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Steps for Longevity

Wednesday, January 12, 2022 9:48 AM

This article is a good summary of several points made by the blue zones research.  If like me you don’t exactly know what the blue zone research is, I want to introduce you to it.  Blue Zones was founded by adventurer and author Dan Buettner, an explorer who once circled the globe on his bicycle to earn three Guinness Book of World Records.  For Dan, trekking continents was about mysteries, not miles. And it was a mystery in Japan that became the seed from which Dan’s best-selling Blue Zones books would grow: What are the secrets of the world’s longest-living people?  These books were published by National Geographic and were an exploration into cultures that had long life spans many over 100 years of age.  This has grown into an organization with these values:

  • Routine natural movement throughout the day contributes to longevity.
  • A plant-slant diet leads to a longer, healthier life.
  • Relationships with family, friends, and people of faith lengthen lifespans.
  • A strong sense of purpose in life leads to longevity.

The Eating well article pulls out 10 points pulled from this research that anyone can apply towards improving both the quality and duration of their life.  These 10 points are:

  1. Carry a water bottle everywhere.
  2. Practice the 80% rule (stop eating when you are almost full and not when you are stuffed)
  3. Snack on nuts
  4. Eat beans daily
  5. Walk when you run errands (getting physical activity into your routine)
  6. Have some plant based meal days (meatless monday for example)
  7. Schedule in Social time (Happy hours with friends, etc.)
  8. Make time for hobbies (Gardening, Video Games, Remodeling, there are a lot of choices here)
  9. Surround yourself with support 
  10. Enjoy alcohol in moderation

I will be digging into this research further so stay tuned for more information from this research.  It aligns very well with the purposes of Better Body Clinical Nutrition.