If you have Netflix, then you should take the time to watch the four-episode docuseries, Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones, from Dan Buettner. When I tuned into this, I was really struggling with my Meno symptoms and I had already established that if I was going to move through this stage of my life and come out Positively Charged at the other end, I would need “Movement, Mindset and Modification”, however watching this series and learning about the Power 9®principles that have come out as the predominant factor to a happy and healthy life, made me draw some parallels to what we need during Meno.
You may not want to live to 100, but in case you do, the places that have the highest concentrations of centenarians and are now known as “Blue Zones” and were explored and researched by Dan and his team are Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Ikaria, Greece; Nicoya, Costa Rica; and Loma Linda, California. The most common factors in these locations and communities are that they eat a mostly plant-based diet, there is an ability to move yourself, without relying on a car and a strong focus on family. So how does this relate to Meno and what can we take from this research and apply to our Meno experience? I have looked at all these principles in relation to my own mantra.
Movement! It is the first ingredient in my mantra and turns out that it is the first ingredient in the Blue Zones as well. I have always said that it is important to find ways to get incidental exercise into your day, so that you don’t have to ‘get to…. something’ to do your exercise and your exercise just becomes what you do anyway. When I worked in offices, I made sure to ride my push bike to work, because it was generally quicker than being stuck in commuter traffic and it made me feel energised and ready for work or on the way home gave an opportunity to destress before walking back into my home life. The Blue Zones take exercise to be a holistic endeavour, and by this it means using your body to move you, where you need to be, or reducing the number of mechanical devices to do the work for you. I am not about to give up my Dyson vacuum cleaner for inside, but I do still use a stiff broom to do my outdoor sweeping, instead of a leaf blower and this is an example of how to bring more movement into your life, without overthinking it. As we know movement during the Meno transition is a key factor in keeping us healthy and strong, so next time you go to jump in the car ask yourself, could I walk or ride there? Or instead of using your leaf blower grab a broom! You won’t just live longer; you will actually feel better physically and mentally.
Mindset! The second ingredient in my Mantra and one that is framed as the “right outlook” and some elements of the “connect” principles in the Blue Zones. Basically, you need to have a reason to get up in the morning. In his research Dan Buettner discovered this was referred to “Ikigai” in Japan and other things in different locations, whatever you call it, you need a purpose in your life. Without purpose you have no structure or routine and this is not helpful. In Meno having structure and purpose can help you achieve a positive mindset and keep mood related symptoms at bay.
They really focus on stress reduction in the Blue Zones, and this is frequently done by practicing gratitude, meditation and reflection, rest in the form of an actual nap and in Sardinia having a happy hour! As I have discussed in my journal about meditation, stress is bad for every part of our being and in the long-term leads to chronic health conditions as well as chronic inflammation, which is known to be associated with every major age-related disease, according to Dans research.
Belonging is a big part of everyone’s life, however as we age, we can find ourselves in what is known as a Friendship Dip, according to a Culture Study article by Anne Helen Petersen. She describes the Friendship Dip as a result of our hostile lives in our 20s and 30s not being arranged to cultivate or sustain friendships and then when we hit our 40s and 50s, we are trying to attempt to rebuild what has been lost. Loneliness is an increasing problem and especially as we age and change though Meno having community, meaningful relationships, and a sense of belonging, is critical to good mental and physical health. Studies show that if we are good socialisers then we are less likely to suffer heart disease, dementia, stroke, depression, and anxiety. Other studies show that loneliness is one of the precursors to dementia and premature death. In the Blue Zones 98% of people ‘belonged’ to a faith-based community. The denomination was irrelevant, it was that you regularly showed up and participated and others engaged with you to keep you involved as an active member. During Meno and really any stage of your life it is important to find your tribe, weather it is faith based, garden based or exercised based, belonging is the key for a happy and active mind.
There are many cultures/ places around the world for example Southern Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, where it is normal to have intergenerational and extended families live together; however, in the West we tend to live in our immediate family unit, alone or place our elderly into supported accommodation or aged care. The people of the Blue Zones have a big focus on placing loved ones first and this means keeping aging parents and grandparents nearby or in the home, staying committed to your life partner and actively spending quality time with children. This might sound like a nightmare to you, especially if distance is what keeps your family together and even more if you are in a domestic violence situation; however, when it is conducive to do so, this approach lowers disease and mortality rates of everyone involved. During Meno there are up to 70% of women who divorce and around 800K solo parenting women out there. So, if living with your family in an intergenerational sense is not an option, you could consider living with others who are similar, where you can offer informal supports to each other and your children (if that is relevant) and still get the benefits of lower stress, companionship, better nutrition and lower the cost of living. Your loved ones can have a range of meanings beyond a blood or marriage relation.
Modify! The third ingredient in my mantra. If we are to adopt the Blue Zone way of life into our Meno journey, then there is always something to modify and like most things with this principle it is about not just modifying, but moderation. I loved hearing about the Confucian mantra “Hara hachi bu” that the Okinawan use to remind them not to overeat. Specifically, to stop eating when you are about 80% full. I know over the course of my life I have always sort of done this, but it was with the saying “I am saving room for dessert!”. Meno weight gain is a constant source of frustration for many of us, however adopting this simple mantra and being fully present when we eat out meals, the 20% we stop eating could be the 5, 10, or 20% shift in weight you are looking for. The other thing is the smallest meal is eaten in the early evening and then no food is consumed after. Truly fasting and giving your body a rest is a good thing when done correctly and with a good nutritious diet and guidance.
Once we hit Meno there are many things that we need to rethink about putting in our mouths and in the Blue Zones they almost always have a plant-based diet. I personally have never been a big meat eater and would go months without eating any, but once I hit Meno on top of all the hot flushes and night sweats if I had any meat, then I had meat sweats too! In the Blue Zones they might eat meat once a week and when they do, the serve is the size of a single deck of cards! The key thing in the Blue Zone diet is it is plant based and bean filled and therefore fibre filled. The advantage of adopting this approach in Meno is the fibre content, which we need more of as we age, to help with metabolism, gut health, and weight control. Another big advantage of a fibre rich diet is that it helps to reduce blood glucose levels and therefore reduces the number of sugars absorbed into the bloodstream, which can help improve cardiovascular health and reduce diabetes. You also feel fuller for longer and so will be inclined to eat less, also helping with weight control. Since watching the docuseries, I have expanded my bean selection in my pantry and have beans, peas, and lentils with almost every meal. I have fully replaced some old recipes with new, for example I no longer make a traditional Bolognese sauce with mince, I make the Ottolenghi Lentil and mushroom tray bake ragu, it is so much nicer and meat free!
It must be 5 O’clock somewhere has a new meaning, because all the centenarians are doing it! They are however only doing it in small doses and generally with food and others, not alone. According to the research of this astonishing group of people, other than the Adventists, they all enjoy a vino, no more than 2 glasses a day with friends and preferably with food and by doing so they outlive the non-drinkers among them. They are enjoying the wine they have made, usually as a family or a group, with the grapes of the local area. The most famous vino health tonic is that of the Cannonau from Sardinia, said to have three times the number of flavonoids as other red wines, containing even more antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This vino intake is a truly habitual affair. As I have said in my journal on alcohol, vino/ alcohol is something that many of us struggle with at this time, but it is also said that a vino a day will keep the stress away. So maybe if you keep it to 1 glass at 5pm and try a Cannonau from Sardinia, you could unlock something positive for yourself.
Finally, and this is the last of the nine principles in the Blue Zones and I have aligned it with my modify principle, however it could just as easily be under the mindset heading, and that is, really, really, really finding the “Right Tribe” of people who are going to promote the behaviours you want in your life. The Blue Zone research found that the longest lived have or were born into strong social circles that supported good behaviours. In my professional life I have heard it over and over again as a way to succeed in your career development, and that is to surround yourself with the people you wish to be like in your future. Jim Rohn, the famous American entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker, put it as “You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with” and so ideally you want to spend time with people who raise your average. In Japan they call this the “moais” and it is literally groups of five friends who make a commitment to each other for life, they model good behaviour and look out for one another. I love this principle, not because it is going to make me successful in my career, but because it highlights the instability of human life and how easily we can be influenced and how important good influencers are. I talk about this in the crystal Journal; our vibration as humans is so unstable that a simple change in weather can put some of us off kilter. There is the famous Framingham Heart Study, that found social influence can have an impact on if we smoke or not, how happy we are, the type of activities we do, the food we are likely to eat and how healthy or obese we become, just by being in the social group that we are in. Meno is a time of change, renewal, enlightenment, and empowerment. If you are not happy with what your future looks like you can change your social influence anytime for the better, with small steps, giant leaps or dipping your toe in. It is never too late to try new activities and meet new people to help shape your positive behaviours. More importantly you can be the person that others want to model, so “to have more than you have got, become more than you are”, another Jim Rohn!
If I havent convienced you already, you should have a look at the Blue Zones docuseries and even better, try some of the recipes that are in the cookbook. Adpoting the 9 Blue Zone principles as part of your Movement, Mindset and Modification journey durning Meno will absolutly contribute to you feeling positively charged and amazing every day.
