Living a long and happy life

What does health mean to you? Do you think of it meaning not ill? Or pain free? Or being able to do your job?

What about living a long, happy and satisfied life that meant you lived well into old age (over 90) ,without disease, and one day you passed away peacefully in your sleep?

That’s what I aspire to, and it is possible. Scientists discovered a commonality between the world’s healthiest and longest living communities. They have been nick-named the Blue Zones each of these groups have more people living happily and healthily over 100 years of age, have the least disease and the healthiest cultures. What are their secrets and how can we attain it?!

1. Move Naturally

The communities all moved daily for day to day activities. There was less exercise for exercise sake, but much more moving for everyday living. Some of the communities were based in mountainous terrain and so walking was not an easy flat stroll and all of them lived within a small community so walking to the shops or the schools or to friends was much easier to do. They also have fewer convenience gadgets and tools to help them.

What can we do?

Walk more. This is the most easiest thing to do. Walk to school, to the post box, to the train station. Go out at lunchtime (you are entitled to it 🙂 !) and get some air and move your body.

Do more jobs manually. Cut the grass, hang washing out, dig the borders, wash your car, carry your shopping rather than push it in a trolley.

2. Know your Purpose

It’s been suggested that those people who know what purpose their life has and wake up in the morning with energy and excitement live up to seven years longer than those who don’t. Accepting what you are, what you love, what you know and sharing that with others will give such a sense of purpose that life becomes incredibly fulfilling. It may not be an easy thing to ‘discover’ but you do know the answer. It’s within you.

What can we do?

If you are stuck in a dead-end job, relationship, house or situation where you cannot grow and be truly you, you need to find a way to change. Sometimes we are shackled by knowing what we want to do but not knowing how to break away from what we’re in. Other times we know we’re trapped but have no idea what we should be doing. Having recently been through a revelation of what I should be doing, I get it! For me, it was right under my nose the whole time. Find what inspires you and what makes you say, ‘I’d do that for free, I love it that much!’

3. Down Shift

When we are stressed we are out of balance with our bodies. If this continues for a long time it causes a knock on effect that can cause inflammatory disease in the body like obesity, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, high cholesterol plus many more. We are not meant to work flat out, 18 hour days and then stress the body further at the weekend with ‘chill out’ activities like binge drinking, extreme sports, late nights in front of the telly with junk food and constantly running kids around to every activity under the sun (that’s stress for them too!)

What can we do?

Take time to reduce stress. Downshift from stressed to calm. Take lunch breaks and holidays, have one day off completely from work a week. Take time for you each day to sit and clear your mind. De-stressing your mind is like de-cluttering your desk, you keep putting it off, but it is so good when you finally do it! Be happy to have nothing to do, teach your children that entertaining themselves and finding themselves good company is a very worthwhile skill to have.

4. 80% Rule

In the Blue Zone communities it was observed that many of them ate less than we do. Meals were eaten in the surrounds of the family and meals were appreciated whether by prayer, acknowledgment or thanks to those who prepared it.

What can we do?

Eat to 80% full by reducing your portion sizing. Eat only when hungry. For many this is a big breakfast, moderate lunch and modest dinner. Eat with your family, at a table without a television or radio or computer or phone to distract from the meal. Savour the meal and eat in a pleasant environment. Digestion and satiety is affected by stress and anxiety.

5. Plant Slant

The Blue Zones ate a lot of fresh plant based foods in their day to day diets. This includes vegetables, seasonal fruits, beans, nuts and seasonal salads. Meat is eaten in moderation and it is of a higher quality than our factory reared meats.

What can we do?

Eat more greens! Eat seasonally, eat locally and avoid food air miles choosing local non-organic over International organic. Choose the best animal based products you can afford like grass fed meats*, organic eggs, wild fish.

*type FastTrack into the comments box at checkout and get 10% discount on all fresh meat orders.

6. Wine o’clock?

Within the Blue Zones it was shown that people who drank alcohol out-lived non-drinkers. This is not a binge drink, this is no more than two small glasses of wine daily. Whilst this may not fit in with a fat loss lifestyle that we endorse at Fit Camp, we know you aren’t saints (we’re not!) and so modest alcohol consumption has been shown to be beneficial.

What can we do?

Avoid doing all your drinking at the weekends! Avoid beer, it really does make you fat! Enjoying a small glass of red wine each day or every other day, savoured and enjoyed without guilt but with food will probably be good for mind as well as body. If however you are someone who can’t leave a bottle half empty. You may need to work on your will power first!

7. Family First

The Blue Zones put their family first. That’s looking forwards to their children, at a happy marriage or partnership and back to their parents. When there is a supportive and loving family environment people had a longer life expectancy than those where it was not.

What can we do?

Be nice! Take time to be with those closest to you. If you can’t do it for them, they won’t be doing it for you.

8. Belong and Belief

The communities all had a stronger sense of belonging than the other groups. This was relevant to any religion but also to groups of people with the same belief system. I am suspecting this applies only to positive groups, something that has negative connotations may not have the same effect.

What can we do?

Be part of something. It doesn’t have to be religious. It could be a club, a support group even Fit Camp counts!

9. Right Tribe

There is a lot to be said for making sure you make friends with the right people. If you want to be successful hang out with the successful people! If it’s happiness you want hang out with happy people. The effect is the same, it’s infectious! Expand your circle of friends and influence to include people who have the same thoughts, ethics and energy that you have (or better!) and watch yourself improve! Ditch the energy sappers, moaners, ‘it-always-happens-to-me’ers’, Facebook victims and mood sappers.

What can I do?

Ditch the energy vampires. Embrace the people who add colour and vibrancy and energy to your life and this one thing will add years to your life!