Health habits – InspireGrowth

Want to live to 100? Try These Proven Blue Zone Habits.

Welcome Back!

Last time, we explored the Blue Zones — regions of the world where people not only live the longest but also stay vibrant, active, and joyful well into their later years.

Imagine reaching your nineties with energy to garden, walk with friends, cook, laugh, and savor life every day. That’s not fantasy — it’s reality for many who live in the Blue Zones.

Whole plant foods are at the heart of their longevity, but food is only one piece of the puzzle. Their extraordinary health stems from a lifestyle built on several interconnected pillars:

Natural Movement
Downshift
Social connection
Purpose
80% rule
Moderate alcohol (if you jump to this one, please go back and read the others) 😂

Natural Movement

By physical activity, I don’t mean going to the gym five times a week (although that would absolutely be a good thing).

In the Blue Zones, exercise isn’t something people schedule — it’s woven into daily life. Gardening, walking to visit friends, cooking, and doing housework all keep them moving naturally throughout the day.

By moving throughout the day, these people stay physically active, which has immense health benefits.

Contrast that with going to the gym every day for two hours, but then spending the rest of your days mostly sedentary; there are health risks associated with this. Short durations of intense physical activity will not offset the adverse health effects of prolonged periods of inactivity.

Take-home point: Move often. Incorporating short periods of movement throughout a mostly sedentary day can make a big difference in overall health.

Downshift

Chronic stress causes chronic inflammation. The people of the Blue Zones take daily opportunities to turn things down a notch. By engaging in activities such as prayer, meditation, quiet reflection, and even naps, they reduce their levels of stress, which ultimately proves to be a significant boon to their overall well-being.

Social Connection

There is abundant scientific evidence that strong social connections are independent predictors of better health outcomes, including lower risk of depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, and premature death.

People living in the Blue Zones often belong to faith-based communities. They spend quality time with their loved ones, both younger and older, and they have supportive social circles.

Purpose

Having a purpose in life gives you a reason to wake up in the morning. In fact, having a strong sense of purpose has been linked to seven extra years of life expectancy.

For many in the Blue Zones, purpose is centered around activities such as caring for family, volunteering, meaningful work, and contributing to the community.

80% Rule

This means eating until you’re 80% full. In Japan, it is known as hara hachi bu.

This will help to prevent overeating, excess calorie intake, and weight gain.

Two things you can do to help accomplish this are:

Only serve yourself a portion that you think will fill you up 80%.

Don’t pile food high on your plate. If you take a huge portion size, you’re likely going to eat most or all of it.

Eat slowly

It takes time for your brain to register fullness. So, eat quickly, and by the time you realize you’re full, you’ll already have overeaten.

When I intentionally slow down my eating, I often feel full before I’ve finished what’s on my plate—proof that mindful eating works.

Moderate Alcohol

Okay, relax…don’t get too excited. Take a moment to sit down and collect yourself. 😜

Yes, you did read that right—moderate alcohol intake is part of the Blue Zones lifestyle. However (yes, there is a however), there are some important caveats to be aware of.

Only two of the five Blue Zones, Sardinia, Italy, and Ikaria, Greece, consume alcohol on a daily basis. The people in these locales drink up to 1-2 glasses of red wine a day during meals and shared with others. Alcohol is part of relaxed social gatherings. It is not consumed in excess, to relieve stress, or without the company of others.

Alcohol consumption is lower in the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica, and Okinawa, Japan, and most people in Loma Linda, California, abstain entirely.

Studies suggest that the health benefits are not from the alcohol itself, but from social connection, community, and relaxation.

If you do not currently drink, experts do not recommend starting.

The Big Picture

I’m guessing that the people of the Blue Zones probably aren’t reading the latest health journals.

They just seem to possess an instinctual understanding of the best ways to live. And it is their way of living that creates not just a long life, but a good life.

Which of these pillars can you start practicing this week?

If you’re interested in bringing this type of message to a wider audience, I speak regularly on topics related to health and wellness. You can learn more about my talks at https://stevepiriano.life/speaking/

I also explore similar topics more deeply in my books, which you can find at https://stevepiriano.life/books/ if you’d like to dive in.

The Big “C”

The Big “C” — What We Can Do About It

All of us are familiar with cancer. The big “C.”

Unfortunately, many of us may personally know someone who has suffered through this devastating disease. Maybe it was you. Back in 2007, it was me.

Chemotherapy and cancer care can be brutal, and the effects ripple through families and communities. Facing that reality raises the question: Is cancer inevitable?

If you read my post on epigenetics, you already know the answer.

What the Evidence Says

Is there anything you can do to lower your chances of developing this catastrophic affliction?

Major health organizations and large epidemiological studies consistently point to the same message: a healthy eating pattern is protective. That means eating mostly whole, plant-based foods — fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains — and limiting red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages, and highly processed foods.

These recommendations come from many population studies and lab research, which together build a strong case that whole plant foods are associated with lower risks of cancer and other lifestyle-related diseases.

The American Cancer Society provides this guidance:

From American Cancer Society Journals:

Recommendation: Follow a healthy eating pattern at all ages

A healthy eating pattern includes:

Foods that are high in nutrients in amounts that help achieve and maintain a healthy body weight;
A variety of vegetables—dark green, red and orange, fiber-rich legumes (beans and peas), and others;
Fruits, especially whole fruits with a variety of colors; and
Whole grains.

A healthy eating pattern limits or does not include:
- Red and processed meats;
- Sugar-sweetened beverages; or
- Highly processed foods and refined grain products.

Why Whole Plant Foods Help

Whole plant foods contain a complex array of healthy-promoting substances. Take broccoli, for instance. It contains sulforaphane, a naturally occurring compound that exhibits anticancer properties, such as halting cancer cell growth and inducing cancer cell death. It is also an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory agent, contributing to optimal health.

Important note: these foods are for prevention, not a substitute for cancer treatment. The chemicals in broccoli and other whole plant foods are not potent enough to act by themselves as chemotherapy for the treatment of active cancer. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, follow your doctor’s recommendations for treatment.

The Bottom Line

You can’t control everything, but you can control your daily choices. Imagine the incredible advantage you have in terms of cancer prevention by eating an abundance of whole plant foods. And yes, I know there are no guarantees in life, but can you see just how much influence you have over your own health?

That makes me feel empowered.

How does it make you feel?

I also explore similar topics more deeply in my books, which you can find at https://stevepiriano.life/books/ if you’d like to dive in.

Stop Chasing Your Tail: The Food-Health Connection

What do many of the world’s populations have in common with dogs?

Hint: I’m not talking about cute faces, that humans and dogs are mammals, or that we both express emotions.

Anyone who has dogs has likely seen them do this crazy and funny thing where they run around in circles chasing their tails. When it occurs only occasionally, it’s so amusing and always puts a smile on my face.

Why do dogs chase their tails? Most of the time, especially with puppies, it’s just for their entertainment. Of course, there could be serious reasons why dogs chase their tails, especially if the behavior occurs frequently.

And there’s the commonality between dogs and countless people. Many of us spend our days chasing our own tails when it comes to health. We may waste time, money, and energy trying to become healthy and make no progress. In fact, many times we move backward.

Here are a few quick stories to illustrate:

Jack wakes up, takes his medications for cholesterol, diabetes, and high blood pressure. He then stops at a drive-thru on his way to work and buys his bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich.

Jill comes to the ER for chest pain. Her blood pressure is high, and her EKG is abnormal. After being in the ER for a few hours, she’s hungry and sends her husband out to buy her a double cheeseburger, fries, and cola.

Mary just heard that her friend Georgie had a heart attack. Georgie is only 41 years old. Wondering what she can do to prevent the same fate for herself, she is thinking about asking her doctor to prescribe her a cholesterol medication.

These are excellent demonstrations of the infamous sport of tail-chasing. We take our medications as directed by our doctors, but then eat damaging foods. We develop symptoms of diseases and then eat the very foods that likely caused those diseases. We hear that our friends are getting sick and give serious consideration to medication, but almost no consideration to food.

We are chasing our tails, my friends.

And many times, it’s not our fault. Many of us, including doctors, are unaware of the profound connection between food and health. Many of us may not know how to take the first steps to better health. Even worse, many of us may not even know that we have a choice.

I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU DEFINITELY HAVE A CHOICE.

The best way to enjoy better health is to take charge and become proactive. And the best way to start being proactive is to expand your awareness by learning more about the deep connection between food and health.

I’m going to help you kick-start your food education right now—risk-free and at no cost to you.

Here is the first and most essential piece of nutritional knowledge you will need (brace yourself for a truth-bomb):

The eating patterns that have been proven to be most effective at preventing chronic diseases, promoting weight loss, and maintaining optimal health are those that contain an abundance of whole plant foods and a low (or zero) intake of red meat and processed foods.

Yes, you absolutely do have a choice. You can eat your way to disease, or you can eat your way to fantastic health and vitality.

You don’t have to chase your tail anymore.

I also explore similar topics more deeply in my books, which you can find at https://stevepiriano.life/books/ if you’d like to dive in.

Have You Ever Had Toddler brain?

Have you ever heard the same information from two completely different sources on the same day? This has happened to me several times, and whenever I experience such events, I know that specific knowledge is indispensable. Case in point: in the not-too-distant past, I learned the same concept from two unrelated sources on the same day. After hearing it the second time, I knew that it was something that needed to be shared.

It was regarding something that was referred to as toddler brain, and it was explained in the following manner. When stressed, preoccupied, or overtaxed, you tend to make more impulsive decisions. For instance, let’s assume you are having quite a hectic day at work. When your lunch break finally arrives, and you head down to the cafeteria, you may be presented with both healthy and unhealthy options—perhaps a cheeseburger and a black bean burger. Given your overstressed state of mind, you will probably choose the cheeseburger, even though you know it is not best for you.

A scientific study was even done examining this idea. The participants in this study were divided into two groups. One group was given a seven-digit number to remember, and the other group was given a two-digit number to remember. The participants were then asked to walk down a hallway, and along the way, they were offered a snack—either a piece of cake or some fruit. Researchers observed that the people in the seven-digit group chose the cake more often, whereas people in the two-digit group chose the fruit more often. They concluded that the extra mental stress from trying to remember a seven-digit number led to poorer decisions.

Since we are all faced with stress each day, what can we do to combat this phenomenon of poor decision-making? I have two suggestions. First, pack your lunch at home the night before work. You will presumably be less stressed and also have more time to consider your options. Second, realizing that life in general can often be filled with stressful circumstances, please appreciate the fact that you are allowed to take a step back and give yourself a moment. Take a few deep, relaxing breaths and recalibrate yourself into a more tranquil state. You will be directing a kind act towards yourself. The bonus here is that your more serene state of mind will be felt by and impactful to those around you as well.

Since we’re all grown-ups, let’s try not to act like toddlers.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I hope you’ve enjoyed it and found it helpful. Please feel free to leave comments and to share it. Until next time—be well.

Photo credit: pixabay.com

Explore and Feel the Pride

You’ve done it! You’ve decided to undertake a new physical activity. Perhaps it’s an endurance activity like running, cycling, or swimming. Or maybe it’s an activity that requires more strength and balance, such as weight training or yoga. Maybe it is not even a physical activity. Let’s say you’ve committed to an academic pursuit, such as a course through a school or university or even a self-education venture. How about a project at home or work?

Whatever it is that you have decided to tackle, you will derive significant benefits from it. First, there is the joy of the activity itself. This is especially true when you begin to get into a state of flow, also referred to as “getting in the zone.” You know what I’m talking about, right? What an incredible feeling! Physical activities have their own set of remarkable bonuses. We are likely all familiar with the “runner’s high” that occurs due to the release of the body’s endorphins. These feel-good chemicals produced by our own bodies during exercise bind to the same brain receptors that opioids do. However, unlike pharmaceutical opioids, these will create a positive state of mind without the potential for dangerous side effects. In addition, exercise often gives your muscles that awesome feeling of being “pumped.”

Another benefit of beginning a new venture is a sense of accomplishment and pride when you’ve completed all or even part of it. And finally, there is the discovery, learning, and growth that goes along with new pursuits. I personally find this aspect exceptionally rewarding. I thoroughly enjoy reading non-fiction books because discovering new ideas exhilarates me. Last year, I attended an emergency medicine conference on airway management. I acquired a great deal of knowledge and had the opportunity to sharpen my skills and learn a few new ones. I experienced a wonderful feeling of satisfaction on my drive back home.

I encourage not only physical activities but also exploring and expanding your horizons so that you may learn new things and experience personal growth. Have you been thinking about beginning a new form of exercise or committing to a project or academic course? Kudos to you! Move forward with it and reap the many rewards.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I hope you’ve enjoyed it and found it informative. Please feel free to pass it on. Until next time…be well.

Photo Credit: Jarod Lovekamp/pexels.com

Search For the Fun Stuff

Do what’s fun! Regarding food and exercise, eat the foods and participate in the activities you enjoy—those things that excite you and leave you feeling fantastic. This was the main idea in my last post.

However, it’s not always easy to find the foods that make your mouth water and the types of exercise that resonate with you. Sometimes, it takes a little work, along with trial and error. There are likely many healthy foods and varieties of physical training out there that you find dull, boring, or just plain dislike, and that’s okay.

I’d like you to understand, though, that it can sometimes take several exposures to a food or activity before you begin to enjoy it. Yes, it is possible to dislike something initially but then grow to appreciate it over time. Moreover, I’ve read that it can take eight to twelve exposures to a new food before you begin to savor it. A few tips: trying new foods as part of recipes can create a more pleasurable experience. Additionally, engaging in physical activities with friends can make them much more gratifying.

What happens if you have tried something many times and still dislike it? Well, that’s okay. Continue to be flexible and try something else. There are countless options for healthy foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds) and so many different forms of exercise that you can try. I encourage you to explore and experiment until you find the right things for you.

When I began my journey into healthier living, I started adding broccoli and peppers to my diet. At first, I was not a big fan and didn’t really care for their taste. However, I knew they were good for me, so I gave them a chance. I persisted in eating them once or twice a week and soon found that I was genuinely enjoying them. Now, all these years later, I am still eating and savoring these vegetables.

So, as I mentioned above, explore and experiment with the innumerable choices available until you find those that are perfect for you. And when you do, go out there and relish them!

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I hope you’ve enjoyed it and found it informative. Please feel free to pass it on to anyone you feel might benefit.

Photo Credit: Michail_Petrov-96/istockphoto.com

The Healthy Stuff is Not Only Good For You…It’s FUN!

“Eat your veggies because they’re good for you.”

This statement has probably been heard repeatedly by children of all ages as their parents firmly encourage them to clean their dinner plates.

Anyone who reads my blogs consistently also knows that I speak a lot about the health benefits of fruits and vegetables. It’s an essential truth—fruits and vegetables are some of the healthiest foods we can eat. I’ve also written a lot about the importance of regular physical activity. However, I read an article recently that has prompted me to realize that a shift in my perspective would be beneficial when discussing such matters.

The article “Can Exercising and Eating Healthy Be Fun and Indulgent Instead of Boring and Depriving? Targeting Mindsets About the Process of Engaging in Healthy Behaviors” discusses a few studies on mindset. One of the studies focused on food and had two groups of adolescent participants. Each group was enrolled in a different class on food. One group was told of the incredible health benefits of eating wholesome foods, and the other group was told about the social benefits of sharing good foods as well as the pleasurable flavors that good foods can have. In other words, they emphasized that healthy foods are fun to eat. When the food choices were analyzed, the “food is fun” group chose healthy foods more often than the “food is healthy” group.

The article also looked at a similar study on exercise. Again, the study divided participants into two groups. One group had the fantastic health benefits of exercise explained to them in a short presentation along with a handout, and the other group was given a presentation and handout informing them of how enjoyable and relaxing exercise can be. As with the study on food, the “exercise is fun” group chose to exercise more than the “exercise is healthy” group.

This enlightening article presented a key concept that should not be overlooked. Mindset is essential in all things, especially when making choices pertaining to lifestyle—what we choose to eat and how much physical activity we give ourselves. Suppose we see healthy foods as bursting with flavor rather than just being good for us. In that case, we will be more likely to eat them. By the same token, if we perceive exercise as making us feel fantastic instead of just something that should be done to improve health, then we will be more likely to do more of it.

I eat healthy foods because I love the way they taste, and I exercise because I love the way it makes me feel. The fact that these activities are good for my body is a huge benefit.

Mindset is key. Change your mindset about your habits, and your habits will change.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I hope you have enjoyed it and found it informative. Please feel free to share it with anyone who might benefit from it.

photo credit: Alexander Drummer/pexels.com

Does an Occasional Inconsistency Really Matter?

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We often behave based on incentives and anticipated consequences. If a specific behavior will have a positive effect, we will likely move forward with it. Conversely, if an action is expected to have negative ramifications, we will most likely refrain from it. In my last post, I discussed immediate and delayed consequences, noting that our actions will often be based on immediate rather than delayed consequences. For instance, if a person is presented with the opportunity to experiment with a recreational drug, he may only consider the here-and-now pleasant experience rather than the possibility of lifelong addiction.

I would like to provide two points of clarification. Within reason, it is what you do most of the time that counts. Doing something once or twice will not have a major impact on your life. I qualified this by stating “within reason” because many times, performing reckless behavior, even once or twice, can create catastrophic, lifelong repercussions. In addition to the recreational substance example, deciding to drive while intoxicated only once can produce irreparable damage for your entire life.

However, aside from careless behaviors, it is what you do most of the time that counts. Just as eating a single cheeseburger is not going to give you a heart attack, eating a single serving of veggies is not going to turn you into the picture of health. Conversely, eat cheeseburgers regularly, and you will likely see your health decline. Eat vegetables consistently, and you will likely enjoy good health.

The second point of clarification is somewhat in opposition to the first point. Whereas it is true that a single act will not have major consequences on your health, it may have significant effects on your mind. There is a school of thought that believes the occasional indulgence will set you back mentally and emotionally. Suppose you have been eating healthy for a while and decide to reward yourself with that one cheeseburger. This will certainly have no ill effects on your health. However, you may savor its flavors so much that you decide to have another one tomorrow and perhaps again next week. If you have refrained from smoking for many months and then experience a stressful situation and choose to smoke a single cigarette to “help calm down,” this will have no adverse health impacts. However, you might have enjoyed this small indulgence so much that you decide to come back for more. Again, although no immediate health impacts, there may be instantaneous mental effects, which can result in the restoration of the bad habit that you worked so hard to abolish.

Although consistency matters the most, sometimes, seemingly minor inconsistencies can have significant negative impacts.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I hope you have enjoyed it and found it informative. Please feel free to share it with anyone who may benefit from it.

Which Consequences Matter to You?

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One day this past summer, I was driving a friend home, and he was hungry. I stopped at a pizzeria, and he bought a meatball parm hero that he began eating on the drive. At one point, he took a bite, and a small piece of meatball, along with some sauce and oil, dropped out of the sandwich and onto his shirt. He immediately tried wiping it off with a napkin and was understandably upset because he thought his shirt might be permanently stained.

As I glanced over at him, a thought popped into my head. Yes, he was justifiably concerned that his shirt may be ruined. However, what about the other consequences of that meatball hero? He was eating a sandwich filled with sodium, saturated fat, and cholesterol. Although these substances would increase his risk of developing diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, he did not seem disturbed about these potential health outcomes. Why was that? Why was he more concerned about what the sandwich did to his shirt than what it could potentially do to his health?

The major reason lies in the various types of consequences. His stained shirt was an immediate consequence. It happened at the time he was eating it, was quite obvious, and thus connected to the sandwich. However, the possible adverse health consequences mentioned are not so apparent. If they are going to occur, they will likely not arise for five, ten, or even twenty years. Those would be considered delayed consequences, occurring so far into the future that it would be exceedingly difficult to link them to the sandwich.

Immediate consequences clearly have an enormous difference in impact compared to delayed consequences. Let us imagine that the opposite was possible for a moment—that immediately after eating the sandwich, my friend suffered a heart attack. If this was the case, I could pretty much guarantee that he would never eat a meatball parm hero again.

I realize that I’ve made a bit of a stretch here. Eating a single unhealthy meal is not going to have unfavorable health effects, even after years have passed. However, consistently consuming unhealthy foods will most certainly increase the risk of poor health. The impact of each meal will add up over time until the outcomes become apparent.

Please remember the difference between immediate and delayed consequences and their importance in your life. Just some food for thought (pun intended).

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I hope you enjoyed it and found it informative. If you know of anyone who may benefit, please feel free to share it.

Closing the Gap

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Have you been a couch potato for too long? Do you want to finally do something about it? If so— kudos to you! One of the first things you should do is set specific health goals so that you have a depiction of where you currently are (point A) and where you wish to be (point B). Moreover, it may turn out that the gap between A and B is substantial, and consequently, many changes are required in order to close this gap.

Some people in this situation may be able to successfully make significant life changes in a short time to bring them closer to attaining their goals. However, this may prove too difficult for most people, and attempting to make extensive changes quickly can easily be a set-up for failure. I submit that making gradual and progressive small changes over time is a much better way to achieve big goals and close the gap. In short, for most people, baby steps are the way to go.

I wonder how many people reading this have a treadmill that now serves as a wardrobe. You purchased the treadmill with a strong desire to exercise and become healthier, which you did at the outset. However, over time, your commitment to becoming physically fit began to wane, and the treadmill began collecting dust. Not too long afterward, it began collecting piles of clothes. It is now difficult to even recognize it as a treadmill.

What can you do? The answer is to take baby steps. If you resolve to exercise consistently, make gradual changes. Start by removing a few articles of clothing each day over the course of a week. Now take a look at it—you actually have a treadmill again. Next, use it to take a five-minute walk. Over the following weeks, take longer walks and then short jogs. Then, begin to take longer runs on your brand-new closet-turned-exercise machine. You’ll feel great, have a lot of fun, and will be doing magnificent things for your health.

In most instances, consistent and progressive baby steps are the best way to close the gap and accomplish big goals.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I hope that you have enjoyed it and found it informative. Please feel free to share it with anyone you think may benefit.