller DIET FOR A NEW AMERICA: How Your Food Choices Affect Your Health, Happiness, and the Future of Life on Earth, THE FOOD REVOLUTION: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World, HEALTHY AT 100: The Scientifically Proven Secrets of the World's Healthiest and Longest-Lived Peoples, THE AWAKENED HEART: Meditations on Finding Harmony in a Changing World, and RECLAIMING OUR HEALTH: Exploding the Medical Myth and Embracing the Source of True Healing.

John's work has been the subject of cover stories and feature articles in The San Francisco Chronicle, The Los Angeles Times, Chicago Life, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and many of the nation's other major newspapers and magazines. His life and work have also been featured in an hour long PBS special titled Diet For A New America.

The only son of the founder of the Baskin-Robbins ice cream empire, John Robbins was groomed to follow in his father's footsteps, but chose to walk away from Baskin-Robbins and the immense wealth it represented to "...pursue the deeper American Dream...the dream of a society at peace with its conscience because it respects and lives in harmony with all life forms. A dream of a society that is truly healthy, practicing a wise and compassionate stewardship of a balanced ecosystem."

Considered by many to be one of the most eloquent and powerful spokespersons in the world for a sane, ethical and sustainable future, John has been a featured and keynote speaker at major conferences sponsored by Physicians for Social Responsibility, Beyond War, Oxfam, the Sierra Club, the Humane Society of the United States, the United Nations Environmental Program, UNICEF, and many other organizations dedicated to creating a healthy, just, and sustainable way of life. He is the recipient of the Rachel Carson Award, the Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Award, the Peace Abbey's Courage of Conscience Award, and lifetime achievement awards from groups including Green America. The widespread media attention he has received has included numerous appearances on national shows including Oprah, Donahue and Geraldo. When John spoke at the United Nations, he received a standing ovation.

John serves on the Boards of many non-profit groups working toward a thriving, just, and sustainable way of life. He is the Founder and Board Chair Emeritus of EarthSave International (earthsave.org), an organization dedicated to healthy food choices, preservation of the environment, and a more compassionate world. John is also the Board Chair of YES! (yesworld.org), which educates, inspires and empowers young leaders to take positive action for all life on Earth.

John's life is dedicated to creating an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling and socially just human presence on this planet. He lives with his wife Deo, their son Ocean and his wife Michele, and their grandsons River and Bodhi in the hills outside Santa Cruz, California. The Robbins' offices and home run on solar electricity.

For information about John, for access to his articles and posts, or to sign up to be notified of his future posts and events, visit http://www.johnrobbins.info

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

144 of 147 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why isn't this a bestseller? (review by former scientist), January 7, 2007

By 

Patrick D. Goonan "see profile for URL" (Livermore, CA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Healthy at 100: The Scientifically Proven Secrets of the World's Healthiest and Longest-Lived Peoples (Hardcover)

At one time, I was a research scientist who studied both biochemistry and physiology in graduate school. Now, I work in the psychology area with an emphasis on integrating psychology, the world's wisdom traditions and the mind-body connection. I am well read in a variety of subject areas, I read ravenously in general and I've reviewed a lot of books on Amazon. Therefore, when I say this is a GREAT book and that I had difficulty putting it down, this is not faint praise. I actually do believe this should be a bestseller!

The core of this book is the study of four cultures who have a history of producing long-lived people. Specifically, it looks at the Abkhasia of the Caucasus, the Vilcabamba or Ecuador, the Hunza and the centenarians of Japan. It also discusses the China Study in some detail, which was the largest anti-cancer provention study ever undertaken. In short, the books discusses what these cultures have in common and provides informed opinions about the reasons they experience such long longetivity.

The whole book is punctuated by interesting facts by authoratative individuals, organizations and other studies. This lends credibiility to the author's argument for eating more whole grains, less calories, increasing the consumption of vegetables and fruits, going organic and leading an activity life that includes walking, regular exercise of other types and meaningful relationships.

One of the more beautiful and poignant premises of the book is that ALL of the cultures mentioned above revere older members of the society and a positive attitude toward aging that is lacking in our society. Mr. Robbins also repeatedly mentions the importance of close relationships and leading a meaningful life. In fact, he cites some sources that suggest that is a more determenent of health that even smoking and other bad habits.

What makes this book especially good is that it compares and contrasts our cultures values, attitudes toward the aged, perspectives on aging and dietary habits with other cultures where senility, heart disease and lingering chronic illness is virtually absent. It makes a strong argument for a vegetarian or near vegeterian diet, but not in a dogmatic way that is offensive. I also think it is a social useful commentary because it asks the right questions about whether we are caring for, honoring and fully leveraging all the valuable things that older people have to offer. In fact, he directly points a finger at how Western culture often disowns and disempowers older individuals and gives examples of this from the media, movies, etc. In our society, it isn't OK to age and seems to have an affect on how we age.

I have read a number of books on aging and the aging brain by some recognized authorities in the field and what seems to be emerging from their work is that we tend to age in the way we expect to age. It also appears that healthy relationships are a KEY component to aging gracefully, which is directly in opposition to current culture trends of increasing isolation, compartmentalization, etc.

Parts 2, 3, 4 and 5 focus on the following areas: 1) Food; 2) The Body-Mind Connection; 3) The importance of love; and 4) the Human Spirit. These sections take the concepts that were developed in section one and look at the larger implications to the society and individual living within it.

If you are looking for a credible book on aging gracefully with dignity, hope and a chance for a healthy life, you will enjoy this. If you are interested in the influence of culture and beliefs on health, you will find this book an indispensable and informative read. I wholeheartedly recommend this fine and credible book to anyone looking to understand how we age, how we can maintain our health throughout the aging process and the cultural forces that keep us stuck in unhealthy patterns.

66 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book scores 100 out of 100, September 29, 2008

By 

Francis Tapon (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Healthy at 100: The Scientifically Proven Secrets of the World's Healthiest and Longest-Lived Peoples (Paperback)

OVERALL: A must read for all homo sapiens who want to live a happy life, not just a healthy one.

PROS:

* Quite rational and measured. Robbins constantly tempers his enthusiasm for the four healthy cultures he examines. He refrains from idealizing them, which strengthens his argument. He doesn't gush over their way of life and points out their shortcomings (e.g., lack of refrigeration, dirt floors, poor telecommunications, etc...).

* Adds two components that he didn't mention much in his previous books: exercise and love. He's always focused on diet, but now he spends more time talking about the importance of exercise and creating a loving community.

* He's less dogmatic about being a vegan. He admits that the longest lived people in the world (the Okinawans) eat fish regularly. His concerns are how fish have more mercury than ever and that we've over-fished our waters.

* Well researched and documented. As usual, Robbins cites his sources for those who want to dig deeper. He's professional.

CON: His argument that the gaps between rich and poor is the predictor of a nation's health is weak. I would have liked to see more evidence of that.

CONCLUSION: I love this book and recommend it to anyone. I've read 3 of his books and this is the best so far. It's balanced and persuasive. He's matured and become quite wise.

44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most grounded, beautiful, rich and inspiring books on health I've ever read., September 23, 2006

By 

Theodore Hargrave "Tad Hargrave" (Edmonton, Alberta) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Healthy at 100: The Scientifically Proven Secrets of the World's Healthiest and Longest-Lived Peoples (Hardcover)

I laughed when I read the editorial review from Booklist, that begins with the words: "Robbins has moved on from his career as a successful ice-cream manufacturer..." Obviously, that reviewer hasn't actually read Healthy at 100.

I have, however, and I am exceedingly grateful for all I've learned, and even more for the experiences I have had while reading, and as a result of reading, this extraordinary book. In the days since I finished it, I've felt uplifted in every cell of my body. I also shared it with an older friend, who read it. She then gathered her children, friends, and grandchildren around her so that we could talk together about aging. My friend spoke of what she is grateful for in my life, and all that she is looking forward to in her later years. We talked about our images of aging, where they come from, and whether or not they serve our optimum health potential. None of this would have happened without Robbins' fabulous new book.

Prior to reading Healthy at 100, like most Americans I had adopted a pretty negative view of aging. But as a result of the exquisite blend of heartful wisdom and rational clarity in Robbins' superbly written book, I now have a positive and beautiful vision of what my wisdom years can entail, and the steps I can take not only to live long but to live well. He describes exactly the steps we can take not only to increase our life spans, but also to increase our health spans.

I have read a great number of books on health and healing, on diet and exercise, and on the healing powers of love and positive attitudes. I've never read a book as full of truth, as deeply grounded in the joys and struggles of life, as real and authentic, as Healthy at 100. And I've never read a book ultimately as hopeful, as genuinely uplifting, as honoring of who we are and who we can be.

Robbins has written many outstanding best-sellers before, but this may well be his best ever. If you want to read a mature writer at the culmination of his craft, get Healthy at 100. If you want to live a healthier life, more centered in your optimum health potential, and more in touch with what really gives you life, read this book. I am going to buy copies for everyone I know who is aging, and I don't mean just the older people in my life. As Robbins points out, aging doesn't begin at 65. We are all aging, every day, and this is the book for those who want to do it well, who want each stage of their life to be fulfilling, creative and vital.

Dean Ornish calls this book "a masterpiece." Marianne Williamson calls Robbins "one of the most important voices in America today." I couldn't agree more.