Wow, time definitely flies! I can’t believe Thanksgiving just ended, and there’s only about one month until a new year. This year, I’m especially thankful to be healthy. I’m also grateful for this blog, and YOU, reading right now!
Ikaria is the third blue zone I will be discussing in this series, which means this is the halfway point! I think I will continue discussing the Blue Zones in every other post, with a different topic in between. Interestingly so, all the blue zones so far have been islands, including Ikaria. Quick facts:
According to the Blue Zones website, Ikarians are “almost entirely dementia free.” How do they stay so healthy, physically and mentally? A strict mediterranean diet could be a factor. As you are probably familiar, a mediterranean diet consists of many vegetables, fruits, nuts, and whole grains, along with some seafood and poultry. The Ikarian diet focuses more on the plant-based aspects of this diet. Living in a mountainous region, Ikarians get regular physical activity simply by walking up and down the mountainside to a friend’s house or grocery store. Furthermore, Ikarians are very sociable and welcoming, and social connections are definitely important as one ages. Lasting friendships and community bonds have been a common pattern across all the blue zones so far. Another interesting point of study is the shifting through generations. Though Ikaria is isolated, creating a culture and tradition-rich atmosphere, tourism is becoming more popular, influencing people’s way of life. Younger generations could be deviating away from their ancestors’ traditional lifestyle, through adapting modern technology and a mainstream lifestyle. However, genetics also plays a role in longevity, emphasizing the need to take into account many factors with regards to the topic. Nevertheless, I think comparing the lifespans of subsequent generations will be interesting to study and could help provide a picture of the factors that influence longevity to a greater extent.
1 Comment
Hi everyone! For this post, I just wanted to share a bit about an independent project I've been working on that is related to music and dementia. It's a project I've been working on for a while, so I hope it interests you or sparks some ideas of your own about ways to help patients with dementia!
Without our memories, who are we? From playing piano in Memory Care at the Pavilion, I’ve observed music’s powerful impact on the residents’ memories. I also wondered, which pieces are most beneficial to memory? From researching and documenting on this blog, I knew how songs from people’s youth can transport them to associated memories and emotions. However, I've recently been wondering, how do we know which pieces resonate strongest with dementia patients? For seniors who have lost cognitive ability to retrieve favorite or memorable songs from youth, it’s difficult to compile an effective list. Although caregivers may have an idea of which songs to choose, not all patients have close relatives or friends who are familiar with their youth. Although generations may have similar favorites or top songs, everyone’s background, which significantly influences music choice, is different. To solve this problem, my sister and I have been working on an invention (US 63/093,775) to build music playlists for dementia patients automatically. Here is some information about how we plan for the invention to work:
|
Archives
February 2021
Categories
All
|