3 Simple Ways to Live a Long, Healthy Life

Can you imagine living to be 100? I can. I think about it often and would love to live to ripe old age!

I love this life…but mostly, I love being healthy, vibrant, and a part of it all. Honestly, I’m not sure I’d want to live to 100 if I was still in chronic pain or emotional turmoil. This led me to research the common threads among our world’s longest living populations so that I could take charge of my health and create pain free longevity.

In my search, I discovered Dan Buettner, author of Blue Zones, who has studied individuals from Sardinia and Okinawa, regions that boast not only the longest living inhabitants, but also those that are happy and healthy.

It’s fascinating to read about all the ways we can improve longevity but it seems to me it all boils down to 3 over-arching habitual activities that impact our health and well being—and directly relate to the pain response in the body and mind.

A common thread among those living with vim and vigor right into their 10th decade is consistency. Each day, we need to choose to treat our minds, hearts, and bodies with Love and Respect so that we facilitate the healing response on a continual basis!

Here are 3 simple, yet effective over-arching habits of the healthiest centurions of our time:

1. They MOVE their bodies. They walk more than they drive, move more than they sit, and exercise regularly—not even intensely, just regularly.I encourage you to take a baby step toward more movement today. Do some yoga when you first rise; park farther away; take a little walk at lunch; do some more yoga before bed!
2. They EAT whole, local foods. Their diets are rich in local, organic produce and healthy fats that provide vitamins, minerals, and water needed to support body functions and aid healing. Animal proteins are locally raised in their natural environments and eaten minimally to reduce inflammatory factors.Food provides the raw materials with which your body creates or stimulates the formation of all of your cells, bones, fluids, enzymes, hormones, muscles, and organs. So, you see, you really are what you eat!
3. They CONNECT with LIFE to reduce stress. They enjoy people, family, and life. They find balance in work, rest, and play. Their minds, hearts, and bodies thank them for it with years of health and happiness. In Sardinia and Okinawa, where people live the longest, hard work is important, but not more so than spending time with family, nurturing spirituality, and doing for others.

Where can you deepen your connection with others to support your physical, mental and emotional health?

This week let’s all take a moment to reflect on the simple ways we can be more consistent in our approach to self-care, nourishment, and healthy relationships—not just to live to 100, but to live everyday pain free with mindfulness and gratitude for a life well lived!

In Love & Gratitude,

Missi Holt

P.S. You are valuable. Your life is worth living—pain free, full of zest, and communing with those you love and who love you. You were not born a winner or a loser. You were born a chooser. Chose today to build healthy habits so that you can live a long life to the fullest!