5 Things To Keep You Blue

What influences aging is genetics, lifestyle, and environmental factors. According to a study done in Denmark, 25% of longevity comes from genetics. Can’t do anything about that. Or can you? The rest of longevity comes from how you live your life, and maybe where. Lifestyle and environment are things within your control. Genetics play a role, but not the only one.  In 1950, life expectancy was 68 years, and by 2016, it was 81 years. It pays to stay healthy, because along with living longer, we are seeing an increase in chronic disease. It’s of no use to live longer if you are living miserably.

When work was done by National Geographic in the “blue zones” of the planet, what was found was that people exercised more. The blue zones include Sardinia, Okinawa, Loma Linda in California, Costa Rica’s isolated Nicoya Peninsula, and Ikaria, an isolated Greek island. They don’t go to the gym. Instead, they lead an active lifestyle, not a sedentary one. People move, spending time outside in nature, not in a room with a computer or worse, a tv. The diets in the blue zones are much lower in sugar and processed foods. They cook their own food. There is no McDonalds. They value their elders, caring for them. They are a community.

Here are 5 things you can practice to become more “blue” and less ill:

1. Get some exercise every day, whether walking, going to the gym, weightlifting the neighbor’s kids, chasing the dog, playing frisbee, or some other high level, sweat producing exercise.
2. Eat more vegetables. You probably eat enough fruits, proteins, and starches. Try smoothies, juicing, or raw, for a change, but get more vegetables into your diet.
3. Rest at night when you sleep. Tossing, turning, and going over the day is not restful sleep. To help your circadian rhythm, which affects hormones and stress levels, get quality sleep, somewhere between 7-9 hours every night.
4. Develop a sense of community. You are not alone, and neither are those people who live a healthy lifestyle in blue zones. A sense of belonging has an impact on your health, and can increase your survivability.
5.  Back off on social media and distractions. You don’t need to be facebooking, twittering, or checking email during all your free time. Heaven forbid that you might have an original thought during that free time.

I know it’s hard, but it isn’t impossible. You have to care enough about aging well to pay attention to what you are doing to your body, and how it impacts you. There are no free rides after age 20; it takes consideration, thoughtfulness, action, and commitment.

That’s Aging Intelligently