The ‘Go Live’ target date is mid-2022

The scene at the Helderberg Manor Helth Centre had been improving with each passing day! Visible building came to a steady conclusion and then the massive clean-up commenced. Rubbish was collected and removed, remaing building material was taken away and the painters moved in to do touch-ups. 

Trees-on-Line, our gardening contractor, have planted trees and laid gardens. That has made a welcome change to the appearnace of the complex. There is much happring inside the building which we cannot see but it is wonderful to have the pavements and gardens properly restored; and, thank heavens, to have back our accustomed peace and quiet once more.

9 Common denominators seniors in blue zones share:

Stay active:

Make regular activity a part of your daily routine. The world’s longest lived people don’t spend their time in the gym or running marathons. Instead they live in environments that promote them being active without thinking about it. They spend their time in the garden tending to their vegetables, or maintaining their home and prefer doing things by hand instead of taking advantage of mechanical conveniences.

Live with purpose:

The Okinawans call it “Ikigai” while the Nicoyans call it “Plan de Vida’ which simply means “why I wake up in the morning” or having a mission or purpose that gives meaning to your life. Research has shown that knowing your sense of purpose is worth seven extra years of life expectancy.

Stop and smell the flowers:

Slow down, work less, rest and take a holiday. An unavoidable result of living in the fast lane is stress, which leads to chronic inflammation. Stress-induced chronic inflammation is associated with every major age-related disease. One thing that centenarians in blue zones share is a lifestyle and routine that sheds stress. Adventists pray, Ikarians take a nap every day, Okinawans remember their ancestors through rituals each morning and Sardinians never miss out on their happy hour.

Eat all your veggies:

One factor that is shared by all people staying in Blue Zones is that their diet is heavily focussed on fruits and vegetables. Many of them have a plant based diet which incorporates lean protein with few processed foods. Beans including soy, lentil, fava and black beans are a cornerstone of most senior diets with smaller portion sizes – averaging around 100 grams or the size of a deck of cards.

Enjoy a glass of vino:

Adventists aside, people in Blue Zones drink alcohol moderately and enjoy 1-2 glasses of wine a day with meals or in the company of friends. Red wine in particular, especially Sardinian Cannonau wine, has been proven to contain heart healthy antioxidants and riboflavin compounds that diminish the effects of free-radicals in the body.

Stay social:

Successful centenarians share a healthy social network and have social circles that support healthy behaviours. Okinawans in particular create “moais”, the term used for a group of five friends that are committed to each other for life.

Feed your soul:

Blue Zone centenarians also cultivate religious or spiritual beliefs and participation in some shape or form. Research has shown that participating in faith based services four times a month can boost life expectancy between 4 – 14 years.

Family first:

The world’s longest lived people make family a high priority; this means keeping parents and grandparents close by. They commit to a life partner and invest time and energy with their children.