Part 2: The Secrets to Living Longer or better yet: You are the Company You Keep

What do Sardinian sheepherders, Japanese grandmothers and Seventh-Day Adventists in Los Angeles have in common? These groups are some of the longest-lived people in the world. One of the most striking people featured in Author Dan Buettner's book The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who've Lived the Longest, is 104-year-old Giovanni Sannai of Sardinia. "He was out chopping wood at 9 in the morning," Buettner recalls "He started his day with a glass of wine and there was a steady parade of people coming by to ask his advice. That's one of the characteristics of the Sardinian Blue Zone — the older you get, the more celebrated you are." Interestingly (to me at least) there seems to be plenty of diversity in these differing peoples daily routines for example: Okinawans sat on the floor; Sardinians lived in vertical houses; the Costa Ricans had gardens. So they were doing little things all day long that added up significantly over the years and the decades. One of the idiosyncrasies they discovered is that people who ate nuts four to five times a week, 2 ounces at a time, tend to live two to three years longer than people who don't eat nuts. Some may think the secret to longevity lies in strenuous physical activity, such as running marathons or triathlons or pumping iron. But Buettner says he has identified four things people can do that can potentially increase life expectancy: Create an environment that encourages physical activity, set up your kitchen in such a way that you're not overeating, cultivate a sense of purpose and surround yourself with the right people. These are simple yet elegant choices that not only may add years to one's life, but increase the quality of those years of life.

Dancing+Fun+Liking the Ladies. Could these be the Secrets to living longer?

So it appears happiness is a state of mind that just may be one of key factors to a healthy and long life. For me the idea of becoming a centenarian is only interesting if it is a by product of a quality experience in this journey we call life.  Apparently there are four "hotspots" around the globe where people live to a hundred or more in great numbers. But interestingly enough more than just longevity - the peoples of these "zones" enjoy strength, vitality and yes...HAPPINESS. Regular exercise, tending to their gardens, and remaining active members of their communities as well as eating delicious food, lusting and enjoying sex all seem to promote healthy and sustainable conditions for a life well lived. They calls these areas The Blue Zones where a cross-cultural recipe of the world's best health and lifestyle practices are being observed and tracked. This is likely part 1 of this post as I am likely to track in on this further and share it as I discover more, till then dance, have some fun and lust a little would ya' 

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new media used to make sense of a increasingly complex world

Exploring the use of new media to make sense of a increasingly complex world is fascinating to me. Graduate student at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Jonathan Jarvis used Creativity+Art to give form to a complex situation like the credit crisis to do just that. It's aim, to quickly supply the essence of the situation to those unfamiliar and uninitiated. Couple that with our new president who seems to understand the immense transformative power of technology and innovation and how it can improve the lives of all and we have a refreshing cocktail. This is a great example of how Art+Politics+Technology=Empowerment. In concert these are some of the tools to create real change. Enjoy

Free Radicals Rule!

Last evening on his way home from his weekend at TED where he was a presenter, Free Radical inventor Ross Evans paid us an impromptu visit. It always great to connect with Ross and see what he's cooking up...getting inside his thought kitchen is always sure to be an experience. Below is a short video of one of his inventions the Xtracycle for those of you who don't about them here is your chance to get acquainted. 

So this is it!

Where you can find me on the web. I will be posting daily musings and random stuff i find compelling. I suppose this is my small way of remaining reflective and responsive to our evolving culture. As I reach out, I also ground myself in my intention to celebrate continually the ethical and animating exchange of ideas and spirit through this medium, a place holder so to speak for ideas such as sustainability, right action, imagination and wit. My enduring fascination with the natural world and the embodied experience has led me to live a life from the inside out, from the ground up, and to seek out like minds and build community wherever I can. Interestingly, the word community comes from the latin communis, meaning "common, public, and shared by all or many." And that echoes my intent perfectly for my cyber home, a crossroads or intersection of many worlds... So I invite you take your shoes off, relax and allow a deep breath to just fall into your body. If you enjoy reading a post, leave a comment, share it with a friend or drop me a line and let me know where I can find you...perhaps you have a question we can explore together. Anyhoo ~ welcome!

ToGoWare...Creativity+Food+Mindfulness

I love the satisfaction and creativity that packing my own lunch brings to my daily life. Making sure I never have to think about using plastic forks and the like. I really enjoy inevitably meeting new people who ask about my set-up, it feels good and it's fun. Check um out www.to-goware.com  to get your own.