Here's a good article on how people in Blue Zones (pockets of people that enjoy longer, healthier, life expectancies) live their lives...we're talking nonagenarians (ages 90–99) and centenarians (100 years old and above). For people that are not interested in reading a lengthy article, here are the takeaways:
[h=2]1. Plant-Based Diets Predominate[/h]Look for ways to add more plants, and slice out some of the meat. Wedge in a few meatless meals each week and serve smaller portions—3–4 ounces—of meat rather than the large portions typical in the American diet.
[h=2]2. Most Calories Are Eaten Early in the Day[/h]
-Largest meals early in the day and end with smaller dinners. Consuming a higher percentage of daily calories within 2 hours of waking in the morning was associated with a lower risk of being overweight or obese compared with consuming a bigger chunk of daily calories within 2 hours of going to bed
[h=2]3. Mindful, Slower Eating Defines Meals[/h]
-Don't wolf down your food....slow it down. “One key benefit of eating mindfully is being more aware of fullness cues so you are less prone to overeating,”
[h=2]4. Physical Activity Fills the Day[/h]
“Our physiology was not designed to be idle for long periods of time, which happens when we sit for most of the day,”
[h=2]5. Sleep Nourishes Lifestyles[/h]
People in Blue Zones regions typically obtain the recommended 8–10 hours of sleep each night, and long-living Ikarians are known for cherishing their afternoon naps. In contrast, more than a third of American adults are getting less than 7 hours of sleep each night.
[h=2]6. Purpose Defines a Long Life[/h]
Many of the things that accompany purposeful living, such as reductions in stress and depression and an increase in social activity, can drive health and longevity.
[h=2]7. Nature Nurtures Active Lifestyles[/h]
Blue Zone people typically spend ample time outdoors. Although they live in climates conducive to being outside, most desk-bound Americans could do better by embracing Mother Nature, regardless of where they live. Americans, on average, report that they spend 87% of their time indoors and an additional 6% enclosed in their vehicles
[h=2]8. People Connect in Person[/h]
The average person spends nearly 4 hours a day staring down at a mobile device. The potential stress, distraction and negative mental health effects of being tethered to our devices and the constant fast-paced shifts in focus it encourages should not be taken lightly. “People need to ask themselves what they are doing while always on their devices, namely being sedentary, isolated and not eating mindfully". Sidenote: How many hours have you spent arguing on this site today or this week?
[h=2]9. Social Circles Reinforce Health[/h]
These communities focus on face-to-face time and not Facebook likes. Subjects with fewer social connections and more social isolation were at increased risk for health-hampering inflammation and hypertension. “Loneliness really gets under your skin, and the depression it encourages can accelerate aging to the same degree as health conditions like high blood pressure or high blood sugar,” Guralnik explains, “and people with fewer social connections are also typically less physically active.”
https://www.ideafit.com/personal-tr...THRA&utm_content=92714053&utm_source=hs_email
[h=2]1. Plant-Based Diets Predominate[/h]Look for ways to add more plants, and slice out some of the meat. Wedge in a few meatless meals each week and serve smaller portions—3–4 ounces—of meat rather than the large portions typical in the American diet.
[h=2]2. Most Calories Are Eaten Early in the Day[/h]
-Largest meals early in the day and end with smaller dinners. Consuming a higher percentage of daily calories within 2 hours of waking in the morning was associated with a lower risk of being overweight or obese compared with consuming a bigger chunk of daily calories within 2 hours of going to bed
[h=2]3. Mindful, Slower Eating Defines Meals[/h]
-Don't wolf down your food....slow it down. “One key benefit of eating mindfully is being more aware of fullness cues so you are less prone to overeating,”
[h=2]4. Physical Activity Fills the Day[/h]
“Our physiology was not designed to be idle for long periods of time, which happens when we sit for most of the day,”
[h=2]5. Sleep Nourishes Lifestyles[/h]
People in Blue Zones regions typically obtain the recommended 8–10 hours of sleep each night, and long-living Ikarians are known for cherishing their afternoon naps. In contrast, more than a third of American adults are getting less than 7 hours of sleep each night.
[h=2]6. Purpose Defines a Long Life[/h]
Many of the things that accompany purposeful living, such as reductions in stress and depression and an increase in social activity, can drive health and longevity.
[h=2]7. Nature Nurtures Active Lifestyles[/h]
Blue Zone people typically spend ample time outdoors. Although they live in climates conducive to being outside, most desk-bound Americans could do better by embracing Mother Nature, regardless of where they live. Americans, on average, report that they spend 87% of their time indoors and an additional 6% enclosed in their vehicles
[h=2]8. People Connect in Person[/h]
The average person spends nearly 4 hours a day staring down at a mobile device. The potential stress, distraction and negative mental health effects of being tethered to our devices and the constant fast-paced shifts in focus it encourages should not be taken lightly. “People need to ask themselves what they are doing while always on their devices, namely being sedentary, isolated and not eating mindfully". Sidenote: How many hours have you spent arguing on this site today or this week?
[h=2]9. Social Circles Reinforce Health[/h]
These communities focus on face-to-face time and not Facebook likes. Subjects with fewer social connections and more social isolation were at increased risk for health-hampering inflammation and hypertension. “Loneliness really gets under your skin, and the depression it encourages can accelerate aging to the same degree as health conditions like high blood pressure or high blood sugar,” Guralnik explains, “and people with fewer social connections are also typically less physically active.”
https://www.ideafit.com/personal-tr...THRA&utm_content=92714053&utm_source=hs_email
