- Subscribe:
“There’s no synthetics, no chemicals or anything infused on them,” says farmer Michael Wallace.
He sells homegrown fruits and vegetables at local farmer’s markets.
“Our mixed greens, our Asian mustards, our tropical fruits, and our sprouts,” Wallace points out.
In recent years he’s seen a growing interest in his produce.
“It’s taken us about four years and we have a great following.”
Wallace’s business model is also part of a success model for living a long and healthy life.
“Dan Buettner was the author of a study that was done that termed Blue Zones. Areas in the world where there are more people that live into the 90 and 100-year range than any place else in the world,” says Dr. Sal Lacagnina, vice president of health and wellness with Lee Memorial Health System.
Scattered around the world, a handful of Blue Zones’ might teach us a thing or two.
“The commonalities really come in what they eat, how they move, how they’re active on a regular basis, and their social surroundings,” says Dr. Lacagnina.
Americans get black marks on how we treat aging. It’s associated with unproductiveness, frailty, and loneliness. In Blue Zones, the opposite is true; there is reverence for the well-aged.
“Individuals, as they got older, were revered for their knowledge, for their wisdom, for their participation.”
Lack of stress was another key component. Slowing down and enjoying life.
“These people are not living in nursing homes, they’re living either independently or with other family members, so they’re living a very vital life,” says Dr. Lacagnina.
Keeping people strong are exercise and diet. Moving more and taking a fresh look what food.
“We’re targeting a lot of food that people have not been exposed to and we’re trying to teach them how to eat food like this, incorporate this into their diet,” explains Wallace.
Making small changes, it’s never too late to start aging well.
View More Health Matters video segments at leememorial.org/healthmatters/
Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we’ve been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries.
Visit leememorial.org
Channels: Blue Zones
