As a holistic wellness practitioner I am continually researching strategies that promote healthy longevity. Much of the research has been centered around diet and lifestyle factors that promote health. The ultimate goal is to maximize your number of healthy years.
I recently revisited the National Geographic, April 12, 2005 article – Here Are the Secrets to a Long and Healthy Life by Simon Worral .
“In 2012, Dan Buettner set off around the world to answer a question that has obsessed philosophers and doctors since Methuselah: Why do people in some parts of the world live so much longer than others? His travels took him to Greece, Nicaragua and Japan, among others. Then he brought the lessons back to Main Street, USA.” (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/04/150412-longevity-health-blue-zones-obesity-diet-ngbooktalk/)
The ‘blue zones’ are areas of the world where people live the longest and healthiest. In his book How to Live to Be 100: Lessons Learned from The Blue Zones, Dan Buettner outlines the lessons that can be incorporated into our lives to improve our chances of living a long, healthy life.
The lessons in summary:
- Move naturally (and often)
- Hara Hachi Bu – Confucian-inspired saying that means “stop eating when you are 80% full.”
- Eat a plant based diet
- Drink red wine daily
- Have a daily ‘life purpose’
- Downshift, disconnect, relax
- Belong to a spiritual community
- Family first
- Right tribe – surround yourself with people, people need people
Co–living is a way of living focused on a genuine sense of community, using shared spaces and facilities to create a more convenient and fulfilling lifestyle. Co-living provides an opportunity to incorporate many of the longevity promoting Blue Zones lessons into your daily life. There are benefits to be gained from living in a ‘walk-able’ community with a group of like minded, supportive people who become your new family. Adding the other lessons into the mix are sure to provide the healthy, happy longevity you desire as you ‘aging in place’.
Visit the Blue Zones website for more information on living the blue zones way – https://bluezones.com/. Learn how to live longer and better.
Find a co-living/co-housing community to experience the benefits of ‘right tribe’. Visit the Canadian Senior Cohousing website at http://canadianseniorcohousing.com/ and Oak Hill Co-Living at www.oakhillcoliving.com.
Elisabeth Hines, Holistic Wellness Practitioner, Health by Design, www.mybodycanhealitself.ca,
https://www.facebook.com/HealthbyDesignForAHealthierYou/
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