To begin our great week, I wanted to share a recent discovery, as to how we can all adopt a unique healthy way of living that is scientifically proven to have some incredible outcomes.
Depending on how you live, the habits you create for yourself do matter. There is scientific evidence to suggest that only 25% of how long we live is dictated by our genetic predisposition, and the other 75% is determined by our lifestyles and the everyday choices we make. I just started reading an amazing book, titled “The Blue Zones: 9 Lessons for Living Longer from the people who’ve lived the longest” by Dan Buettner. (Link to book here.) In certain parts of the world, named Blue Zones, the people who live in these areas embrace 9 key lifestyle habits, an “eco-system of health”, if you will. Each part of this system has a distinct purpose and is part of a cultural way of life. As a result, individuals in these communities are 10 times more likely to live to 100 years of age. This is quite a contrast to the rest of the population in the US, which has an average life expectancy of 79.25 years of age, as of 2024. Of course, I wouldn’t mind living in Italy, Japan, or Greece where some of these Blue Zones exist to have the opportunity to experience this cultural phenomenon. However, the reality is, we don’t have to travel at all, as we can all learn from, and embrace this way of life and begin to create this ecosystem for ourselves. Check out this article from GQ, “The Longest Living People in the World All Abide by the ‘Power 9’ Rule” https://www.gq.com/story/blue-zones-power-9 .
When I read this article, I was instantly reminded of the teachings Unbeatable Mind has provided us about The Six Pillars, which we continue to introduce in our Benefits presentation for all New Hires. If you recall, The Six Pillars represent the foundation for balance and give us the best opportunity to experience optimal well-being and peak-performance. (1. Fitness & Movement, 2. Diet & Nutrition, 3. Sleep, 4. Stress Management, 5. Time in Nature, 6. Social & Community Support) It was interesting to see how these Pillars align with the 9 lifestyle habits suggested in the enclosed article.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this Blue Zone lifestyle…Would this be a way of life you would consider? Why or why not?
Wishing you all health and joy and a Better We, Better Week! 😊
Thanks,
Lori Beth
1 comment
You can also watch the series called Blue Zone on Netflix! It was an incredible documentary about the people that live in these areas of the world! How do we live to be 100+ and healthy? I think it was in Sardinia where they highlighted the sense of Community as a large contributor to people living longer. They help one another all the time and it is not just family, it is neighbors, friends etc. It was a wonderful series and I highly recommend it. Maybe we need to have one of our All Together Meetings in one of the Blue Zones and learn from these amazing people.