Group Wellness Program60-DAY

Akea’s BluePrint for Life

THE KEY TOslower aging

and longer life

Akea’s BluePrint for Life

Harvard University

Duke University

The Italian Government

longevityHOT SPOTS

research

National Institute on Aging

National Geographic

Longevity Hot Spots

• There are factors common to all the Hot Spots• We can apply those factors to our own lives• It is never too late or too early to start

The 5 Principles of the BluePrint for Life

Eating

How we used to eat

Unnatural Food

Natural Food

Healthy Eating Principles• Fruit: approximately 2-3 pieces daily• Vegetables: 6 servings daily• Whole grains: daily or most days• Proteins: with every meal and snack• Monounsaturated fats: daily or most days (from olive

oil, avocados, nuts)• Omega 3 and omega 6 essential fatty acids: every day

(from oily fish and from seeds)• Water: several glasses daily

SOURCES OFMonounsaturated Fats

SOURCES OFEssential Fatty Acids

Foods to Exclude or Restrict

• Some foods are hazardous to health.• These are very prevalent in our diet today.• They may be some of your favorite foods!• They are usually addictive and leave you wanting more.• They can affect your DNA and that of your children, so

that their children are adversely affected by the foods you eat!

Sugar

White Bread

Alcohol/Liquor

• Organic red wine or rice wine is drunk in the Hot Spots, in small quantities and always with a meal.

• Red wine contains antioxidants, including a powerful one called resveratrol. Wine can also be relaxing and lower blood pressure.

• Therefore, there are pros and cons to drinking wine – choose organic and keep to small quantities only if you do drink alcohol.

• Avoid or restrict beer and spirits.

Alcohol/Liquor

Coffee

Spoiled Fats

Common Cooking Oil

• If you must cook with oil, use olive oil or ground nut oil as they are more stable.

• Keep at a low temperature as they contain some polyunsaturates.

• High-oleic sunflower oil – safer than ordinary sunflower oil

• Coconut oil – safe• Pork fat – safe

Common Cooking Oil

Hydrogenated fats and trans fats

• Trans fats and hydrogenated fats have had their molecular structure altered to prevent the fats from going rancid and give them a longer shelf life.

• Hydrogenated fats also add a satisfying chewy texture to food.

• These fats are incompatible with our biochemistry and interfere with our cell membrane structure.

• They are hazardous to health and are starting to become banned.

Hydrogenated fats and trans fats

Saturated Fat

The BluePrint for Life: Lifestyle Factors

Movement

• In the Hot Spots, people keep moving all day long.• Shepherding, walking up the hill to get somewhere,

practicing martial arts, dancing, swimming, rowing, fishing, gardening, playing polo.

• Movement and exercise are highly beneficial. A sedentary life is hazardous to health.

Movement

Purpose

• In the Hot Spots, people have a reason to get out of bed in the morning.– Looking after the family, tending the vegetables, catching fish,

doing the chores.

• Everyone has something to do and they must do it in order to survive so they have a sense of purpose.

• They enjoy their work in the Hot Spots. • Older people are respected and continue to work long

past ‘retirement age’.• Keeping busy and active in youth, middle age, and in

old age is good for physical and mental health.

Purpose

Purpose

Connection

• In the Hot Spots people tend to live in large extended families.

• They have a sense of belonging and of being loved and cherished.

• People also live in close-knit communities. • Crime rates are low or non-existent.• There is a culture of being reciprocal – in Okinawa,

people leave meals on the doorstep for others if they need it.

Connection

Relaxation

• Avoiding stress is part of the BluePrint for Life.• People are not stressed in the Hot Spots. They know

how to rest and take time out, even though they are busy and hardworking. In some Hot Spots, they have a siesta in the middle of the day.

• Stress – high blood pressure and high cortisol = aging.

• Finding a way to manage or avoid stress is an important part of staying healthy.

Relaxation

ACTIVITYHow did you incorporate the 5 Principles of the BluePrint for Life this week? Make a plan of action the your Wellness Accountability Partner.

NEXT WEEK:Breakfast like a King