Do you want to live to be over 100 with good health and a positive attitude towards life ?
In the book “The Blue Zones” the author Dan Buettner identifies the places in the world where the most centurions exist. Think Sardenia, Italy, Loma Linda, California, Nosura Peninsula in Costa Rico, Okinawa Japan, a small island in Greece for living a long life. In each of these destinations there were commonalities of behaviours, lifestyles and attitudes. These are called “the nine power influencers of longevity. “
Let me share them with you….
- Move naturally and often! Get up and garden, walk briskly, hike a mountain, bend and stretch in yoga.
- Have purpose! In yoga the 7th chakra is our energy center of purpose, the center where we ask ourselves “why am I on this earth, what legacy would I like to leave the world.” Victor Frankl, Holocaust survivor, and author of “Man,s search of meaning” identifies common characteristic of the survivors. He found people with a purpose,no matter what it was,survived the longest.
- Down shift, manage your stress, meditate, and find your quiet moments to connect with nature and yourself.
- Adhere to the 80% rule! Eat 80% of the time healthfully. Don,t beat yourself up for 20% of the time “jumping off the wagon.”
- Eat a Plant slant diet! Fill your fridge with red peppers, dark leafy vegetables, root vegetables, berries. Fill your dinner plate with 80% vegetables and fruit.
- Moderate Wine with friends! Everything in moderation!
- Know you belong! Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs identifies the base of his pyramid to self actualization is water, food, shelter. The next rung of the pyramid in reaching ” the great self” is feeling an integral part of something bigger than yourself.
- Engage often with loved ones! Compassion, gratitude and total appreciation for family and friends brings richness to our lives.
- Find your positive cheerful tribe! Living with negative, unhappy, disgruntled people eats at your core fiber of goodness and joy. Walk away from these humans and find a new tribe.
So how did you do?
I think I will be around for the 100th celebration. Come and practice yoga with me on that day!
Namaste,
Barb