Want to discover the secrets to longevity? Graceful ageing is not simply about medical advancements and diet. While “food is thy medicine” and is crucial, evidence shows that sex, naps, exercise, community, and a sense of purpose (also known as Ikigai ) are also vital components to a long life.
Tune in to the Journey To 100 livestream, a world-exclusive conference that explores ideas for a new and sustainable approach to lifelong health, featuring leading experts in the field of health, nutrition, and wellness. Listen as they share their stories and expertise and help us to understand how we can live healthier, happier lives, from zero to 100 years old and beyond.
The one day event, which unfolded on June 30th, was co-curated by the Dandelion Foundation and James Maskell, founder of Evolution of Medicine, and hosted by beloved media medic Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, the BBC’s Doctor in the House.
Topics also covered included functional medicine, gene therapy, and Blue Zones, an anthropological concept that describes the characteristic lifestyles and the environments of the world’s longest-lived people. The concept grew out of demographic work done by Michel Poulain, who is considered the Father of BlueZones. He was also on hand to give a talk. (I will be speaking more about Blue Zones in upcoming articles).
The day also launched a 10-year project that aims to make Guernsey the first community in the world to break through the 100-year life expectancy barrier. Currently the self-governing country has the 10th highest life expectancy in the world (82.7 years). To put things in perspective, America ranks at 42 and is in decline.
Guernsey has the potential to show the world how preventative health care and a proactive approach to well-being could make it the first country to have an average life expectancy of 100.
“The event went brilliantly,” says Marc Winn, Co-Founder of The Dandelion Foundation.
So many people were inspired, challenged and motivated to get involved in the mission to have Guernsey become the Blue Zone of Blue Zones. By the end of the day what was a crazy idea to many seemed quite plausible and achievable.
Longevity Across The Pond
When I was initially invited to cover the longevity conference organizers, the digital nomad in me fell in love with the notion of traveling to the English Channels. Yet I could not justify going across the pond for just one day, even though the conference definitely resonated with me.
I shared my thoughts with Maskell, who put me in touch with Jason Prall, longevity & optimal health practitioner, who is producing an eight-part series on Blue Zones and human longevity.
“There is so much talk about disease, I wanted to explore and focus on health and hopefully empower people,” says Prall.
As it turns out, Prall was experiencing some challenges with finding people in Ikaria, Greece, a remote island about 30 miles off the coast of Turkey that is also considered the No. 1 Blue Zone in the world.
Given my familiarity with Greece, I offered to help. As it turns out, I now will be documenting their findings for HoneyColony and other publications, and have also helped set up some interviews for them in Italy and Greece.
These explorations into longevity complement my studies in functional medicine. For instance, a few months ago, I earned my certificate in metabolomics after doing a metabolomic panel in Athens in the summer of 2016 under the supervision of Dr. Dimitris Tsoukalas. (I will be taking follow up tests to see how my condition has improved.)
Zoinks! The Qualms Of Travel
Traveling this much – despite my many years of experience living out of suitcases – has made me nervous! For one, I’ve finally got a good grip on my health, having reversed my ANA levels, and I don’t want to put that at risk. Secondly, given my multiple chemical sensitivities, I have become a canary environmental indicator like the bees. I suspect I am still dealing with infections and a compromised liver.
However, I refuse to be paralyzed by fear. I am being proactive! I am trusting in epigenetics and the power of my beliefs. For instance, I am bringing my molecular hydrogen, my must-have on-the-go essentials travel kit, and a charcoal mask to combat aerotoxic syndrome on the many planes I will be flying in. I am even bringing along the new porta squatty and a travel enema bag with organic coffee. Plus, I figure I’ll be fine once I reach the island of Icaria, Greece, where people seem to forget to die!
I used to think and believe that my body was attacking itself. Today, I believe that our conviction and bodies are capable of amazing things. You would never guess by looking at me that I am a 44-year-old, who has been literally run over by a Ford Explorer and dragged 49 feet. And then, years later, exposed to pesticides on three different occasions before being diagnosed with the autoimmune condition Lupus and Fibromyalgia.
I plan to live a long healthy life. I stand (and fortunately walk) for inspiration and for what is possible. Join me on the journey!
