Live the Secrets of the Blue Zones for a Long, Happy Life

Live the Secrets of the Blue Zones for a Long, Happy Life

Photo Credit: Blue Zones A few months ago we shared bestselling author Dan Buettner’s video introducing some of the biggest secrets to why people living in “blue zone” have much higher than normal life expectancies. It was a promotion for his new four-part Netflix series, Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones that we just finished watching. This post shares a few of the secrets from Buettner’s Netflix series. Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones Dan Buettner is a National Geographic Fellow and bestselling author who has found five “blue zones” in the world where people live…
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Strategies for When You Are Feeling SAD

Strategies for When You Are Feeling SAD

Many people in New England and other northern states struggle with increased feelings of sadness and depression beginning in November. The holidays can be a stressful time for many, but some of your symptoms are likely caused by seasonal affective disorder. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression affecting people in very northern (and very southern) latitudes due to the reduced sunlight exposure from the shorter, colder days of the winter months. Symptoms include low mood, fatigue, loss of interest in activities, and changes in appetite or sleep. Here are some of our top strategies for when you…
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Personal Kaizen: The Secret to Living a Longer, Healthier Life

Personal Kaizen: The Secret to Living a Longer, Healthier Life

The second rule of our 10 Rules for Life is to take care of your body and mind. Personal Kaizen has several upcoming posts focused on longevity – the secret to living a longer, healthier life. We will summarize the new book Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity and share our research on behaviors and habits to adopt for a long, happy life. Today’s post shares highlights from bestselling author Dan Buettner’s research into why people living in “blue zone” have much higher than normal life expectancies. He has a new Netflix series we will be watching this winter.…
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Lessons from the Happiest Countries in the World

Lessons from the Happiest Countries in the World

The Personal Kaizen team has recently reviewed the tenth annual rankings of the happiest countries in the world and read several books that examine what these countries do that is different and better. Over the next several weeks we are going to review some of the differentiators we observe with the governments and people in these countries. 2022 Rankings of the Happiest Countries in the World Below are the 2022 United Nations Rankings for a few of the Happiest Countries in the World. We share a few of the positive outcomes that contributed to the high ranking and one defining…
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New Lessons Learned From Another 3-Day Fast

New Lessons Learned From Another 3-Day Fast

Earlier this year I experienced my first 3-day fast and shared tips on fasting with the Personal Kaizen community. I recently needed to fast to prepare for a medical procedure so decided to turn this into my second 3-day fast. I did a few things differently and experienced different results. Here are some new lessons learned from my second 3-day fast. First, you may want to review our posts describing the concept of fasting and different ways to fast, the scientific benefits of a 3-day fast, tips on how to prepare for a fast, and my experience and video journal…
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12 Small Habits that will Change Your Life for Good

12 Small Habits that will Change Your Life for Good

I recently saw a new book in my local library that I knew I had to read and share with the Personal Kaizen community. Liquids Till Lunch: 12 Small Habits that Will Change Your Life for Good by MaryRuth Ghiyam is a 2021 release with a title that made me skeptical and a subtitle that made me interested. I wondered – how many of her 12 small habits would agree with the Personal Kaizen 10 Rules for Life? The author is a certified health educator and nutritional consultant with several episodes of personal loss as defining life experiences. This post…
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Eight Ways to Exercise Your Brain

Eight Ways to Exercise Your Brain

Rule 2 of The Personal Kaizen 10 Rules for Life is to develop good habits around eating, exercise, learning, and meditation that will last throughout your life. Last week we shared a 20-minute-per-day physical fitness routine that will help you maintain your body. This post shares eight ways to exercise your brain. Cognitive Health Declines as We Age Cognitive health – the ability to think, learn, and remember - is critical to performing everyday tasks. Most of us realize that cognitive health declines as we age. But it is not clear what causes this decrease, or why some people are…
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Exercise Your Brain As You Do Your Body

Exercise Your Brain As You Do Your Body

Check out our Personal Kaizen Motivational Monday quote! The brain should be exercised just as often as the body. We challenge you to find one way to exercise your brain today! "If a brain is exercised properly, anyone can grow intelligence, at any age, and potentially by a lot. Or you can just let your brain idle - and watch it slowly, inexorably, go to seed like a sedentary body."Michael Merzenich Be on the lookout for our upcoming Personal Kaizen post featuring 8 ways you can exercise your brain. In the meantime, think about how you can make a habit…
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$20 and 20-Minutes a Day for Easy Physical Fitness

$20 and 20-Minutes a Day for Easy Physical Fitness

Are you a busy person who would like to get in better shape? If you struggle to find time to get to the gym, check out our $20 solution that allows you to spend no more than 20-minutes a day on physical fitness. If you are new to any of these exercises, please start slow and easy. My goal is still to only do one push-up per day, although I typically do many more. It is fun to start by doing a comfortable number at first and observing the increase in how many reps you can complete as you grow…
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Exercise Is a Tribute to the Heart

Exercise Is a Tribute to the Heart

Check out our Personal Kaizen Motivational Monday quote! Gene Tunney was a professional boxer who arguably exercised for a living. In doing so, he found exercise to be a tribute to the heart. "Exercise should be regarded as tribute to the heart."Gene Tunney Be on the lookout for our upcoming Personal Kaizen post sharing our 20-minute physical fitness routine. Join the Personal Kaizen Community Our community is here to support and encourage both personal and professional continuous improvement, helping you to reach your goals and achieve new heights. We offer regular blog posts and a weekly newsletter that contains a…
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