Blue Zones

My Blue Zones journey is far from slowing down. But I’ll be perfectly honest with you: the Power 9 principle of Move Naturally has had me stumped for the past year or so. But that’s because I was looking at all wrong. Let me explain. 

A year ago, I had been working twelve- to fourteen-hour days since the previous August. Thankfully, it was only for a season and not a long-term situation. But the strain was all too real. All year, I had one bug or another. By the New Year, I got sick with COVID. If that wasn’t enough, I was diagnosed with asthma in April. My body seemed to be taking all the hits for my added stress. 

With those long days, cooking good homemade meals and going on my daily walks were a thing of the past. All I could do was get by the best I could. In my mind, I was failing at my Blue Zones journey because I wasn’t doing the things that I used to do. Then, I had an ah-ha moment. My mental state of mind was strong, and I knew my journey hadn’t stopped. It was being redefined.

Well, it’s that time of year again. We’re either still fully committed to our New Year’s resolutions, we get to them when we think about it, or we just don’t get to it at all (We can live with the guilt just fine, thank you.) Or maybe you’re the one who is already living out your fullest potential! Wherever you are in the spectrum, have hope; this isn’t a diet article! The Bloom has partnered with the Blue Zones Project – Lake County because it’s all about living the fullest and happiest life possible. That doesn’t mean focusing on clothes size but rather considering all aspects of our lives, including our mental and emotional well-being.

For the next few months, I’ll be exploring the Blue Zone’s Power 9 principles. And did I mention it’s not a diet? Well, I’m saying it again. Rather, it’s a total well-being process. Look at the nine principles and see for yourself:

Well, I thought we’d get the “diet” out of the way when I tell you about my two-year Blue Zone journey with food–one of the Power 9 principles. Two things that I love about the Blue Zones are that it’s carb-friendly and loves wine. Whew, that was a close one! First of all, this is a lifestyle, not a diet. Instead of forcing you to remove carbs or drink shakes, Blue Zones encourages increasing your plant-based foods while eating smaller portions of meat and dairy. I realized I had to live with the changes I made forever, not just for a short time like I would on “diets.” That took some real thought. And here are some tricks I’ve learned so far.