Live Better – Not Just Longer
We are all living longer, and the older you are, the greater your risk of developing dementia. If we are sick and frail during the last several years of our life, if we have dementia, are those additional years quality years? Do you ever stop and think, “What happens if I get dementia?” I bet we all do, yet what are we doing to prevent it? I can honestly say that I consciously do things to keep my brain and body healthy every day.
Some of the best information I have found about living a long and healthy life is available at Bluezones.com. Dan Buettner, Blue Zones founder, is an explorer, National Geographic Fellow, award-winning journalist and producer, and New York Times bestselling author. He identified the five original blue zones—the places in the world with the healthiest, longest-living populations—including Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California. Residents of these longevity hotspots live in different parts of the world, yet they share nine commonalities that lead to healthier, happier lives. Buettner and a team of medical researchers, anthropologists, demographers, and epidemiologists searched for evidence-based common denominators among all places.
They found nine key factors to healthy and long lives:
- Move naturally
- Live with purpose
- Manage stress
- Stop eating when you are 80% full
- Enjoy a mostly plant-based diet
- Drink alcohol moderately
- Belong to a faith-based community
- Put family and loved ones first
- Build a strong social network
I encourage you all to begin to incorporate the Blue Zone information into your life. Their website has tools, planners and many resources that will help you on your way to better living. Visit: Power 9® – Blue Zones.
