There are these 5 places on the planet called Blue Zones. This is where there are clusters of people living to, and even past, 100 years old.
They are not only living, they are thriving!
The Blue Zones are Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Icaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California.
Yes, in these places, they eat healthy, have little stress, and they move their bodies. The last thing they all have in common is that they all live in extremely tightly knit communities.
In fact, research shows that most centenarians, regardless of their culture or country of origin, have a strong social and spiritual support system.
We often hear that people’s health declines as soon as they retire. That’s because they lose their daily workplace social structure and support, and become isolated, which ages them.
In our culture older folks tend to become isolated and depressed and as a result there is an epidemic of loneliness that coincides with our decreasing health spans and life spans.
The American Psychological Association recently did a study and found that social support can help prevent stress and stress-related diseases.
The benefits of friends and family can be especially important for seniors.
An article published in the American Journal of Health Promotion explains that social support can slow down stress hormones in seniors which helps to increase longevity.
Other studies have found that social interactions can help older people stay mentally sharp and may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's.
So, my advice, keep your friends close.
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