Ok, I just turned 60 and, while I’m not devastated by that number (after all, it does let me run in a better age group in my yearly ½ marathon for St. Judes), I am finding myself drawn to info on secrets to longevity.
In my work with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, I got exposed to Dan Buettner’s work on what he calls “Blue Zones”.
These are areas in the world where people live significantly longer than other areas of the planet and have less mid-life morbidity.
His work, funded by the National Geographic, dived deep into all the reasons why this might be, and I’m fascinated with his results. I will most likely be posting and talking about them in the weeks to come, so watch out!
What really captured my attention were the reasons that resonate so much for Jake and me and are really what drive our business in the wellness industry.
The first thing Dan points out is that studies have revealed that only 20% of longevity has to do with genetics! The other 80% has to do with our lifestyle choices. (What did I tell you?!)
His researchers identified the #1 determinant of how long we live is our belief in how long we will live…fascinating!
The 2nd thing is the number of plants you consume on a daily basis. (What did I tell you?!)
Getting more plant nutrition has been the basis of our family’s wellness business and life for more than 24 years. We know that when people get more nutrition from plants in their diets, they feel better, look better and are less prone to illness and injury.
Of course, this is a major contributor to longevity but most people over the age of 50 are more concerned with being VIBRANT as they age more than they are with how many years of life they have left. I LOVE that getting more plant nutrition addresses both feeling great now AND living longer.
Other factors Dan’s group uncovered include being part of a tight-knit community with shared values and habits, a community that supports and shares your commitment to wellness and the activities that promote wellness.
They also note that individuals in these “Blue Zones” have a feeling of purpose (mission) that literally gets them out of bed in the morning. It could be as simple as making sure breakfast gets on the table or as complex as supporting a movement much larger than an individual or family.
These blue-zone societies also all have a multi-generational lifestyle meaning no “real” retirement…people in these communities continue feeling productive and useful into their 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and even 100’s! Crazy! Crazy Good!
There are several other traits that members of these communities share, and I will continue writing about them in future blogs.
In the meantime, Jake and I are stoked to be able to provide you with some of the very same tools that living in these blue zones ultimately provide:
- Simple ways to increase your intake of plants, both through our plant concentrates as well as growing your own produce in the most efficient and planet friendly way possible: vertical, aeroponic gardening systems.
- A community to support you in living from these ideals. (you must answer the 3 questions and say we invited you)
- A mission-driven model to help you help others adopt this way of life. (skip page 2)
- A potential workplace that allows you to have meaningful, productive work, at any age. (skip page 2)
We love the work that Dan and his team are doing, and we love that the work WE are doing is already in alignment with bringing about the same results. We’d love you to join us, at whatever level calls to you. Take advantage of all of our free resources via our Facebook group, get the benefits of more than 30 plants in your diet every day, grow you own produce with only 10% of the resources used in traditional gardening, or join our mission and help us transform the planet!
