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The Okinawa Program is a health and longevity program based on a twenty-five year study on the centenarians of the Ryukyu Islands, a prefecture of Japan. Because the islands (Okinawa included) are home to a significant number of individuals 100 years and older, the study sought to isolate specific causes for the centenarian's unusually long lifespans.

The books detailing the program—The Okinawa Program and The Okinawa Diet Plan—were written by three of study's researchers: Canadian medical anthropologist and gerontologist D. Craig Willcox, Ph.D; Canadian Bradley J. Willcox, M.D., M.SC. from the Mayo Clinic; and Japanese geriatrician and cardiologist Makoto Suzuki, M.D., Ph.D. The books are written and designed to recreate the lifestyles of the Ryukyu centenarians, and to make this longevity and weight-loss lifestyle accessible to English-speakers.

The Program is divided into sections based off the study's findings, with emphasis on diet and stress management.

Diet
The diet toted by the Program—also known as the Okinawa Diet—focuses on a large variety of plant foods and foods that are high in specific nutrients. The diet also requires a reduction of processed foods and animal products, and encourages behaviours and habits that can be conducive to health.

The Program recommends seven to thirteen servings (or ten fruits/vegetables and whole grains) per day since plant foods are ″full of nutrients, yet contain few calories″, and are often high in fibre.

In addition to this, three servings of calcium and flavonoid foods and two servings of omega-3 foods are required per day. Calcium is crucial to the development and maintenance of bone, thus preventing osteoporosis that commonly afflicts the elderly; flavonoids have demonstrated ″antioxidative activity, free-radical scavenging capacity, coronary heart disease prevention, and anticancer activity″ and so can discourage disease; and omega-3 foods may ″reduce mortality″ and ″keep arteries clean″.

Processed foods and animal products are discouraged, but can be eaten on occasion. Processed foods may lack nutrition and fibre, and can contain unnecessary chemicals, sugars, fats, and fillers. Animal products tend to have more saturated fats (which can negatively effect blood cholesterol) and the digestion of meat can contribute to the production of homocysteine, an amino-acid that may cause cardiovascular disease.

Apart from nutritional guidelines, the Okinawa Program describes eating habits that may contribute to healthier weight. One concept is hara hachi bu, a method of consumption control wherein the individual stops eating when they are ″eighty percent full″ as opposed to eating until they are entirely full. Another concept is calorie restriction, which allegedly encourages longevity by reducing the amount of potentially harmful free radicals in the body. However, conscious calorie restriction is often unnecessary: because the Program emphasizes low calorie fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, discourages calorie-dense processed foods, and recommends hara hachi bu, the diet in itself is low calorie and so innately conforms to caloric restriction.

There is also an emphasis on specific foods which are thought to be particularly good for health and longevity. These include: sweet potato, described as a ″nutritional powerhouse″ ; tea ; several type of saltwater fish ; seaweeds, which contain combinations of nutrients that ″cannot be found in land plants″ ; and a various others.

Stress Management
The Okinawa Program describes several practices and lifestyle changes that can reduce stress, which often has negative health implications that cannot be seen in the short term. Such implications are often chronic diseases such as cardiovascular and heart disease, obesity, and immune system suppression.

Social Relationships
The Program recommends an active and engaging social life, focusing on social groups and close friendships. Humans are social animals and often require interaction within the species to thrive. According to the Program, maintaining a few solid relationships is beneficial in several ways: not only can social groups provide support and help when needed but frequent interaction can provide fulfilment, connection, and a ″sense of belonging″. Solid relationships may also reduce the levels of potentially harmful stress hormones like cortisol, and illnesses such as ″heart disease, depression, alcoholism, tuberculosis, arthritis, [and] schizophrenia″ might also be preventable with a strong social standing (in addition to relatively good health).

The Program offers several ideas for an integrative social life, including volunteer work, sports, and familial and social traditions.

Yuimaru
Yuimaru is an Okinawan term describing connectedness of community. It is a 'help thy neighbour' mentality that creates a structure of support for every person. This allows a small community to keep close contact with individual members, especially those who may have few family or social ties.

Spirituality
Spirituality and religion, while not considered conventional medicine, may provide some health benefits.

Certain spiritual and religious rituals can help develop coping strategies for stress and cultivate a mindset that is more flexible and resilient to stressors, such as meditation.

Religions often have a physical place of worship, such as a church. This can provide stress management because there is an element of social connectedness and opportunity for community integration and social interaction with like-minded individuals. In addition to this, most religions follow specific directives and conventions. If these directives are health-related or health-promoting, they can offer the benefit of greater health (for example, alcohol and drugs are discouraged in several popular religions).

The Program does not require integration into any religion or creed; rather, it suggests whole-hearted participation within an appropriate group in which the individual can find commonality and higher purpose.