The secret to longevity

Creating your own blue zone

Good Morning!

It was fun hearing from so many of you this past week with friendly “Good Morning” greetings via email and on Facebook and Instagram.

If you missed last week’s post, it’s worth a quick read (Read: The best way to start your day). It’s fast becoming one of my favorites.

Speaking of favorites…

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Welcome to The LIFT

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WELCOME

This week marked the 3 year anniversary of The LIFT so I took a few minutes to look back at the very first issue: Are you growing or aging? It was a nice reset for me to come back to the beginning for a moment.

I remember feeling rather accomplished the day I hit ‘publish’ on that first issue. I don’t know why it seemed like a big deal, but it did. It was a new platform for me. A return to writing. A commitment to myself to show up.

All of that seemed a bit bold at the time.

Reading back through the first issue reminded me of the importance of trying new things. Allowing yourself to be a beginner.

A newbie.

As I’m writing this post, I just returned from a “Newbie Welcome” event in our neighborhood. We recently moved into a very unique 55+ community in Oceanside, California. I’ve been coming here for years to see my mom and dad who moved here for the first time over 25 years ago. We brought our girls to Easter Egg Hunts and other community events throughout the years. So many of our family pictures feature Ocean Hills Country Club as our backdrop.

Today, I’m getting to see it as a resident myself. And while it’s all very familiar in some ways, I’m seeing it as a complete ‘newbie’. It’s given me a new appreciation for what my folks saw here so many years ago.

The value of community.

I first learned about social capital when we purchased a home in 2001 in a master-planned community built on the concept of fostering community.

Social capital is a set of shared values or resources that allows individuals to work together in a group to effectively achieve a common purpose. It is about the value of social networks, bonding similar people and bridging between diverse people, with norms of reciprocity.

I was so inspired by the idea of it that I began a publication dedicated exclusively to building social capital inside that neighborhood. I felt that fostering social capital and connection would enhance the value of our community and quality of life.

I wasn’t wrong.

Over the years, the relationships I made during that phase of my life live on. Every day I experience the value of those connections even though I moved away years ago.

There is so much value in building personal connections with those in closest proximity to you. Whether neighbors or co-workers or whatever brings you together…building those deeper, more personal connections delivers a very real value to your life.

When you really think about it, if there’s a blackout or natural disaster or even a personal emergency, who do you need to lean on? The person right next to you. So, why not build those connections before you need them? It just makes sense.

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HOME

I remember the weekend before we moved into that community, the HOA hosted an Oktoberfest on the back patio of the visitor’s center. We went even though we were so busy getting ready for our move. It was the first of countless community events over the years.

I had flashbacks about that as I attended the “Newbie Welcome” event here in our community today. As busy as our day was, we knew this event was important. That we would make connections that would last for many years to come. And, that’s exactly what happened.

Social capital is not just about sharing resources or achieving a common purpose - it’s about building a healthy life. A sense of belonging. A purpose.

Have you watched the Netflix series - Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones?

I highly recommend it! It’s a 4-part documentary that explores the unique characteristics of the communities where people live long and vibrant lives.

Dan Buettner, Blue Zones founder, is an explorer, National Geographic Fellow, award-winning journalist and producer, and New York Times bestselling author. He identified the five original blue zones–the places in the world with the healthiest, longest-living populations, including Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California.

His research is so fascinating. There are very clear themes that run in all of these communities - as diverse as they are culturally and geographically.

Turns out - a sense of belonging and community are as critical to our health and wellness as things like diet and exericse.

The Danish Twin Study established that only about 20 percent of how long the average person lives is dictated by genes, while about 80 percent is influenced by lifestyle and environment, said keynote speaker, Dan Buettner, founder of the concept of Blue Zones^®.¹ To better understand the role of lifestyle and environment, Buettner set out to “reverse engineer longevity.”

If you’re going to invest in your wellness, community is something that cannot be overlooked.

I hope you’ll take some time to dig into some of the articles I share below in the resources section for a deeper dive.

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GO BLUE

Blue Zone that is!

If you want to live a healthier lifestyle and increase your potential longevity, Blue Zone practices are where it’s at.

And, it’s not about living in a certain place - it’s about bringing these qualities closer to where you are now. Crafting a life that is built around these principles:

• Movement

  People in blue zones make movement a natural part of their day, whether it's gardening, walking, or doing chores. 

• Diet

  People in blue zones eat a largely plant-based diet with moderate calorie intake and low consumption of tobacco and alcohol. They also eat until they're about 80% full. 

• Stress relief

  People in blue zones incorporate stress relief into their daily lives through activities like prayer, napping, or happy hour. 

• Social connections

  People in blue zones value family and community, and have supportive social networks that encourage healthy behaviors. 

• Purpose

  People in blue zones have a sense of purpose and vocabulary for it. 

• Rituals

  People in blue zones have daily rituals that reduce stress and inflammation. 

• Mindful eating

  People in blue zones savor their meals by turning off their devices and putting them away. 

It’s not easy in today’s world to incorporate all of these, but if you build just a bit of each of these into your daily life, it adds up quickly.

Which of these do you need more of in your life?

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YOUR MISSION:

This week, I challenge you to pick one of these areas, write it down and pin it somewhere you can see it. Take one small step toward a life that values and revolves around these principles. I can’t guarantee you will live longer, but I can absolutely guarantee you will live better.

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RESOURCES:

• READ: Lessons from the Blue Zones | PubMed

• READ: What is social capital and why is it so important? | Southern New Hampshire University

• READ: Definitions of Social Capital | Institute for Social Capital

• WATCH: Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones | Netflix

• EXPLORE: Live Longer, Better | Blue Zones

• READ: Friends and longevity: the science of social connection

• READ: How to create your own Blue Zone lifestyle | Ocean Hills Living

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IN SUMMARY:

I hope you’ll join me in creating your own little Blue Zone. We are doing it here in our backyard. Let’s practice and build together. What do you think?

See you next week?

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Meanwhile, reach out to me anytime!

Karen Friend Smith

Instagram: @redefiningkaren

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