Mindfully designed to offer healthy lifestyle-design & wellbeing info, tips, inspiration & insights to jumpstart your week.
Blue Zones 💙
Happy Sunday 😌
Lately I find myself fascinated and intrigued by the places in the world where people live the longest AND experience a high quality of life in their older years. These locations were coined the Blue Zones and original locations include: Ikaria, Greece; Loma Linda, California; Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; & Nicoya, Costa Rica.
Common denominators found among these 5 locales? Here’s a list of the Power 9:
These pix are from the Blue(berry) Zones in my backyard (I’ll be picking daily, sometimes more than once, just to keep up!) 🫐
Move naturally — Getting physical activity through functional movement.
Sense of purpose — Why you wake up in the morning.
“Downshift” from stress — Healthy routines do you to minimize and manage stress.
4. 80% Rule — Stop eating when you feel 80% full.
5. Mostly plant-based diet — High intake of beans, limited meat, and smaller portion sizes of meat.
6. Wine (1-2 glasses/day)— Yep, this one is tricky and perhaps controversial.
7. Sense of belonging — Particularly in a faith-based community.
8. Staying close to loved ones — Mulitigenerational, geographically and emotionally.
9. Find your tribe — Choose social circles that support healthy behaviors.
It’s pretty cool to see how the Blue Zones health initiative is now using their decades of research to help communities across the U.S. improve their health, longevity, and quality of life!
Which of these principles do you already factor into your daily routines? And which would you like to add more of?
With 🩷,
Steph
P.S. There are some yummy looking recipes on the Blue Zones website too, if you’re interested! 😋
Weekly Wellness Intention 💫
This week, I commit to living in balance—moving my body, eating well, connecting with others, and finding time each day to unwind and reflect.
What is Lifestyle Redesign Occupational Therapy?
The services I provide as an OT are informed by Lifestyle Redesign®. I work with people to create and implement healthy & meaningful habits and routines that match their values and goals. Examples might include building the following lifestyle activities into your day: stress reduction & management, physical activity, ample sleep and rest, nutrition management, life-balance, mindset shifts…all with the goal of increasing health & happiness.
Health & Wellness Coaching and Occupational Therapy to redefine & redesign your life-balance, add healthy habits & routines, feel more fulfilled, less stressed, and more productive.
