Picture taken by ABA photography
Your Health
SECRETS OF LONGEVITY
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iving here in the Algarve, we already experience an incredible high quality of life. Our ability to enjoy this quality of life is connected to how healthy we are in mind, body and spirit. So we are lucky to be here, yes? Are we making the right choices in our health and well-being that allow us to make the most of living in paradise? Can we ‘next level’ our Algarve dream life experience? Because it is so easy to slip into a comfortable yet not so healthy routine, it’s important to check in on the key habits that will enhance and prolong our vitality and enjoyment in this paradise.
What are the key factors in longevity and vitality? The more we learn in the field of nutrition and health sciences, the more it is confirmed that well-being is determined by much more than diet and exercise. Much more. Great bodies of research around constructing our wellness and accessing our potential for healing are coming into the mainstream. These studies generally all speak to the need for good nutrition, exercise, sleep, contact with nature, healthy
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Janet Shook shares her tips for exeptional health and well being as we take on 2021!
breathing techniques, supplements and herbal remedies and some sort of meditation or mindfulness practice. But if they are really comprehensive, they will also come around to hidden imperatives to a long and happy life; The need for community, belonging and purpose. Take for example the Blue Zones research project which compared 5 communities across the globe that had exceptional health and longevity rates amongst their inhabitants. This research project determined 9 factors that exist in all 5 communities to which this study accredits the excellent quality and extended longevity of their lives. This is my summary of these 9 key factors; 1. Getting exercise naturally. The inhabitants of these zones won’t be seen in the gym. They stay fit by living their lives and meeting their daily needs as their lives require movement on a daily basis and this movement keeps them agile and strong. It could be gardening, walking long distances, transport by bicycle, tending to animals, playing gentle sports.
January 2021
