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Speaker 1: Picture this. You're walking down a quiet street. It's early morning,

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the sun is just coming up, and ahead of you

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you see a group of men, now not young men,

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not teenagers, but a group of elderly men well into

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their nineties. But they aren't sitting around, they're not struggling,

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they aren't being helped. They're walking steady, promoseful. It looks

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like they're on their way to a day of fun adventure.

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Now here's the question. Is that luck? Is that genetics?

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Or is that something we can actually learn? And that's

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exactly what the book The Blue Zones Nine Lessons for

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Living Longer from the people who live the Longest set

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out to discover. And today I want to share with

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you what I learned from this book and why I

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think it matters so much, especially in retirement. On Lauren Dabranski,

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this is his Life Starts at Retirement. I produced a retirement

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lifestyle video once a week. Please please please consider subscribing

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and join our Facebook group Facebook dot com slash group

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slash Life Starts at Retirement. Over thirty five thousand amazing

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people in that group. Now, what are the blue Zones? Well?

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When the author and his team went searching for the

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longest living people in the world. They didn't find biohackers,

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they didn't find extreme diets, they didn't find expensive health programs.

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What they found was communities, communities places where living to

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ninety or even a hundred wasn't rare, it was normal.

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And so I naturally thought each of these communities would

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have similarity, each of them would be alike, they would

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all be almost the exact same. But what really fascinated

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me was that the places were completely different from each other,

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different cultures, different foods, different traditions, and yet they do

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all share patterns or lessons, and those lessons are what

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this book is all really about. Before we get into

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those lessons, I just want to share a big shift

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in thinking that happened to me, and it's I think

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it's one of the most powerful ideas in this book,

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and it's this that health isn't something that you chase,

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it's something your environment creates. And that would hit me.

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It was like WHOA, because if I'm honest, my environment

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isn't very healthy. Too much alcohol, for sured, too much bread,

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pasta rice, too little movement, not enough sleep. So I

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think for much of our lives, or for sure for me,

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most of our environments have been chosen for us. First

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of all, our parents, of course, created our first environments,

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for which many of us it produced what our likes

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and our dislikes are art which we now bring into

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this part of our environment. Then our jobs dictated our schedule,

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Our responsibilitated our responsibilities dictated our stress. Our routines were

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built around almost survival, if you will, but retirement, retirement

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flips that, and so for the first time in decades,

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you get to ask yourself, what do I want my

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life to look like every single day? Woo, that really

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opened up my eyes. Again. Health isn't something that you chase,

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It's something that your environment creates. And with that bombshell

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in mind, let's look at at the nine lessons, and

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then following each of the lessons, I'm just gonna have

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a little bit of a reflection moment. So let's start first. One,

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movement is built into life. Now, these people in the

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blue zones, they don't exercise. They live in a way

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that requires movement. Again, their environment creates the healthy lifestyle.

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So they walk to visit their friends, They garden, they

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cook from scratch, they hang their laundry they move without

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even thinking about without even thinking about it. And here's

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what's really interesting. They're not trying to stay active like

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most retired people do. Their lifestyle simply doesn't allow them

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to be inactive. Now, let's compare that to how most

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of us, or at least how I live. In the morning.

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We sit and we have our coffee. We sit to drive,

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we sit to watch TV. I sit far too much

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in front of my computer, and then we try to

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fix it all. We have thirty minutes at the gym

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or walk in the morning, but the rest of the day,

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really we're sitting or moving very very little. And I

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think that's the big shift that this book gently shows us.

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It's not necessarily about adding exercise, it's about just redesigning

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your life where movement is unavoidable. Because in the blue zones,

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movement isn't something they schedule, it's something they live. So

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the reflection moment for this one is, just let me

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ask you something. If someone followed you around for an

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entire day, what would they see. Would they see a

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life that naturally keeps you moving, or would they see

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one where movement is something you have to remind yourself

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to do. Number two. Purpose doesn't retire. So in one

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of the places, Okinawa, they have a word called ikegaya

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and it means your reason for being, your reason to

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get up in the morning. Although that's a new word,

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ikegaya is a new word to me. I do talk

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a lot about purpose or your reason forget in the

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morning a lot in retirement. And what really struck me

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with this book was this, people in these communities don't

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retire from purpose. They retire into it. They don't wake

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up in the morning and think I'm done. I'm done.

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Now it's done. They wake up knowing they still matter.

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They help their families, they mentor younger generations, They take

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care of their homes, their gardens, their communities. They still

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have a role. And I think that's where retirement can

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feel a little unsettling for a lot of people, because

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for years and years, even in decades, our identity was

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tied to what we do, to our job, to our title,

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to our responsibilities, and then one day it's gone. No meetings,

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no deadlines, no one needing you in the same way.

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And at first it can feel just like freedom. It's wonderful,

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but after a while it can quickly turn into something else,

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you know, I hear a lot of people say it's

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a loss of structure, it's a loss of direction and

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sometimes a loss of purpose. And that's the part we

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really don't talk about enough, because retirement isn't just a

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financial transition. It's also an identity transition because when you

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have a reason to get up, your days feel different,

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your energy feels different, your life feels different. And maybe

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that's one of the biggest lessons in this book. You

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don't retire from life, you redesign it. So the reflection

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moment for this lesson is when you wake up in

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the morning. What pulls you out of bed now? Not

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what has to be done? I need to do laundry today,

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but what do you want to do? And if you're

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being really, really honest, do you have a sense of

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purpose right now? Or are you still trying to figure

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out what your sense of purpose or what your next

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chapter looks like? Because here's the truth. Purpose doesn't just

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show up one day. It's not going to knock on

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your door and say, hey, can you come out with

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me today? It's something we create. So maybe the next

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question isn't what is my purpose? But maybe it's what

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could I try that might bring meaning back into my days,

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something small, something simple, a class, a project, a conversation,

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a commitment to show up somewhere for someone, Because purpose

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isn't just found in one big moment, it's built one

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step at a time. I love that one number three.

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Stress is managed, not eliminated. Yeah, I wish. One of

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the things I noticed right away in the book is

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that these people in the blue zones don't live stress free.

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They still have challenges, they still have responsibilities, they still

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go through loss, uncertainty, changes, just like we do. But

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here's the difference, and this one was big for me too.

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They don't live in a constant state of stress. They

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have built in ways to release it. So, for example,

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in Karia people rest in the afternoon. In Sardinia they

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gather with friends and they laugh. In Okinawa they take

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quiet time for reflection. And in Loma Linda there's a

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strong sense of focus and faith and a weekly day

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of rest. Now these aren't occasional breaks, They're part of

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their everyday life. And I think that's where this really

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hit home for me, because for me, for most of

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my life, I've done the opposite. I've kind of lived

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like this I've pushed through. I gotta get it done,

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I have a deadline, I have to do it. Oh,

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I'll deal with that one later. I'm doing this right now.

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So we've treated stress like something to endure, not something

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to manage, and over time that just becomes normal. We

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get so used to being busy, so used to being

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on all the time, that we don't even know how

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tense we are until we stop. And then suddenly retirement

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comes and the noise quiets down. And for some people

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that feels really peaceful at least for a while. But

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for others, ooh, it feels very, very uncomfortable. And I'm

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that person. I have a real hard time slowing down

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because I'm not used to stillness. I'm not used to

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slowing down. And maybe for me, that's why this lesson

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mattered so much. So people in the blue zones, they

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don't wait for vacation, they don't wait for retirement, or

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they don't wait for that perfect moment to relax. They

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build calm into their lives every single day. Now the

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reflection moment here, when was the last time you slowed down?

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Not scrolling on your phone, not watching something in the background,

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not multitasking, really slowed down. And here's another question. Do

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you have anything in your day that brings you back

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to calm or are you constantly moving from one thing

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to the next without ever really stopping me that's me

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because if we're being honest, a lot of us spent years,

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maybe even decades, living in survival mode, and retirement might

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be the first real opportunity we have to change that.

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So what if you gave yourself permission to slow down

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without feeling guilty? Who not sure I tried. What if

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let's say you built in a quiet morning routine, a

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daily walk without headphones, a moment of stillness, time to

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just be instead of do, not as a reward, but

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as part of how you live now. Because maybe piece

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isn't something you find someday, it's something you create a

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few minutes at a time. I needed that one. Even

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though I had that, I needed that one. So number four,

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Eating is simple and mindful. One of the things I

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really loved about this book is how simple eating is

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in the blue Zone communities. There's no complicated diet plans,

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no calorie counting apps, no good food versus bad food guilt. Instead,

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food is just part of life for the most part,

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people cook at home, they eat real whole foods. Meals

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are often shared with family and friends, and they take

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their time. There's no rushing through meals in the car,

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there's no eating in front of a screen without even

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noticing what you're eating. There's just a sense of presence.

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And what idea that really stood up to me is

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something that they practice in Okinawa. Again. Now I might

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get the name. It pronounced incorrectly. It's called hair a

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hatchie boo, and it simply means eat until you're about

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eighty percent full. Now, when I thought that, or when

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I heard that, I went, that's brilliant. Not something that

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I do, but it's brilliant. Eat until you're eighty percent full,

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not stuff, not uncomfortable, just satisfied. And I think that's

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just such a powerful shift, because, if we're honest, most

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of us were taught to do the opposite. Finish your plate,

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don't waste food, eat what's there. There are children all

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over the world starving, and so over time we've lost

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the ability to recognize when we've had enough. We eat

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just because it's time, we eat because it's there. We

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eat because we're bored or tired, or distracted or all

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of the above, and before you know it, we're full

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but not satisfied. But in these communities, eating is slower,

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more intentional, more connected. It's not just about the food,

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it's about the experience. And I think that's something we

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can bring into our lives, especially in retirement. So our

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reflection moment when you sit down to eat, are you

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really present or are you watching TV on your phone

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thinking about what's next? Or all three? Like typically I am.

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And here's just one more quick question. How often do

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you eat past the point of being comfortable? Oh? Not

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because you're still hungry, but because it's just there? So

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what if you slowed down just a little. What if

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you just took a few extra minutes, put your fork

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down between bites, and actually paid a ten t to

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how you feel. I want you to try this one

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and put it in the comments below, because this is

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something that seems like just common sense, but I certainly

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don't do it. Number five people matter more than anything.

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One of the strongest patterns in every blue zone is

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something that has nothing to do with diet or exercise,

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its relationships. In these communities, people are not isolated, they're connected.

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Every single day. They eat together, they visit each other,

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they check in on one another. They laugh often, and

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it's not scheduled, it's not forced, it's just part of life.

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They gather regularly to talk stories, they share social circles.

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Neighbors drop by unannounced. I don't know what I do

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if a neighbor game to my door. And what really

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stood out to me is this, no one is doing

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life alone. That really got to me because this last

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year my dad passed away in July woo, And I

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think so often my poor little mom sixty five years

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they were married, and she has a very a full life.

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She plays cards three or four days a week. She

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on Sunday she goes with a bunch of ladies out

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for brunch and then they go to the casino. I

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call her every day, My sister calls her every day.

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But I think about her, Oh, especially way up north,

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living up north in Edmonton, where it's dark at let's

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say three thirty four o'clock in the afternoon in the winter,

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and she's sitting there all alone in her little house

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with the TV on and the phone, and I just

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I hurt because of that. So what if instead of

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a text, we called someone instead of scrolling, we visited someone.

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What if over time, we we actually made an effort

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to do some of this Because while retirement does give

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us freedom, it can also take away our daily connection.

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We don't have co workers, we don't have routine interactions.

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There's fewer relationships typically built unless we're intentional about it.

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So our world can slowly get smaller. But it really

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doesn't have to, because the truth is connection doesn't just happen.

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It's something we choose. It's choosing to call, like I said,

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instead of text. It's choosing to invite instead of wait.

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It's choosing to show up instead of staying at home.

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So yes, even when it feels easier to say no,

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say yes. Say yes. Because at the end of the day,

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it's not just about how long we live, it's about

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who we share that life with. So the reflection moment,

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who are your people? The ones you can call, the

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ones you laugh with, the ones who really know you?

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And here's even more important question, are you nurturing those

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relationships or do you text them instead of calling? Do

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you wait until you have more time, until it's more convenient.

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Because relationships don't stay strong on their own, they need time.

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They need effort, they need intention. So what if you

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reached out to one person this week, just one a

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phone call, a coffee, a walk, something simple, Because sometimes

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one small connection Containe can change the entire feeling of

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your day. And maybe they're day two who number six

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eat mostly plants. One of the most consistent patterns across

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all of the Blue zones is how people eat, and

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it's actually very very simple. Their diets are built mostly

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around plants. We're talking about vegetables, roots, beans and legomes,

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whole grains, nuts, and meat. Well meat's there, but it's

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not the center of the plate. It's more like a

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side or something they have occasionally. Now, this isn't about

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becoming a vegetarian, and it's definitely not about giving up

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everything you enjoy. It's about balance because in these communities,

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food isn't processed, it's prepared, meals aren't rushed, they're experienced,

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and ingredients are simple but nourishing. And I think this

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is where we've drifted a little bit in our world

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because food here for me anyhow, even though I'm retired,

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food is faster, it's more convenient, it's more packaged, it's

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more processed, and without even realizing it. We've moved farther

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and farther away from whole foods. But the people in

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the blue zones, they aren't following trends. They're just eating

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the way people have eaten for generations. Simple meals, fresh ingredients,

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nothing complicated. And here's what I really like. It's sustainable.

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It's not something you do for weeks, but something that

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you can live with long term, especially in retirement. So

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this is an opportunity for most of us. We can

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cook a little more, choose fresher foods, experiment with simple,

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healthy meals, and enjoy the process instead of rushing through it.

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So the reflection moment moment for this one. If you

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look seriously look at your plate over the next sorry,

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over the last few days, what percentage was made up

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of whole, real, plant based foods. You don't have to

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be scared, just be honest. And then here's another question.

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What's one small change you could make this week? Not everything,

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just one thing. Maybe it's just adding an extra vegetable

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to your meals, swapping one processed food for something fresh,

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trying a new simple recipe, or having one plant based

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meal a day or even a week. Nothing drastic, nothing overwhelming.

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Number seven enjoy life in moderation, darn it. One of

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the things I really appreciated about the Blue Zones is

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that life isn't just about discipline, it's about enjoyment. Yes,

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I love that one. In many of these communities, people

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celebrate life. They gather with friends, they share meals, they laugh,

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they take their time, and yes, in some of these

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places there is even a glass of wine. Not a bottle,

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not a black a box, but a glass of wine.

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But here's the key. It's not excess. It's not indulgence

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without limits. It's moderation. Like I have to learn that

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word again, moderation, and it's intentional. So it's it's I

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think it's an important shift for many of us, or

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for me anyhow, because I tend to live my life

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in one of two extremes. Either I'm really strict, I'm

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on this diet and I'm walking and I'm eating and

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I'm drinking and I'm not drinking wine. Or I swing

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the other day and completely overdo it. I am enjoying life.

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I'm partying, I'm having fun, I'm eating like crap, I'm

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drinking way, way, way too much. Something that I feel

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guilty about often afterwards. But in the Blue zone joy

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is a part of every single day. It's not saved

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for special occasions. It's not rushed, it's not overdone. It's balanced.

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And I think that's a beautiful lesson for us, especially

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in retirement. This is the time to enjoy your life.

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So sit longer at the table, have that conversation, savor

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your food, laugh more, and say yes to small pleasures

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without guilt. So here's your reflection moment. When was the

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last time you truly enjoyed something without rushing ooh, without distractions,

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no phone close by, without feeling like you should be

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doing something else. And here's another question. Do you allow

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yourself to enjoy your life or do you hold back?

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Do you cut moment short? Do you feel guilty for

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slowing down? Or do you tell yourself, oh, I can

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enjoy things later. So maybe life isn't meant to be

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rushed through. What if you gave yourself permission just to

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enjoy the moment. You're in number eight, something bigger than yourself,

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your world, your life is something bigger than yourself. One

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of the quieter but incredibly powerful patterns in the Blue

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zones is that people feel connected to something beyond themselves. Now.

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That can look different depending on where you are. Some people,

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it could be faith, could be weekly worship. Some it's tradition, community.

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Some it's a sense of meaning, a sense of belonging,

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just peace. For some, it's giving back. For some it's

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just enjoyment of something to do every single day. But

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when you feel connected to something beyond just your day

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to day life, it gives you perspective, It helps you

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to step back, to breathe, to not feel so alone

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in those moments. And I think that's something many of

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us have lost touch with because our lives have become

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so focused on doing something, on being busy, that we

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rarely stop to reflect from one moment to the next,

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from one responsibility to the next. So we don't make

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space for stillness, for reflection or connection on a real

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deep level. So the people in the blue zones build

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that back into their life, whether it's attending a weekly service,

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spending quiet time to reflect. They stay grounded, and they

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do this by maybe asking themselves deeper questions like what

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really matters now? What gives my life meaning? Where do

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I belong now? It's not really about religion It could

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be more about your values, your beliefs, your community, something

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that gives your life of purpose beyond just the day today.

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So here's your moment of reflection. Do you feel connected

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to something bigger than yourself, whatever that means to you,

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whatever that means to you, And do you then do

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you make time for that connection? So what if you

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created a small moment in your day or even in

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your week, just to pause, to reflect, to feel grateful,

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to connect with what truly matters to you. And then

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number nine is sort of your environment shapes you right

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back full circle to the beginning. It's where you don't

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choose your habits, your environment chooses them for you. And

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I think again, that's a powerful, powerful shift, because most

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of us think, oh I just need more discipline, I

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need more willpower. But the people in the blue zones,

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they don't rely on willpower. They live in environments that

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naturally support healthy living. They're homes, they're communities, their routines,

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they're all designed without even realizing it, to make good

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choices easier. Now, our environment, or mine in particular, is

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completely the opposite. So I end up going, oh I

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need more willpower, I need more discipline, and then I

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fail at it again. But here's the good news. In retirement,

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we get a chance to change that, maybe for the

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first time in years or even decades. We get to

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start to design our environment. We can choose how our

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day is structured, who you spend your day with, what

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your home supports, what habits are easy, and what habits

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are heart And that is wonderful. So here's your reflection moment.

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Let me ask you something. If someone stepped into your

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life right now, what would your environment be encouraging them

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to do? Would it lead them toward movement or sitting,

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connection or isolation, calm or constant busyness? And then here's

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the deeper question. Is your current environment helping you to

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become the person you want to be? Ooh? Or making

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it harder? Wow? That is it? Now? If I had

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one critique about the book The Blue Zones, It's not

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a step by step guide, so I had to really

403
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dig deep for all of these lessons. You're not going

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to finish the book and say, whoo, here is my

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exact plan. Instead, it leaves you with something else, just awareness,

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and maybe awareness is powerful. So let me leave you

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with this today. You don't have to move to Italy, Greece,

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Costa Rica or Spain. Although I still love those ideas.

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But you can walk a little more, call a friend,

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slow down your mornings, find something that gives your day meaning.

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And maybe maybe that's just how it starts, not with

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a big change, but with one small decision, repeated day

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after day, because at the end of the day, longevity

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isn't about living longer and not living well. It's about

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living better and retirement that might be the first time

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in your life where we really get to choose how

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that looks. Now. I'd love to know what's one thing

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from this video you're actually going to try And if

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you've read the Blue Zones, did it change how you

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think about aging? Hmm, So I'd love to hear that

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in the comments. I'm Maureen Debransky. This is life Starts

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at Retirement. I produce a retirement lifestyle video once a

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week and please comment below. I read every single comment

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and are thrilled and thrilled with each and everyone. Thanks.

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See you in the next videocampus. The Capta