Written by Dan Buettner

Dr. Robert Kane, U of M's Chair of Long Term Care and Aging and one of Blue Zones advisors recently addressed that very question. We both agree that there are several benefits to social connectedness:

1. As people age, having someone checking in on you is very important
2. Other people can give our lives meaning, a reason to get up and out of the house,
3. We're evolutionarily designed to socialize so there is likely a biological link between connectedness and how well our bodies (immune system, etc) works and
4. The knowledge that we're not alone in the world reduces stress, puts us at ease.

I think the Facebook may partially satisfy 1 and 4 above and hence, is better than no contact at all but for 2 and 3, I don't think there's any real substitute for that face to face, back-slapping, human aura that comes with Happy Hour with friends and a good sit down chat.

One of the indicators or a true connectedness is if the person on the other end of the communication really cares about you when you had a terrible day and need to vent. A NIA study recently found that you'll live longer if you have two good friends who really care about you. My experience is that you're more likely to find such quality friends in your neighborhood than you would trolling on Facebook.

Written by Kathryn Savage

When did you last have your cholesterol checked? What’s your score? High blood pressure? Family history of diabetes?

For many Americans, the Norman Rockwell era of the family doctor that you see from birth till retirement is as quaint a notion as 25 cent gas. We live in a world where transitions from employer to employer mean different insurance cards and often a different network of care. One doctor per person is a far cry from the realities of modern medicine.

In this age where we swap physicians like hairstyles, (every few years at least) it’s important to know your score, your cholesterol score, the results of your last allergy test and let’s face it, your whole medical history.

Medical experts agree that digitalizing medical records, and giving people access to their charts online would revolutionize care and reduce redundancies. The problem? Doctors are slow to make the change. Small clinics would need to do a complete overhaul, invest thousands in computer technologies, and spend loads of time inputing all that information. Data entry from hell is the vibe I get after reading this recent article in the New York Times. Would digital records revolutionize care? Yes. Are doctors quick to adopt this practice? No. Fewer than one in five of the nations doctors have started using such records.

If I were you doc, I’d get on board.
It’s not that American’s lack options. From Wii fit to a gym on every corner, an array of online diet information, websites like the Mayo Clinic with a huge assortment of articles about how to stay healthy and well, and home workout dvd’s, we’ve got options when it comes to staying healthy. But that doesn’t mean we’re doing it. According to a recent report, only 12 percent of American adults are health literate. Meaning, only 12 percent of Americans understand how to manage their care. Only 12 percent can understand the information on a prescription bottle, read proper dosage, fill out medical forms and comprehend their insurance coverage. While it’s important to increase health literacy, it’s equally, if not more important, to make healthy choices and take measures to side-step illness.

Health Tips
For a range of health tips scope this website of course! Also check out the Mayo Clinic, and these ten essential health tips for living a long, happy, and healthy life!

Written by Kathryn Savage

• Stress reduction.
• Gardening is a great way to get physical exercise without really trying.
• It increases balance and flexibility.
• Gardening is good for spacial awareness, and it cultivates a nurturing attitude towards nature and the environment.
• Gardening gets you outside where you get the added benefit of sunshine and vitamin D.
• Free food! Yummy tomatoes, squash, basil, peas, oh my!

• Tomatoes - Plant them about one foot apart so you can use a string of 7-watt outdoor Christmas tree lights to keep them warm at night. Huh...

• Limited space for your garden? Too much shade? - For people with “limited space and too much shade,” make raised garden boxes, two feet high, four feet long, and two feet wide. “Around the outer edge of the planter plant corn and beans. In the box plant tomatoes. The corn shades the tomatoes and the beans grow up the corn plants but don’t affect the corn's growth.”

• Organic fertilizer anyone? - After cooking vegetables in water, especially beets, let the water cool and add it to your lawn and garden. The nutrients in the water make a great fertilizer.

Written by Dan Buettner

Why are the lessons from the Ikaria, Greece Blue Zone so important? Our team has discovered that over one-third of everyone in the northeastern end of Ikaria reaches age 90. They suffer 20% less cancer and half the rate of heart disease. And there’s virtually no dementia. In other words, they’re living the good years many of us are missing. Years we could possibly have by just adjusting a few simple habits, including:

1. Wild Greens - Greens are abundant in fields and roadsides, Ikarians frequently eat wild green salads and pies. Some contain more antioxidants than green tea or wine.
2. Herbal Teas - The common herbal teas consumed here contain compounds that lower blood pressure and decrease the risk of heart disease and dementia.
3. Low sense of time urgency - Feeling less obligation to one’s schedule and day is shown to lower heart-harming stress hormones.
4. Daily naps - Taking a 30-minute nap at least five times a week can decrease the risk of heart attack by 35 percent.
5. Mountain living - Here, every trip out of the house occasions a mini workout. People get their daily exercise without thinking about it. Studies show the mountain people have lower cardio vascular disease.
6. Strong sense of community - Family and village support create strong social connections, which are proven to promote longevity.
7. Goat's milk - 80 percent of all people over 90 have consumed goat’s milk many times per week throughout their life. It is rich in blood-pressure lowering tryptophan and antibacterial compounds.
8. Ikarian diet - The Ikarian variation of Mediterranean Diet is high in vegetables, beans, and low in meat and sugar. Uniquely, though, it’s lower in grains and fish, but high in potatoes.

But then there’s a big picture: Cancer costs our country almost $250 billion per year, heart disease another approximately $500 billion and dementia yet another $175 billion. If we could live Ikaria’s lifestyle, we could, at least in theory, cut our rates in half and save ourselves and our country nearly a half a trillion dollars.

To experience the Ikaria Quest go to http://www.bluezones.com/ikaria/