Have you ever heard of Blue Zones?
I hadn’t until a few weeks ago when I was talking to a friend about health, and she mentioned the topic. She said that the Blue Zones are places on the planet where the people, according to research, live happier, healthier and longer lives.
I was intrigued by this, so decided to have a look online to see if I could find out some more information. I discovered that these Blue Zones had 4 common denominators associated with the lifestyles and behaviours of the people.
The people:
- Eat wisely (lots of vegetables, correct portions, moderated alcohol consumption etc.)
- Move naturally (walking, gardening, dancing etc.)
- Connect with others (spending time with family, connecting with people who adopt a similar philosophy to you, be part of a community etc.)
- Have a sense of purpose and de-stress regularly
We, the people of Teign Valley, may not be in an official Blue Zone, but we are unbelievably fortunate to live in a part of the world where all these things are accessible to us.
We have an abundance of nature around us to enjoy, wonderfully active village communities to get involved in, and some of the best food produce in the country.
It’s possibly unrealistic and impractical to completely change our lifestyle to incorporate all of the above 4 themes into our routines, but we could all take a small action daily (e.g. 1 more vegetable with dinner, walking an extra 5 minutes a day, schedule a cuppa with a friend, feeling grateful for what we have etc.) towards happier, healthier and potentially longer lives!
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