Dorothea Johnson Responds...

Dorothea writes in response to Al Power...

Another interesting book that recently came out and addresses similar issues is called Blue Zones. It is a result of a NIH funded study of centenarians among various cultures throughout the world. The author found pockets of cultures that he referred to as "blue zones" where people lived incredibly long and healthy lives in spite of seemingly harsh environments - Costa Rica, Okinawa, Sardinia...
Anyway, the book goes out of its way to figure out common patterns in diet and activities but somehow fails to be convincing. It seemed like, if anything, some of these lifestyles were almost contradictory to each other. The only common theme that emerged out of these far corners of the world had to do with two things - having a purpose in life (a reason to get up in the morning) and strong connection to family, friends and community. While you can't really create a recipe book out of those conclusions (as Dr. Mehmed Oz tried to do), you can certainly adopt these principles in day-to-day living.
I would tell you more except that I just got this overwhelming urge to shut off the computer and join my son for a game of soccer. It's a beautiful Saturday here in Virginia!