Live a Healthier, Longer Life

[View this email in your browser]( My goal in life has always been to empower people to live healthier, longer lives. Hardy people can be more productive, as well, so this helps to lift society overall. For example, the foundation I founded with my family, HealthCorps, uplifts American teens by providing education and mentorship to help them get healthy, get educated, and get employed gainfully in their chosen profession. On the other end of the age spectrum, understanding genes, proteins, and cells in older people have scientists predicting that we will add a decade more to human lifespans within the next 10 years. Despite the drop in fertility rates and recent decline in life expectancy due to the opioid crises, even the U.S. Census Bureau actuaries project that in 2050, the U.S. population will be about 55.5 million more than it is today, reaching a level of about 390 million. This increase will generate more entrepreneurship, innovation, productivity, and growth. Human capital is the ultimate wealth of the nation and is wasted when people lose health and die prematurely. This creates a wonderful opportunity: what would you do with 10 more healthy years? As older people see their capacity for productive years expand, they should be encouraged to keep participating in a larger and more productive national workforce. This benefits mature individuals with increased social interaction, purpose, and even longevity, while providing a massive boost to the economy. A larger workforce also increases the nation’s productivity so creates trillions more revenue and helps balance our budget to keep our social security solvent. Healthy habits don’t just help you live a longer and happier life, it helps our nation do better, too - sounds like a pretty good deal to me! Blue Zones Several years ago I met a 101-year-old man named Luigi in Sardinia who had served in the Italian army when Mussolini was in power in the 1930s. After the dictator was killed, Luigi helped the Allied forces push back the Fascists and then defeat Hitler in 1945. He then spent 70 years raising several generations of a family. For most of us, his youth is an ancient history lesson, yet he precisely recounts all the details with a perfect memory, just like so many other of his friends on this mountainous island in the Mediterranean. I was visiting the island of Sardinia because I wanted to learn more about the habits of the world’s longest-living people. My friend Dan Buettner had introduced me to the concept of “Blue Zones” — places where people live to age 100 several times more commonly than in most areas of America. His current Netflix show is top ranked because he offers practical advice on how these centenarians live their lives. Besides Sardinia, the other four areas are in Greece, Japan, Costa Rica, and the Seventh Day Adventists in California. There is even a “Blue Zones” company that teaches communities how to achieve similar longevity. It’s quite revealing when you learn the list of the commonalities that cross over from one part of the world to another. Half of them center around social habits, like knowing your purpose, spending time with those you love, and having some kind of faith. The other half? They revolve around food choices. Blue Zoners eat lots of plants, beans, and fish. They limit their meat and sugar intake, and eat mostly plants and beans. Despite all of our research on nutrients, the most important data comes from real life experiences of role models like Luigi, so we should copy their habits. Since data suggests that 40% of the US population is deficient in Vitamin D, let’s start with taking extra Vitamin D which mimics the daily exposure to copious sunlight enjoyed in the Blue Zones. [iHerb.com has a high quality option.]( [Try Vitamin D]( Recipe: Sheet Pan Salmon My Turkish immigrant parents loved serving us fresh fish, which they always argued would help us live longer. They were right, and in the parts of Southern Turkey with high fish consumption, heart disease rates are lower. We now understand that Omega 3 fats reduce heart disease risk. Try this recipe from my daughter, Daphne Oz, for Sheet Pan Salmon. [Get the Recipe]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Website]( Copyright © 2023 ZoCo Productions LLC, All rights reserved. You're receiving this email because you signed up for The Good Dish newsletter. Our mailing address is: ZoCo Productions LLC 555 W 57th St.New York, NY 10019 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](.