On Wednesday, I attended the funeral of a man who had lived a relatively long life into his 80′s. He had been diagnosed with cancer some years ago and went on living beyond what the doctors expected. Up until his last day, he maintained his sense of humor and even his smile. He seemed to love life and living. He loved the people in his life, and most especially, he loved to show his affection to those he cared about. He was a role model of love and loving. He will be missed by his family and everyone who knew him.

Thinking about the way he lived his final years reminded me of an article I read some months ago that was published online by AARP. It was the story of a Greek immigrant named Yiannis Karimalis who lived in Pennsylvania. He was told in 1970 that he had abdominal cancer and would die within a year. At the time, he was almost 40 years old. Taking the doctor’s prognosis to heart, he quit his job and returned to his native island of Ikaria. His intent was to die in the land of his people so he could be buried alongside his relatives for a lot less expense than in the U.S. As of 2009, Yiannis Karimalis was alive and well on his beautiful island home!

Ikaria is a mountainous island, 99-square miles in size, located in the Eastern Aegean Sea near Turkey. Ikarians, on average, outlive just about everyone else in the world. Scientists and medical researchers funded by AARP and National Geographic went there last year to begin studying the reasons behind their long lives. Their investigation found that one in three Ikarians reach age 90 compared to the expected one in nine baby boomers in the United States. Ikarians also suffer from less diseases than we do in the U.S.–20 percent fewer cases of cancer, half our rate of heart disease and one-ninth our rate of diabetes, according to the AARP article written by Dan Buettner in September and October 2009. And most astonishing to Mr. Buettner and his team was that “among the islanders over 90 whom the team studies–about one-third of Ikaria’s population are 90 and older–there was virtually no Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia. In the United States more than 40 percent of people over 90 suffer some form of this devastating ailment. (Dan Buettner is also the author of The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who’ve Lived the Longest, wherein he explores other places in the world, like Ikaria, where longevity is the norm.)

In ancient times, Ikaria was sought out as a health destination. People traveled there to bathe in the radioactive hot springs in order to relieve pain, cure joint and skin problems. For the past two thousand years, however, people forgot about this island and the Ikarians themselves moved up into the mountains of their island in order to keep themselves safe from pirates. Leading lives up in the rocky slopes of the island created a unique lifestyle. The vegetation and land available there provided for a specialized diet and way of life. Island life allows Ikarians to enjoy a way of life that most of us only dream of: they enjoy socializing late into the morning hours each night. Their days start later–they open their shops around 10 AM and close them midday in order to take daily naps. They enjoy good times and a casual pace of life which keep their outlook optimistic and bright.

Buettner’s team talked to hundred-year-old Ikarians to understand what they’d eaten during their lives and how they’d lived. They came up with 13 probable reasons for their longevity. The following is an incorporation of their findings and my thoughts on how we might all live the longest life possible:

1. Graze on greens. Ikarians have over 150 varieties of wild greens growing on their island. Some of those greens have extemely high levels of antioxidants. Most of us know that turkey is a source of tryptophan which is an essential amino acid necessary for the production of niacin and important in the synthesis of seratonin and melatonin, hormones that regulate mood and stress response. Did you also know that greens are a great way to get this essential amino acid? Incorporate them into the foods you prepare each day.

2.Sip herbal teas. The Ikarians enjoy daily teas steeped from the native wild herbs of their island. These include wild mint, chamomile and many others that are used as part of their daily ritual. Many teas lower blood pressure along with providing other therapeutic benefits. Learn how to prepare and enjoy your own daily tea infusions using organic herbs.

3. Throw out your watch. How many of us can really do this? Well, Ikarians don’t worry about time–they live according to the flow of the day rather than the ticking of the clock. They know that everything will get done in time. So maybe we can’t really throw out our watch, but can we rely on it a little less? Adopting the attitude that it’ll all get done anyway helps lower stress.

4. Nap daily. Again, can we in the United States find ways to adopt this lifestyle? How about at least a quick catnap during our lunch or afternoon work break? Why not incorporate a nap into our weekend regimen? Ikarians all go indoors for a siesta every afternoon–you won’t find an open shop during those mid- to late-afternoon hours. A daily 30-minute nap decreases the risk of a heart attack.

5. Walk where you’re going. A lifelong practice of walking on a consistent, daily basis is the best gift we can give our bodies. Whether it’s trekking through mountainous terrain, as the Ikarians do, or walking to do the local errand–rather than jumping in our car–we give our bodies a daily mini workout.

6. Phone a friend (or get together with a friend for tea or a meal). Because Ikaria is such a rugged island, its inhabitants’ reliance on family and village support is key to everyone’s survival. Take a lesson from the Ikarians and make sure your social connections are strong and deep. Those connections not only make you feel good in the moment, but they reduce your chances of experiencing depression and add to longevity.

7. Drink goat’s milk. Most Ikarians over 90 have drunk goat’s milk all their lives. It is another great source of tryptophan and also has many antibacterial benefits.

8. Maintain a Mediterranean diet. Grab the olive oil! Eat lots of colorful fruits and veggies! Incorporate a variety of whole grains and plenty of fish! These are the elements of a great Mediterranean diet. People throughout the world who stick to this type of diet outlive others by about six years. The Ikarians, by necessity, do live on a modification of this diet. Due to what grows best on their island, they eat more potatoes than grains. And because the sea is a day’s journey away, they also eat more meat than fish. Let this also be a lesson to us to change what we can based on the parameters of where we live. It’s about doing the best we can with what is available at any given time.

9. Enjoy some Greek honey. The local honey of Ikaria is very special and unique. It contains antibacterial, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. To my knowledge, we cannot obtain their local honey which is produced by aphids rather than bees and is drawn from the pine tree. However, my favorite–Greek thyme honey–can be purchased over the internet.

10. Open the olive oil. Ikaria consumes some of the largest amounts of olive oil in the world. Olive oil is rich in antioxidants. Ikarians drizzle it over their cooked food, which provides them with more healthful properties than olive oil that’s been heated.

11. Grow your own garden or frequent your local farmers’ market. Eating freshly picked fruits and vegetables, whenever possible, provides our bodies with many more vitamins and nutrients than those purchased at our local grocery store. Much of the benefits of the produce is lost as it is transported from grower to our local towns and cities, so fresh is best!

12. Bake bread. The Ikarians make a wonderful sourdough bread that is high in complex carbohydrates and may improve glucose metabolism and even stave off diabetes. Be sure to enjoy your sourdough!

13.Get religion. Any kind of religious or spiritual path can help in increasing our life spans. Ikarians observe Greek Orthodox rituals and regularly attend religious services. A spiritual path reduces our fear and helps us deepen our compassion and love for ourselves and each other. It also allows us to open our hearts to ALL THAT IS.

This leads me back to the gentleman who I and others honored on Wednesday. He had a deep connection to his Jewish faith. He celebrated his traditions and rituals and shared them with others. Above all else, he loved life, his God, his family, and his friends.

May we all be so fortunate to live long lives filled with much love and good health!