You
may have heard of the Blue Zones Project in The Dalles - a well-being
improvement initiative designed to help make healthier choices easier. It is
based on the idea that much of our health and longevity is determined by our
environment, so optimizing our surroundings can add both quantity and quality to
our lives. And when the entire community
participates – including the Center, schools, and restaurants – small changes can
reap large dividends.
In
support of this initiative, the Center is working to become a Participating
Organization. This requires the Center to complete several actions within six
months such as starting a Moai Walking Team, hosting plant-based cooking events,
and posting Blue Zone information on the Center’s website.
But another
requirement is to encourage community members to complete a Blue Zones Personal
Pledge and return it to the Center. The pledge consists of selecting at least
five actions from the list below. If you are already doing some of them, give
yourself a pat on the back. And then consider challenging yourself by completing
several additional actions in the next six months. You can find the Personal
Pledge in more detail on the Center’s website (www.midcolumbiseniorcenter.com)
or pick one up at the Center. More information is available on The Dalles Blue
Zones Facebook page.
1) Keep
a comfortable pair of walking shoes in plain sight to provide that nudge to
move naturally daily. Or maybe a speedo swimsuit pinned to the front door?
2) Adopt a dog. Those daily walks will keep you moving!
3) Attend a Blue Zones Purpose Workshop.
4) Remove all computers and electronics from your bedroom. Here most older adults have an advantage by not being addicted to their Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts.
5) Designate a space in your home for quiet time, meditation, or prayer.
6) Stock your cupboard with 10-inch dinner plates because you mindlessly eat more calories when eating off larger plates. And that doesn’t mean you can go back for seconds!
7) Remove TVs and computers from the kitchen and dining areas. They lead to mindless eating and consuming needless calories.
8) Own a bathroom scale and weigh yourself regularly.
9) Attend a plant-based cooking class. Knowing how to cook plant-based dishes that you enjoy increases the nutritional quality of your meals.
10) Grow a garden at your home or adopt a plot at a community garden.
11) Schedule a weekly happy hour with friends and a small glass of red wine - IF you have a healthy relationship with alcohol.
12) Have a conversation about getting older. Join the Center’s “Let’s Talk” group every Friday at 11:00. Or have a honest conversation with your adult children about what you want.
13) Belong to a faith-based organization.
2) Adopt a dog. Those daily walks will keep you moving!
3) Attend a Blue Zones Purpose Workshop.
4) Remove all computers and electronics from your bedroom. Here most older adults have an advantage by not being addicted to their Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts.
5) Designate a space in your home for quiet time, meditation, or prayer.
6) Stock your cupboard with 10-inch dinner plates because you mindlessly eat more calories when eating off larger plates. And that doesn’t mean you can go back for seconds!
7) Remove TVs and computers from the kitchen and dining areas. They lead to mindless eating and consuming needless calories.
8) Own a bathroom scale and weigh yourself regularly.
9) Attend a plant-based cooking class. Knowing how to cook plant-based dishes that you enjoy increases the nutritional quality of your meals.
10) Grow a garden at your home or adopt a plot at a community garden.
11) Schedule a weekly happy hour with friends and a small glass of red wine - IF you have a healthy relationship with alcohol.
12) Have a conversation about getting older. Join the Center’s “Let’s Talk” group every Friday at 11:00. Or have a honest conversation with your adult children about what you want.
13) Belong to a faith-based organization.
I often
receive comments about the “Remember When’ questions, and what I particularly like
to hear is, “I’d forgotten all about that”. My goal is not to stump you,
although this last week’s question was a tough one, but to bring back memories
of past experiences: attending a Beatles concert in Portland, remembering where
you were when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, or when you first heard classmates
playing “Hang on Sloopy” at your high school’s talent show. Reminiscing is one
of the advantages of aging: giving us a deeper perspective of life and of who
we are. But most of the questions come from my limited experiences, an Indiana
boy attending high school and college in the 60’s. So, if you can think of any
questions, send them my way.
A “wet
rag” was someone who was unpopular and just not fun to hang out with. Only Jeanne
Pesicka answered the question correctly, although with a little coaching, and
receives a free quilt raffle ticket. And from last week I missed Sandy Haechrel
driving by in her “jalopy”.
The
Dalles Library has several book groups one of which is a non-fiction book group
which meets on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 6:30 PM. The book
they are reading for February was written by Rachel Carson and published in
1962. For this week’s “Remember When”
question, what was the name of this book that inspired the environmental
movement? Email your answer to www.mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at
541-296-4788 or return your answer written on the back of a gallon of DDT.
Well,
it’s been another week trying to keep the fire burning. Until we meet again, here’s
one of Roger Rosenblatt’s rules for aging, “Just because the person criticizing
you is an idiot doesn’t make him wrong.”
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