By Nanette Wiser
EMBRACE THE LONGEVITY DIET People living in Blue Zones seem to live longer, according to researchers who have studied what people in these zones eat and how they live including Ikaria in Greece, Okinawa in Japan, Ogliastra in Sardinia, Italy, and the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica. They suffer less from heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity and many of their residents live to be 100 years old. National Geographic Fellow and author Dan Buettner created the Blue Zone diet plan, inspired by these long-living people. The mostly plant-based diet includes 95% vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes. They do not eat meat, dairy, sugary foods or drinks, and processed food. Food is not the only longevity factor; people in these zones are physically active, have low levels of stress, are connected socially, and have a strong sense of purpose in life. As with all diets, consult your physician or nutritionist about what’s right for you.
www.bluezones.com/recipes/food-guidelines
GET FIT In the summer of 1965, pickleball was founded by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Today, competition is fierce, and the game is going pro; even Tom Brady owns a team. Naples, Florida, has claimed the unofficial title of Pickleball Capital of the World. The city is home to a growing community of avid players as well as the annual Minto U.S. Open Pickleball Championship and the Naples Pickleball Center, which contains 60 well-maintained courts. The casual fitness craze is about to get a huge venue if Largo’s Mid-Pinellas Sports Complex is approved that would include Pinellas County’s largest pickleball facility and its first Metro Lagoon. Pickleball is an amazing workout; studies show that middle-aged players burned 40% more calories during a 30-minute pickleball game than during 30 minutes of walking, increasing their heart rates to within the moderate-intensity exercise zone. So why not give Pickleball a shot? Check out courts at Walter Fuller Park, downtown St. Pete’s Pickleball 101 on the 2nd Tuesday from 6-7pm at Coquina Key Park, 3595 Locust St. SE.
GOT CORE? Preventing lower back pain is all about posture and strengthening your deep core muscles. If you have back pain, check in with your doctor and see if a licensed physical therapist might help as well as these tips. Stop slouching, especially at your desk; practice sitting with correct posture and be sure to stand and stretch every twenty minutes. Exercise your back with gentle stretches, yoga, swimming and walking in shoes with good support. Spend less time on the couch or bending over to read your phone; it can cause increased pressure on the discs in your back. Stop lifting heavy things. Passive treatments like heat, ice or ultrasound are helpful, but motion Is lotion for working out those kinks.
www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/multimedia/back-pain/sls-20076265
ESCAPE ROOM Gather your posse for an Escape Room game, where you solve a themed mystery by finding clues and puzzles that unlock locks, advancing your team though the room and exit! Best of show in Pinellas County are at Locked Up John’s Pass, St. Pete’s The Great Escape Room, Outerlife Studios St. Pete, Escape Room Extreme
or Escape If You Can.