A Gift to Yourself This Holiday Season
Despite what you might have heard, according to the World Health Organization, life expectancy globally increased by more than six years between 2000 and 2019. If you want to give a gift to yourself this season you might look to “Blue Zones” for tips on how to discover ways, in addition to modern medicine, to increase your longevity and enjoy it too.
Blue Zones are areas where people experience lower rates of chronic disease and routinely live to be over 90. According to Dr. Landsverk, author of Living in the Moment, people living in the Blue Zones share some fundamental lifestyles, including: movement a part of their daily routine; having a sense of purpose; prioritizing stress relief through meditation or prayer; eating a largely plant-based diet; minimizing alcohol and smoking; and being an integral part of their community.
Further, she says that “it’s what I don’t recommend that is the unexpected secret,” Dr. Landsverk says that many Americans turn to detoxes, fad diets and supplements, but the research on those is conflicting at best and she doesn’t recommend them. She also notes that using Motrin, Ibuprofen and Naprosyn daily increases your risk of enema, heart failure, heart attack, stroke, dementia and kidney damage. While she strongly advocates for treating pain, she recommends taking a single, long-acting Tylenol tablet twice daily along with daily stretching and moving more. Not only does the pain subside, but by being more active, your strength, balance, and risk of falling diminishes significantly.
Dr. Landsverk also notes that resveratrol, the polyphenols that act like antioxidants in a glass of red wine, is not as protective to the brain as earlier studies have seemed to indicate. “For quality of life, it’s nice to have a glass of wine with a special meal, but don’t think of it as vitamins.” She also recommends vitamin D3 for bone strength and vitamin B12 for nerve function. While it is unfortunately tough to get these vitamins from a plant-based diet, fatty fish (like salmon), eggs and dairy products contain vitamin D3 and vitamin B12.
So, this holiday season, if you want to provide a gift to yourself, try eating more plants and eggs, meditating, stretching and maybe enjoying a glass of red wine. You might also look for a way to share your talents with others in our community. That sounds pretty good, and the doctor says it’s good for you. Enjoy!
