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My Top 3 |
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As those of you who have been reading a while have figured out, I’m a healthy chickadee. I was once realllllllly (that’s 8 “Ls”) unhealthy when I was younger. I was overweight, barely exercised, smoked, drank a lot, ate enough craptastic food to sink an ocean liner, and was sick all the time. About ten years ago, I got lucky enough to realize that I was committing slow suicide with my lifestyle. I went cold turkey from my old ways and am eternally grateful that these changes stuck. So, for many years, my health has been a huge focus. I know some friends who think my focus might be a little obsessive, but I don’t care. I never want to go back to the way I was and frankly, I like myself now - something I NEVER felt before I made these changes.
So, when I see a show that promises secrets from “Blue Zones” - or areas in the world where there is an inordinate amount of healthy people living over the age of 100 - I’m like a kid in a candy store. A kid in a candy store where they only sell vitamin supplements and exercise equipment.
Today’s episode tickled me. I’m always interested in cultures where health reigns. A lot of the focus - regularly making positive food choices, doing daily cardio and strength-based activity, and finding joy in life - are things we’ve all heard lots and lots. BUT one item I don’t think I’d heard much before was about how the people in your community help to determine your level of fitness and health. This is probably common sense, but I hadn’t thought much about it. And in retrospect, the folks I hung about with when I was a wreck were in the same boat. And now I work at a yoga studio, my friends eat well, take care of their bodies, minds, and spirits. I guess that’s not a coincidence. Of course, I live in Chicago, where you can get just about anything deep-fried and dipped in cheese. Not a Blue Zone.
I recommend visiting Oprah’s website if you want to learn the details of each Zone’s culture. (It’d be reinventing the wheel to transcribe everything here.) While surface choices might all look different, the similarities are glaring.
A few notable moments in the show for me:
- Oprah turned Dr. Oz around so we could look at his butt in his jeans. He giggled.
- Oh my lord, I was really amused by poor 99-year old Jose in Costa Rica. Dr. Oz was grabbin’ and pinchin’ and squeezin’ this old man to show us how muscular and healthy he was due to his manual labor. This old dude was squeezed more than the Charmin. Back in Chicago, Dr. Oz also grabbed Oprah’s legs and told us she had strong quads.
- Oprah told us to “Get rid of your toxic friends.” I’ve got to be honest. I don’t think I have any anymore. I did in the past. I used to be a card carrying member of Team Toxicity (our team colors were black on black). I might have friends who aren’t as gung-ho diet/exercise as me, but they don’t have contagious bad mojo. I’ll think on this though…if I need to remove anyone from my life, I will.
- Oprah told us to “So, everybody needs to stock their shelves with beans.” and “Add more beans to diet. And they’re cheaper, too.” Boy, Oprah has totally gotten the point. Americans are waaaaaayyyyy pooooooor right now. I know many of you have questioned her motives, which I think is completely valid, but I’m gonna give credit where credit is due: lately, she’s all about giving affordable tips. Does she follow them herself? Probably not. If I was a gazillionaire, I probably wouldn’t either. But at least she’s not giving us advice as she’s being fed bonbons while being carried around in a diamond-encrusted sedan chair.
I need to watch the show again - probably first thing tomorrow as I’m EXHAUSTED and achy. Apologies if I’m babbling or talking in circles today. I’ve been traveling most of the day and was just able to watch the episode once through, but I wanted to post before it got too late. I think there might have been more Oprah-advice to follow, but I need to carefully reassess when I am thinking clearly.
And finally….WOW…it looks like “Best Life Week” (which starts January 5th) might show a more vulnerable side to Oprah than she’s shown us this year. I wish it had fallen within the boundaries of my project, but I’ll be watching with much interest and can’t wait to discuss it with you. What did y’all think if/when you saw it promoted?
Have a good night y’all.
Tag: zone diet
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