I just finished listening to a lecture by Dan Buettner, Founder and CEO of Blue Zones.
Blue Zones are home to the world’s longest-living populations.
Many lifestyle practices are shared by those in different regions around the world. One, Hara hachi bu, is the Japanese philosophy of eating until 80% full. Coorie, the Scottish lifestyle approach of being emotionally in sync with your surroundings, is another. Fascinating.
Sponsored by National Geographic, Buettner took his teams around the globe. They studied, interacted with, and learned from centenarians living in these areas. What they discovered were seemingly obscure places that had a few (pretty obvious if not under-rated) characteristecs in common.
At the beginning of his presentation, Buettner asks his audience to reflect on a few questions indicating the potential of their own lifespans. At first, his brief survey inquires into the usual suspects. What is the average number of hours of sleep they get per night? How many servings of fruits and vegetables do they eat and how much physical activity to they get per day? He also has them consider their smoking (non-smoking) habits and whether or not they belong to any type of faith-based community. What is the number of trusted friends they have and, by the way, have they ever had unprotected sex with a stranger? Finally, he asks, can they state their life’s purpose in one sentence? As it turns out, these are the key indicators identifying his Blue Zone rock stars.
Again, this is stuff we know.
This information is proven and accessible. We have the common knowledge that its simple application supports longevity and an overall quality of life. But do we actually do the work to apply it to our fast-forward lives? Should we intrinsically know how? Because, beyond the Blue Zones, there are other known places with practices boasting demonstrated health benefits for our minds, bodies, and souls.
There are obviously always available resources online supporting the implementation of simple actions that increase our potential for longevity. Even in Milwaukee, we have options as to how to locally uplevel our lives today in terms of primary nutrition. (The activities that feed our body, mind, and spirit off of the plate). These steps can also help us tap into those resources that offer access to secondary nutrition. (The food we eat every day which is physical and bio-individual–or unique to you). It is also supportive of the integration of our multidimensional well-being–that is, the collaboration of systems that define our holistic health.
Have I piqued your interest yet? Would you like to learn more and/or build a personalized plan of action for you and your family? If so, I’m here to connect and discuss the creation of your own, customized Blue Zone.
