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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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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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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Important Lessons Learned from My First 3-Day Fast

Important Lessons Learned from My First 3-Day Fast

Over the past several posts we have introduced the concept of fasting and different ways to fast, researched the scientific benefits of a 3-day fast, gave tips on how to prepare for a fast, and then shared my experience and video journal of a first-time, 3-day anti-aging fast. This post will summarize key lessons learned from my first 3-day fast and provide some final tips before you begin a fast of your own. UPDATE: 4-Weeks Following My Fast My first lesson learned has to be a reflection of what the 3-day fast changed in me as a person. What eating…
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Learn Before You Fast: My 3-Day Fasting Experience

Learn Before You Fast: My 3-Day Fasting Experience

I came across the idea of fasting in my research on smart health habits enough times that the benefits seemed worth any risks. Recent podcasts with guests like Tim Ferris, Dr. Peter Attia, and Dr. Dom D’Agostino all shared reasons for multi-day fasts. But would this work for a 45-year-old father of three teenagers? I decided to prepare in advance and then share the results of my 3-day fasting experience with the Personal Kaizen community. Tuesday and Wednesday: Day 0 I looked at my work and home schedule and decided on a good week to schedule my first ever 3-day…
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How to Prepare for a 3-Day Anti-Aging Fast

How to Prepare for a 3-Day Anti-Aging Fast

After researching the scientific benefits of a 3-day fast, I decided the benefits were worth the potential discomfort of starving myself for a few days. But I had lots of questions first. Was this safe? When would I start? How would I maximize the benefits and minimize the pain? This post shares how I went about preparing for a 3-day anti-aging fast. Is a 3-Day Fast Safe? Don’t fast for more than 24 hours without first consulting a doctor, and be especially cautious if any of the following is true about you: You are younger than 25 or older than…
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