I was re-reading some of my old blogs and saw the story of a Japanese named Shigeaki Hinohara. In 2009, Hinohara was 97 years old and at that time, he was still actively serving as a physician and educator.
But that was 7 years ago. I wonder what happened to him. Is he still alive? He should be 104 years old by now. I quickly googled and surprise, surprise, he's still alive at the age 104! Yay!
If you haven't heard about Hinohara, below are his secrets to a long life. He shared them in an interview with Japan Times Online. You might be surprised that some of them are what you least expect to come from a doctor! Haha...
- Energy comes from feeling good, not from eating well or sleeping a lot.
- All people who live long – regardless of nationality, race or gender – share one thing in common: none are overweight.
- Always plan ahead. (In 2009, Hinohara’s appointment book was already full until 2014. And he had penciled in his attendance to the 2016 Tokyo Olympics!)
- There is no need to ever retire, but if one must, it should be a lot later than 65.
- Share what you know.
- When your doctor recommends you take a test or have surgery, ask whether he would recommend the same for his/her spouse or children.
- To stay healthy, always take the stairs and carry your own stuff.
- Don’t be crazy about amassing material things.
- Science alone can’t cure or help people. Illness is personal.
- Find a role model and aim to achieve even more than they could ever do.
It’s wonderful to live long, especially if you share your life with others. (Hinohara has been doing volunteer work since age 65. He works 18 hours, 7 days a week!)
My favorite is the first one - Energy comes from feeling good, not from eating well.... It gives us an excuse to eat anything! But for sure we'll never get away using that with a doctor except if our doctor is Dr. Hinohara. :)
