healthy living – For A Better Me Now

Thoughts on the Blue Zones

I am completely fascinated by the idea of the so-called Blue Zones described in the book by Dan Buettner. I believe that even though much of what is described it impractical and simplistic (perhaps that is the reason their lives are so much happier!), there are aspects we can take to heart and apply to our own situations.

Quick recap in case you haven’t heard:

There are a few places in the world, referred to as the Blue Zones by the author: Okinawa (Japan); Sardinia (Italy); Nicoya (Costa Rica); Icaria (Greece); and Loma Linda, California. People living in those general areas tend to live longer and be far healthier. Many live to be well over 100 years old – a figure we can only hope to reach, let alone be in good health. They have fewer cancers and other “old age” diseases. There doesn’t seem to be a particular diet they follow, but there are general considerations in common.

It’s not that I want to live to 100, although it might be nice. But if I do, I really want to be in good health. My grandmother on my father’s side made it to 96 but she lived in a home the last few years and when I visited with my newborn son, she didn’t know who I was. It made for a nice photo of 4 generations, but it was also rather sad knowing that one day I could probably be there too. My mother is currently almost 87, but I see the very early signs of dementia setting in. It is terrifying to imagine living that way. I have decided that I’m done at 80 just to make sure that doesn’t happen to me.

Is it that they have better genes or is it that they eat that much better? Is it the lifestyle or their daily exercise habits? From what I have read, they don’t seem to eat one consistent diet. Some have a fish dominant diet, some meat. Some abstain from alcohol, while some enjoy in moderation.

While I describe a number of diets and compare them to each other in my other articles, the lifestyle of the inhabitants of the so-called Blue Zones seems to have a few things in common. Since there is no one solution fits all, the idea I get is that as long as you strive to follow a few of them as often as possible, it certainly can’t hurt J So where possible, I am trying to incorporate some of the principles as often as possible.

The 5 main takeaways for me are:

1. Activity

The locals are active. Not planned exercise, not in a gym, not crazy aerobic sweat-inducing exercise, just being physically active – keeping moving, picking and planting their crops, walking to the shop and home, and bicycling the longer distances. Being active at a moderate purposeful level is part of their daily routine.

This isn’t really practical in our modern busy traffic filled lives where most of us commute via public transport or drive a car to work. However, we can try to get up and walk around regularly. We can try to walk around the block a couple of times a day, perhaps at lunch or taking a morning or evening walk. Just get in your steps as part of your daily routine. Look for every opportunity to get moving and being active.

2. Having Purpose

Blue Zone inhabitants had meaning and purpose in their lives. Perhaps because they tend to live in small communities, perhaps because they are living off the land, those that live the longest seem to know what they are living for, what their purpose is, and their reason for being. Many live in family groupings where they help each other in defined ways, perhaps performing traditional roles doing chores.

These days, too many of us are constantly searching for purpose and meaning in our lives, feeling unfulfilled. The message I take from this is that I need to set myself small goals and aim for them. Consider taking a course at a local community college.

By knowing what you want and what you are striving for, you can set goals, and feel motivated. Most importantly you have something to strive for. As you achieve them, you can feel satisfied and accomplished.

3. Being Connected and Engaged

One of the factors that all the centenarians seemed to have in common is that they are socially connected, have strong family ties and are engaged in their communities. Small communities with families living together, or near each other, and having a strong sense of culture make this easy. Everyone helps one another, and everyone knows one another, stopping to chat or having family gatherings regularly. Loneliness isn’t an issue, and because of family roles, even as they get older they have purpose.

While not all of us live near family and the friends we had growing up, it doesn’t mean we can’t make new connections and building a strong support network in our local area. Are there groups at a local library, or school you can join, or perhaps a local gym that has classes for beginners. Consider joining a faith group if you have a religious upbringing or are interested in learning more. What are your interests and how can you connect with similar people. Not all of us have resources to give, but most of us have time; perhaps once a month. Consider helping at a homeless shelter, delivering meals to the aged, making care packages for troops stationed overseas or volunteering at a hospital or senior center. Try building an office culture of collecting backpacks for kids or food items for Thanksgiving or starting a toy drive, you might get to know some new people. It doesn’t cost you much and really does give you a warm feeling when you see the smiles and realize how much difference you made in someone else’s life. There are a lot of people who need you and you can make some great friends while you are there.

4. Low Stress

A low stress level seems to be another consistent indicator of good health into the later years. Perhaps because of the level of activity that keeps them fit and healthy, perhaps because they live a simpler life living off the land and aren’t commuting back and forth to a stressful job or keeping up with social media and the news, they are able to disconnect and relax.

We may need to commute to work and the lifestyle they have is likely not practical for us, but it doesn’t mean we cannot try to mimic some aspects. By disconnecting from the constant barrage of information and taking time to smell the flowers, see the beauty around you and stay connected with your friends and family, you can focus on having a less stressful life.

5. Diet

The most significant part of the study and where I see I can make the most changes are with my diet. These longer living groups follow different diets with some incorporating more meat, some eating more fish, but all ate a significant amount of vegetables, locally grown, likely organically. While some abstained from alcohol, most of the others enjoyed a glass or two of wine with their meal.

They enjoy their meals with family and friends and it’s more about the occasion and the company than the food. I imagine they eat less and slower because they are talking and laughing. They aren’t watching TV and reading their phones while eating, they are engaging with family and talking about the day. The mid-day meal is the big one, followed by a quick siesta in the heat of the day.

And you know they aren’t picking up soda cans and processed foods from that quaint market in the center of town. Perhaps I am romanticizing it and it’s definitely not the way my lunches are, hastily wolfing down a sandwich between meetings while sitting at my desk, but I do recall a friend who travelled to Italy for 3 months to study art history. She attended classes and as she walked home in the evening through old town Florence’s cobbled streets she would stop to get a carafe of wine, some handmade pasta and vegetables to stir-fry or cheeses, preserves and bread for her dinner. It sounds idyllic, and yes, completely unrealistic most nights when you are late home from work and rushing the kids to soccer practice. BUT… imagine once a week cooking fresh vegetables or sitting down to dinner and enjoying the flavors and talking. Start with one day a week trying a new recipe, or trying a vegetarian meal or sitting up to the table with family. Small changes.

Really, all the principles we see above, are obviously good practices. Whether it’s possible to do all of them, whether one or other is more important, they are all good ideas and unlikely to be bad for you. So take this time to try something new that might improve your health, improve your happiness and keep you living well into your 100s.

Check out: https://www.bluezones.com/

If you are interested in buying the book to read more, please click below, I may earn a small commission on your purchase.

7 ways to get more steps

When I started out my step counter was set at 3,000 steps. I wasn’t making that most days.

But I wanted to do this, so I made myself reach that magic number, even if it meant pacing the bedroom before bed. This probably isn’t conducive to great sleep or maybe it is. What most astounded me was the recommendation that people should be getting 10,000 steps a day. 10,000? On what planet?!

Fast forward a month and I upped by counter to 3,500 because I was making 3,000 most days. I didn’t make it most days that week.

Fast forward a year and it was up to 7,500 a day and I was making it at least 3 to 4 times a week.

But even though that might sound unachievable now, realize that I sometimes set it to a number that I just didn’t make some weeks, so I took it back down. Or I took it back down most of the way.

There is no shame in moving it from 3,500 to 3,600. It is not necessary to leap to 4,000 if you aren’t ready.

In the process I have found ways to increase my step count for the day. Hopefully something works for you.

1. Gadgets / Apps that Alert You

I use a wrist watch that can be set to buzz every hour, at ten to the hour if I haven’t done 250 steps in that hour. I have learned to ignore it when I am busy. But some days, sometimes, I jump up every time it buzzes and off I go. I also learned some shortcuts that made it easier for me to listen to it. My big one: wait until 5 to the hour then walk until 5 past. You will make your steps for the first hour that alerted you and for the second that is just starting. Do more if you can, but 5 minutes is enough for me to get my 250 🙂

If you don’t have a wristwatch with this feature, consider setting an alarm on your phone, or computer? Or even using a one hour egg timer. If you glance up and it’s empty, take a walk and when you get back turn it over again.

2. Go To Work

As I write this I realize I really am a little lazy and have some great shortcuts. I struggle with conventional advice to getting more steps or having a gym buddy BUT I have found ways around my laziness.

Number one suggestion to getting more steps is to park as far from the office as possible or to get off the bus/train one stop earlier. Then walking the rest of the way to work will add to your step total. That’s a great idea. But, whoever came up with that advice doesn’t carry a laptop and paperwork or commute in peak hour traffic. Coming in and out I am lugging an extra 5 to 10 pounds and believe me I weigh enough without that added. And when it’s time to go, it’s a mad dash for the car to try to beat the traffic.

So plan B. Park close to the office but take a loop or two before you go in! I park as close as I can to the door so that at the end of the day I can make a quick escape. But, in the morning, I park, leave my gear in the car and set off on a few loops of the parking lot, the parking garage or the office block. The only trick is not to go too fast or too far that you get all sweaty! If you are commuting by bus or train, drop your stuff, turn on your computer so it looks like you are there and working, then do a quick loop around the building before you settle in to check your email and start your day.

At the end of the day if I feel like it I can still do a loop after dropping my bag, but if I don’t feel like it or I am in a rush, the car is right there. That said, there are times I look at the traffic map, see it’s an hour or more home and I do take a walk. Often a 20 minute walk gives the traffic time to subside, so I end up driving 15 minutes less. Less frustration and far healthier than sitting the car. More importantly time spent walking was often time I would have just sat in the car.

So know your own style and routine – do you hate walking into the office a little out of breath? Do you love taking a walk after work to let go of your worries? Would taking 20 minute walk cut 10 or 15 minutes off the commute?

3. The Parking Lot at the Shop

Here again, conventional wisdom is to park on the far side of the parking lot at the mall or the grocery shop. That doesn’t work for me…

Do I just buy more groceries than anyone else? Maybe I eat more? Ok, at the grocery store I could take the cart so it wouldn’t be like carrying them all, and I would get even more steps walking it back. But I usually buy dairy, fish and meat, so I want to get them home to the fridge ASAP. Having tried the park far from the door thing a few times, I was quite disillusioned. By the time I’ve shopped, I’m done. I just want to go home, and I usually need to make dinner.

Time to think outside the box.

So like at the office, I park close. Loop the parking lot, loop the building, or loop the strip mall, then go in and get my shopping done. Probably more steps than just walking in and out, and without any purchases or worrying about rushing home for the frozen goods!

As for the shopping mall… unless you are in a hurry, make a point of doing a loop around the outside of the mall in nice weather, inside of the shopping mall in cold, rainy, or hot weather! Then tackle your errands. You can either set up a nice pace and get in some exercise or take a slow stroll and get in some steps. Then when you are done and have your packages, no need to lug them across an entire parking lot to your distant car.

Bonus steps if you carry each parcel into the house individually from the garage, your driveway or parking spot!

4. Lunch Time

Put a lunch date with yourself on your calendar. Try to spend half your break either taking a walk first to build an appetite or afterwards to help your digestion.

Consider having a couple of people from work or the neighborhood that like walking and let them know when you are heading out. You might or might not get company! Just don’t let having no one join you put you off though!

I often prefer to walk alone so I can set my own speed and distance, and I get time to ponder what I still need to get done that afternoon. However, the times people have joined me, it’s made the time fly by and definitely more social!

Just don’t be put off by the “I jog every evening” skinny folks who can walk twice as fast as you.

5. Drink Water

I tend not to drink enough water.

Water is critical for weight loss and to flush waste out of the system and to keep you hydrated, but it also makes you go to the bathroom…

I am essentially lazy and didn’t want to walk to the bathroom every hour. Then I realized this was a no brainer way to get me up and moving. I keep a giant water bottle at my side and I sip constantly. Sure enough every hour or two I need to trot to the bathroom. Extra steps, CHECK!

6. Rethink Your Rewards

My job is 99% computer based. I sit and stare at a screen all day – bad for my eyes, bad for my figure. So when I find a task that is particularly challenging or boring, I set myself a goal of finishing it by a certain time and then reward myself with a loop of the office or a flight of stairs. I know it’s not a reward in the traditional sense, but you can convince yourself… think of it as a reward! One more email then I can walk down the hall and back. Finish this document, and right after I press save, I’m going to walk down stairs.

I feel good when my mini walk is done and I feel great when I meet my daily step goal.

7. Get a Dog

Only do this if you like dogs! Having a dog is a huge commitment. They need feeding, walking and you a whole lot of picking up after them. But if you like dogs and you’ve been considering it, this might be the time. Not much motivates you more than knowing your dog needs to go out and do their business.

You get outside, you walk a block or three getting your steps in, and you might even get to know some of your neighbors also out walking their dogs.

GET OUT THERE AND GET WALKING!

Getting Started!

Starting an exercise plan for me was like me trying to get started writing a blog.

I really wanted to, I thought about it all the time, I had all these great ideas – usually at the most inconvenient times, like as I was lying in bed falling asleep, standing in the shower, or driving to work. I thought about the blog while starting my exercise plan, and I thought about my exercise while working on my time set aside for my blog!

I doubted myself and my ability to succeed, and second-guessed my decisions and ideas.

And when I got going, all enthusiastically that first day, maybe even on a second, a half dozen other *more important* things came up that were critically important – kids, homework, parents, dinner, work deadlines, housework.

There was always something else to do, or someone else to worry about, something that seems more important. But at some point, you have to make *you* the priority. Not at the exclusion of all else, and everything in moderation, but make the time. For You. Because if you don’t, no one else will.

Make Yourself a Priority

In my weight-loss journey, what I realized is that you have to make yourself a priority. Whether you set an alarm clock and get up ahead of the family to do what you want to, or whether you book time in your day – schedule a “meeting” with yourself or take a lunch time walk, it’s up to you to set time aside and stick to it.

Make it as important in your schedule as getting the kids to school on time or yourself to work. This is important and if you really want it, then go for it, set aside the time and do it, as often as you can. But stick to your plan as best you can, because you are important too.

Just Do It

Most importantly it’s about your attitude. Don’t procrastinate, just do it. Even if you don’t have much time or energy, do what you can.

You planned 30 minutes but only have 15? Go. Now.

Tired? Ok, sorry to hear that. Go. Now.

It really doesn’t matter if you don’t feel like it. It really doesn’t matter if you aren’t seeing great results. You have to do the steps to lose the weight. It’s as simple as calories in versus calories out.

While I will talk about diet and meal planning later, exercise seriously helps. It makes you feel good (those stress relieving happy vibes called endorphins!), it makes you feel like you are doing something to help yourself, and slowly but surely it shapes you. Muscles have far better definition than fat, and you start to look sleeker, slimmer and shapelier, even when you aren’t losing the pounds as quickly as you want. More importantly it’s good for your heart and your overall health. You do need to enjoy the exercise you pick. You do need to be making small gains otherwise it’s hard to stay motivated, but honestly it’s about making the effort and sticking to it even when you really don’t want to.

Only You Can Do It

Which brings me to another point… only you can do this. Many people will swear by having a gym buddy or walking partner, but really, truly, it’s all up to you. I may be a bit cynical but you can’t rely on anyone else. Whether it’s a loved one or someone who needs to lose weight as much as you, there are going to be days they don’t want to go, and then you won’t. Sure, there is the theory that on their off days, you motivate them, and on your off days, they motivate you. Alternatively, more likely, you keep putting each other off.

I used to make the mistake of trying to get my husband to join me going to the gym, to the pool, or for a walk. He very, very rarely wanted to. He just doesn’t like working out in front of people, doesn’t like pools and he finds walking boring. But the downside of me hoping and trying, and looking for motivation from someone else was that I didn’t go more often than not. I would ask him almost daily and about once a week or two, we would go for a stroll. Not the speed I wanted, not the frequency I wanted. He was ruining what little inclination I could muster. Don’t get me wrong, I adore my husband and he is super encouraging and supportive and now even has his own exercise plan he enjoys, we just have different goals and interests, which is funny because we enjoy so many of the same things.

That said; if you can find an exercise buddy and you find you have different off days, by all means, go for it! But if you find yourself not going because they didn’t want to, or had plans, consider going it alone.

Forgive Yourself

On the other side of this anti-procrastination theory I have, there is the odd day where I get home late from work, I don’t feel well, or it’s a special occasion. It’s ok to say, not tonight. It’s a special day and I recognize that and accept that. No guilt, no hard feelings. But without fail you have to go the next day, because one day skipped that’s ok, two days that’s getting to be a new habit, and after three days you’ve lost your momentum. The important thing is to forgive yourself and just treat each day as a new day. Even if you have missed three days, how exciting; you are starting a new exercise routine, let’s go get it!

Keep Going

I will be giving you other ideas to complement your exercise routine, and looking at diet, but the main thing is to keep going. Whether it feels like it makes a difference, whether you are losing, and whether you really want to or not… As the mailman code says: “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” Although to be honest, if it’s really windy, a huge summer thunderstorm, or the sidewalks are icy, you will find me inside on my stationery bicycle or walking circles to make my step count, lifting weights or even using one of a couple of apps that have daily exercise plans, and yes sometimes just taking the day off. But here are no excuses, if you really want this.

GO For It!!