What does slow living, staying balanced, and the habits of centenarians have in common?

Everything! If you read Dan Buettner's books about The Blue Zones you'll start to see many parallels to the slow living movement.

In this podcast episode, I wanted to draw your attention to habits that help you stay balanced. In addition, I'll share ways to look at "slow living" that go beyond achieving a certain aesthetic. (Because if you search for slow living hashtags on Instagram you might think the only way to participate is to bake bread and wear cottage core.)

Below you'll find the transcripts of this episode, then the table of contents for the following post. Originally a post I wrote in 2019 about the importance of staying balanced. I've combined these because to practice slow living is to seek balance and enjoy life.

In fact, they have so much in common, I noticed that what most people consider "slow living" habits are the practices of the longest lived people on earth. Those who live in the blue zones.

Lastly, you'll find a list of resources to help you in your pursuit of balance, via the slow living movement.

[00:00:00] Announcer: Welcome to a healthy bite. You're one nibble closer to a more satisfying way of life, a healthier you and bite size bits of healthy motivation. Now let's dig in on the dish with Rebecca Huff. 

[00:00:18] Rebecca: In today's episode, I'm going to get a bit more personal than I usually do, and share a bit about what I've been doing lately for the last year or two to heal from the constant feeling of being busy and being overwhelmed. And also how I gave myself permission to stop being super mom or at least to stop trying to be super mom and how I've learned to live a bit more in the green zone instead of always being busy, busy, busy, and also I'm going to cover a bit about the trending topic of slow living and what it means and whether or not it's just another self-improvement trend, bandwagon that you may or may not want to hop on.

[00:01:05] Years ago I wrote a blog post encouraging myself and others to try to stay more balanced. This is something that professionals have been recommending for years. My doctor has recommended that I try to stay more in the green zone. In the past, my chiropractor and others had given me heart rate variability tests that show whether you're in the flight or fight mode, or whether you are more balanced and kind of in the green zone.

[00:01:35] Even when you look at the chart there's red, yellow, and green and doctors had recommended for years that I try to stay more out of that red and yellow zone and get myself into the green zone more often. Does any of this resonate with you? 

[00:01:51] If you're a mom and you have one or more children, I am certain that there are probably things that I'm gonna talk about that you can relate to. But this post that I wrote was as much to myself as to anyone. And it was meant to encourage and remind me to stay balanced. This is especially important for other all or nothing types like myself. 

[00:02:14] Back during the pandemic when people were. Basically forced to stay home, an old concept became a new trend and that is slow living.

[00:02:25] I, I say old concept because anyone who's into organic food or buying local knows that this slow living movement started a long time ago, back in the eighties, when a group of activists defended a slower pace of life to include regional traditions, food made from local ingredients by real people with their own two hands; as opposed to Franken foods made by machines and automated processes.

[00:02:57] The slow food and slow living movement recognizes those connections between people, cultures, the foods we grow and eat, as well as the planet and politics. 

[00:03:09] because people were stuck at home, many began to bake their own breads or snacks and pick up other hobbies, like cooking, sewing, and DIY type projects.