Secrets of Longevity

August 25, 2021  by Dr. Suki Munsell

A calm and quiet place lies within us,
a place of clarity,
the counterpoise to the crazy information-driven complexity
swirling around us.
From within that center we … exhale,
and ask…

Could the secrets of longevity be based in simple truths? Can best practices that have endured culture to culture and through time guide us?

The 6 Pillars of Healthy Living

Dr. Brad Jacobs, MD, MPH is a recognized leader in Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine. Experienced physician, educator and health care innovator, he heads Blue Wave Medicine. Research and common wisdom agree with what Dr. Brad calls the 6 Pillars of Healthy LivingTM. His list and questions follow:

1. Healthy Eating

-Are you eating the right type of foods?

-What is your relationship with food?

2. Active Living

-How is your posture?

-What types of exercises, movement, and activity do you do on a daily basis?

-How do you feel about the level of vitality in your body?

3. Restorative Sleep

-Is your sleep restful and sufficient?

4. Stress Reduction and Awareness

-How do you bounce back from adversity?

-How well do you manage a stressful lifestyle?

-Are you able to access the full potential of your mind?

5. Connection

-How do you connect with yourself?

-With others?

-With nature?

6. Finding Passion and Purpose.

-Is your passion aligned with your values?

-How much time do you spend on those things that you are most passionate about?

Exercise for Longevity

To inch yourself closer to healthy longevity, ask yourself: which of his questions caught my attention? Which am I comfortable with and which need some improving?

Consider attending Dr. Brad’s free monthly talks on Zoom, Tuesdays to your Health. Russell and I have appeared as guest speakers several times. Topics are always informative. His most recent talk was Reimagine Exercise for Longevity with suggestions for how to break poor habits and create better ones. A valuable resource.

Another resource with exercise information is the CDC Guidelines for Exercise.

Find clear and simple suggestions for achieving your 150 – 180 minutes of recommended weekly exercise.

Demystify Diet

“Eat food, not too much, mostly plants,” suggests Michael Pollan, best selling author. He writes on “where the human and natural worlds intersect; on our plates, in our farms and gardens, and in our minds.”

Take a quick read of his 7 Rules for Eating and if that sounds intriguing – and you have a caffeine (or cocaine) habit – consider my current favorite read, This is your Mind on Plants. The books offers fascinating insights on what’s happening in our brains and how plants have altered world history.

Another food and lifestyle resource is the Blue Zones project developed from years of anthropological research into hot spots of rare longevity around the world – where people liv into their 100’s. The website offers articles on food and movement with intriguing titles like Three Habits that Keep (almost) Everyone in Japan Slim.

Your Body is a Self-Healing Machine

You know this. Stacy Lavilla recently experienced this.

Stacy regularly attends three of our programs; Tai Chi/Qigong, Body Wisdom 101, andDynamic Walking. She’s learned to direct her healing energy. She writes of a recent accident and successful recovery.

“After taking a tumble in a tennis tournament I was told my injury involved a bone that was extremely slow to heal. The doctors said this common fracture required an average 12 weeks in a cast. Russell quickly gave me a treatment plan that I adhered to twice daily for a few weeks. 

At my check-up appointment after 5 weeks I was surprisingly told that my injury had healed enough and that I no longer required a cast. I am grateful to Russell and Suki for helping me understand that the body truly can heal itself. “

Make Dynamic Vitality a Lifelong Practice

If you’re already attending our classes, you’re enjoying increased vitality throughout your day.

As the CEOs of our lives, we can choose healthy practice that increase our vitality. We can’t do this for you, but we’d love to do this with you. Take a look below …