Longevity….the ahem, long & short of it….
Last week I was privileged to spend an amazing evening centred around Longevity with intelligent, amusing, successful women. Ali from Body Love Pilates doesn’t do things lightly so the powerhouse panel was Sarah Jane Clarke, Carla Oates (fan girling here) & Jess Blanch - of course along with Ali & Courtney from The INARRA - all thanks to Soph for pulling out last minute & my sister for forcing me to come! I have been off Instagram since December last year so I’m sure you can find lots of relevant info on their platforms too if you’re on social. When I learned about Blue Zones about 10 years & specifically some case studies, I was reeled in as to how it wasn’t so black & white. My favourite story on longevity through my IIN studies was a low-socio economic migrant demographic who were predominately factory workers, didn’t eat nutrient dense foods but defied the odds on longevity which came down to community & relationships.
Loved their different approached on how we can create longevity including:
Having a community - whether that looks like family, friends, other parents, co-workers or for some lucky people, a mix of all of these.
Walking daily to clear your head - & with that comes the goal of 10,000 steps a day.
Optimal fuel for your body - Eating 30 plants a week (snap - I had LITERALLY posted about this the day before on my blog)
Prioritising self-care - whether that’s reading, a daily walk, gardening, cooking or getting a massage (a gal can dream big).
Creativity in many forms.
GUT is key - Carla was preaching to the converted with me. I’ve been using Beauty Chef products for a few years now. They are ALWAYS in my fridge. My amazing sister also gifts them to me every year for my Birthday.
Happiness & optimism - I loved that Carla mentioned this as a key driver of longevity - for me this looks like finding joy in the minutiae of life. Literally stopping to smell the flowers (especially the jasmine!), listening to other people laughing, feeling the sun on my skin, the sand between my toes, the salt water taking my breath away, surrounding myself with funny, intelligent, non-judgemental women & constantly listening & learning. I gain extreme happiness from being active & I also find embarrassing my children an EXCELLENT way to have a laugh - even if they tell you I am “not sigma”.
To top off the night, I went to dinner with my sister and three of her beautiful girlfriends & as always, we found ourselves laughing. A lot.
Connection and community remain a cornerstone for well-being in my life, & don’t I realise what an amazing privilege this is. I’m just glad you’re all here for the ride with me.
