Reference no: EM131760963

Question 1: The centenarians in the Blue zones have given us a unique portrait of what living to a ripe old age can be like. How does it compare to your own personal view of old age? State and discuss three examples. Has it changed your attitude? How has it changed it? Discuss three ways it has changed your attitude.

Question 2: The centenarians in the Blue Zones formed their lifelong habits and reached adulthood in the 1950s. Discuss three ways life might have been better back then, and the healthy habits they adopted that have been lost or fading away among our current generation of young Americans. Think about your own life, and the stories you have heard from your grandparents and parents. Discuss three ways that life was different then than it is now. Additionally, discuss three ways in which it is better or worse, and the impact these things have made on our quality of life.

Question 3: "Have you noticed no one wears a watch here? No clock is working correctly. We simply don't care about the clock here," says Dr. Ilias Leriadis, the part-time mayor of the village of Evidos in Ikaria. What is this attitude saying about Ikarian life and longevity? Discuss three ways this compares to your own life and the attitudes in your community.

Question 4: Kamada Nakazato, a 102-year old woman living on the Motobu Peninsula in Okinawa, tells us that the secret to her longevity is her spirit of ikigai, or as it is called in Costa Rica, plan de vida the "reason for waking up in the morning." How do you see that the purpose for life differs among centenarians in the Blue Zones compared to what you see going on around you? Provide three examples in your discussion. In what ways could Americans adapt an attitude more like the people in the Blue Zones? Provide two examples in your discussion. What about your own spirit of ikigai? Do you have one? If so, share it, and if not, discuss how you might develop your own spirit of ikigai.

Question 5: Old age homes don't exist in the world's Blue Zones. A combination of family duty, community expectations, and genuine affection for elders keeps centenarians living with their families. Think about your own grandparents. What is or was your relationship with them and other elderly family members? What did you learn from the Blue Zones that is different? Include two things your learned pertaining to this topic. What learning did you come away with about family responsibility? In your discussion include two things that you have learned about family responsibility.

Question 6: Centenarians are not usually vegetarians, but they follow a vegetarian-based diet, mostly as a result of a dependency on homegrown or locally grown food. What are three ways can you gradually adapt a more vegetarian-based diet? What could your local leaders do to help make it a community-wide goal? What do you believe the benefits would be?

Question 7: Centenarians in the Blue Zones lead active lives yet they never set foot in a gym. What are three things we can learn from their style of activity and what are three ways they can be applied to our lives and community life? What could be the cement to make it stick?

Question 8: People in the Blue Zones seem to exude a sense of sublime serenity, yet their stories tell us that they have not lived stress-free lives. What are three ways that the "convenience" of modern lifestyle contribute to your stress? What three lessons can you learn from Blue Zones centenarians about how to handle life's stressors?