Living a Longer Life...The Harsh Reality

There has been a lot of activity around this blog lately from the discussions of the "Secrets to Living a Longer Life" on CNN's AC 360. I have been thinking about how so many of us want to know these secrets...we all want to live longer and be healthy and happy. We see the glowing faces of the centenarians from Ikaria and we want to be just like them.

But, for most of us, living a long life is not going to be a blissful slide into old age on a beautiful Greek island. For most of us, living a longer life is going to mean facing the reality of the mess our planet is in. The reins of responsibility for healing our planet and our economies are in our hands. It is going to require the leadership of healthy individuals who have the wisdom, energy, knowledge and passion for what it takes to live a long, happy life, to lead the world to a place where we all want to live longer lives.

There is no point in living longer if we are sick from breathing polluted air, drinking fouled water or eating food sprayed with chemicals. There is no joy in being homeless or begging for food to eat. There is no comfort in living where the temperatures reach unbearable extremes and bring droughts and floods to the land. There is no beauty when all the trees are dead or chopped down for industrial purposes.

Those of us who choose to live through the crises on the planet right now must accept the fact that we have trashed our home to the point of extinction of wildlife, plant life and possibly human life. We are the ones who are going to have to learn the most important lessons of living a long life.....living a simple life, stress-free, in a pristine environment. We are the ones who are going to have to demand cleaner air and water. We are the ones who are going to have to insist on organic farms to grow our food. We can no longer be complacent about how our governments run our countries. We can no longer sit back and watch the drug commercials on TV and believe that a pill will heal us. We are the ones who are going to have to demand integrity and accountability from our corporate leaders and politicians. It is up to us...those who have a stake in living long, healthy, happy lives to change the world for the better. Face it....the rest of the people on the planet are too sick, asleep, or apathetic. This battle is for the ones who can see the benefits for our children and grandchildren. It is up to us.

What are you going to do?

Friday's meals:
Breakfast: Green smoothie with mango, banana, orange, kale and mint.
Lunch: Mediterranean Salad with arugula, fennel, tomatoes, capers, red onion, sprouts, black olives, lemon juice and olive oil.
Supper: Zucchini spaghetti.

Saturday's meals:
Breakfast: A few power balls (Thanks Olivia!)
Lunch: Salad of daikon radish, red and green peppers, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
Supper: Salad with arugula, celery, green olives, adzuki bean sprouts, tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil.
Snack: Apple, orange, and a few cashews.

Photo of hillside in Ikaria by Gianluca Colla.