Jane, Age 72
Blue Zones are areas in the world that have been studied because of the longevity of their populace.
Oh to live beneath the azure blue sky in Ikaria, Greece, where the air is clean and the water sparkles, pure and cold, and the hillocks beckon the walker. I would happily trade in my car, give up the rides to the Mall, to bask in the brilliant Aegean sunshine, tend hearty gardens, and eat wonderfully nutritious food…with my glass of wine.
This Blue Zone, described by Buettner, seems a dreamy place to live; long afternoon naps, pleasant evening with pals, and exceptional health. People there live unusually long lives; they are in good spirits, and they stay well, until the end.
Is it possible to borrow elements from that tableau…(My husband just brought home goat’s milk)…and reap some of the same benefits? Or is this American landscape already too polluted by chemicals in all we breathe, eat and drink?
Our exercise is contrived in gyms, not natural in the fresh air. Our meals come in various plastic packages, not pulled fresh from the land. Our environment is noisy with traffic, not peaceful with the sounds of nature floating around us.
It takes concerted effort, to even try to capture the essence of that place, and those lives. Fresh vegetables and fruit, yogurt without chemicals, lots of purified water to drink, more walking, more time with comrades, work that is joyful, pleasure that is frequent.
Okay, I’ll try the goat’s milk, but first, another glass of wine!