Lifestyle Advice from The World’s Longest Living People

From clean eating to exercise routines and regular health checks, everyone can agree there’s one underlying goal: to live longer. We want to live a long, full and happy life surrounded by love, adventure and comfort. The topic of longevity has intrigued doctors, scientists and the vast majority of living, breathing people since the beginning of time. So, naturally, we look to the world’s longest living people for some key advice.

First and foremost, no one is surprised to learn that the three longest living people in the world give advice that matches the Blue Zones Nutritional Guidelines. What’s are they? To put it simply: there are regions of the world where the life expectancy is over 100, or at least in the 90s. These regions include Japan, Italy, Costa Rica, and Greece and are known as the Blue Zones. In these regions, people don’t just live a long time; they are still generally healthy with well-working bodies and minds.

Here are some key dietary guidelines from these infamous Blue Zones:

1. Minimize sugar. There are zero health benefits from sugar. It just makes food taste a little better, and happens to also be addictive. Cut it out or at least cut it way down! Sugar negatively impacts gut health, anxiety levels and increases your chances of becoming obese.
2. No processed foods. Always choose a whole foods option! Even though Wisconsin isn’t known for its year-round bountiful harvests, we can still make do with whole, natural ingredients we can find at the store. All processed foods contain some form of sugar and added salt which can lead to an array of problems, a few outlined above.
3. Focus on leafy greens. Of course, you want to aim to consume “the rainbow” as each color of vegetable offers a different benefit, but leafy greens give you the most benefit for your buck. They can help clean up your arteries, lower blood pressure and, in turn, help you maintain a healthy body weight.

In addition to eating clean, people in the Blue Zones focus on a few life principles.

1. Have a larger purpose. Always aim for something bigger than your day to day life. Set a goal to live a long, happy life. Find a passion that gets you out of bed each morning. Surround yourself with people who bring out the best in you.
2. Minimize stress. Stress leads to a lot of issues and is quite terrible for your overall health. No life is stress free; it comes down to how you manage it. Get quality sleep, change your perception of your stress / situation, breathe deeply and eat well.
3. Speaking of eating, don’t eat until you’re super full. Have awareness of how much you are consuming and stop when you start to feel satisfied.
4. Move! Move your body somehow, some way, everyday. Whether that’s a morning walk, some time on the row machine or a pilates class, get exercising. It’s great for your mood, stress relief and of course, overall health.

Reading these guidelines from the Blue Zones, it’s no secret why they house some of the longest living people in the world. We can all make a point to live by these concepts and will likely see a great improvement.

I’d love to work with you personally on how to achieve your goals. Reach out to us at 920-499-3333 to schedule a free consult today.

Best of health,