Blue Zones Project Blog

Do you ever feel sad or irritable, lose interest in usual activities, not been able to experience pleasure, feel guilty or worthless, and have thoughts of death or suicide? Or have you had difficulty concentrating or making decisions? How about fatigue, feeling restless, slowed down, insomnia, change in appetite or activity?

When we hear the term, “spring cleaning,” we all know what this means - it’s that time of year again when deep cleaning and decluttering of our living spaces are in order. Why is it that spring is the best time to clean our homes, and why do we need to do this anyway?

This beginning of this century may be known as the “Age of Genetics,” just as the end of the last century was known as the “Information Age.”

The decision to start a new exercise routine can be downright daunting. Even more so if you’re juggling a full-time job, a family, and all the other time and energy life can demand. But you don’t need to spend a lot on an expensive gym membership or a monthly stationary bike rental to move your fitness needle. Here are a few tips for establishing an effective fitness routine in the comfort of your own home.

The harmful effects of smoking have been known since the mid-1950s when the link between smoking and lung cancer was statistically proven. Dr. Morton L. Levin of the Roswell Park Memorial Institute in Buffalo, NY a state cancer research-treatment center, made this connection. Subsequently, he boldly wrote to the presidents of seven leading tobacco companies suggesting that they voluntarily label all cigarette packaging with a warning that excessive smoking is dangerous to health. At that time, it created a firestorm of controversy, with the tobacco companies defending their positions. I had the good fortune to work under Dr. Levin during the summer of 1965 in a National Summer Science program. Packages were finally labeled in 1964.

Our mental health—how we consider the world and our role in it—is every bit as important as our physical health. And just as we must work to stay physically fit, so, too, must we work to keep our minds “in shape.”

We are the second fattest nation in the world. (Nauru, the third smallest nation in the world, is fatter.) What can we do about this? What diet is best? How can we best motivate people to lose weight, keep it off, or—better still—not become overweight in the first place? Statistics show that in 2017, more than two-thirds of the U.S. adult population were considered overweight or obese. Obesity is the second most common cause of preventable death in our country, ranked just after smoking.

The importance of spending time together as a family (or chosen family) is pretty indisputable. Fostering healthy connections with family members is crucial for our social well-being, and for our overall wellness. 

The human body is amazing. We take for granted the underlying, almost autonomous functions that keep us healthy and functional. Most times, with a casual nonchalance, we don’t even realize what goes on second by second inside our bodies as we direct our conscious attention to interaction with the outside surrounding environment. Our bodies are more complex than most computers. Organ system examples are fascinating.

May is Mediterranean Diet Month, a campaign started in 2019 by the Mediterranean Foods Alliance to celebrate the good-for-you foods associated with this region of the world.