7 Things That Help Chinese People Keep Their Body and Mind Young for Their Entire Life

Living long doesn’t mean living healthy. It’s important to keep your mind and body young and active. Chinese people keep surprising us by reaching these goals. For example, there is one Chinese woman who was believed to have lived 135 years, and it’s truly impressive.

1. They use 4 essential herbs.

The Chinese use herbs to keep their bodies healthy. Those herbs help to get minerals that we need, plus they can have a detox effect. Here are the 4 essential herbs:

• Ginseng works as an adaptogen and helps the body react to stress.
• Huang Qi protects your body’s immune system as you age.
• Lingzhi helps to produce energy, strengthen memory, and support healthy aging.
• Goji berry works as an antioxidant that helps alleviate free radicals or particles that cause stress.

2. They use cordyceps.

Cordyceps is a fungus that has a special history in Chinese treatment. It might improve immunity by stimulating cells and chemicals that help fight cancer cells and shrink tumors. Nowadays, it’s very hard to find natural cordyceps, so they produce it in labs. Also, people use it for treating kidney disorders and liver problems.

3. They swim in cold water.

A famous Chinese blogger named Liu Yelin is famous for looking like a 30 y.o. woman, even though she is actually 50 now. Besides exercising every day, she recommends swimming in cold water, saying, “I swim in the lake and do weight training every day. My favorite thing is swimming outdoors in winter. It’s a test of my will and perseverance. I often had to force myself to do it.”

4. They connect sports with Qi Gong.

Qi Gong, including meditation, is great to complement your training and improve your performance. It helps to bring balance to your body and mind, so you experience less stress. The better your mood, the better sleep you have, and the better you look. Plus, athletes can use it for faster rehabilitation in case of injuries.

5. They pay attention to the Chinese body clock.

Of course, it’s important to pay careful attention to what you eat, but it’s also crucial what time you eat, according to the Chinese body clock. For example, for breakfast, it’s better to have warm, moist foods, nothing too rich, salty, or sweet. The best time to eat this meal is between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Lunch should be eaten between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and should consist of pungent, hot foods with whole grains. Dinner should be served between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. The kidneys are very active during this time, so you need to have nourishing, light, and fresh foods. Roasted meats and fish are allowed at this time.

6. They live in communities.

Traditions, family, and community relationships are considered important. Multi-generational families often live together, and rarely do elderly parents move into nursing homes: “They often have morning tea together every morning. If they live separately, then it’s traditional to have dim sum at least once a week.”

7. Having children later in life

In one Chinese village where people tend to live long lives, it was noted that they often give birth to their first baby at 27, and the last baby is usually born around age 42 or 43. Also, they consume less protein and eat more vegetables.

How long would you like to live? Have you ever tried a diet without protein? How did you feel?