DESS – what does this mean?

Diet. Exercise. Sleep. Stress.

These are the 4 pillars of good health, in my book anyway. If you take care of these 4 pillars you are on your way to achieving optimum health and yes, this may be how to live to be 100. We all hope to enjoy physical and cognitive life well into our 90s, maybe even 100 years plus, so read on. This may be the way to go.

Let’s talk about DIET

No fad diets are required, just a simple combination of whole, natural, clean, and unprocessed foods. Grow a few herbs, or greens at least, eat these at every meal. Include all kinds of vegetables and fruit. 30% raw, the rest gently cooked. Eat a little smash fish, or wild-caught, some pasture-raised chickens, and grass-fed beef/lamb. Drink clean water (no floride/chlorides). Have only the good fats/oils (olive, coconut) from foods like nuts and avocados. And if you want to flash this all up a bit, have a glass of good wine every now and then.

The issue of EXERCISE

Try not to make it an issue at all. Simply walk 40 minutes 3-4 times a week. When you move; your body gets into gear, produces an abundance of hormones, pumps oxygen, and the body systems are stimulated. The brain enjoys the endorphins, the lymphatic system enjoys the squeeze and releases toxins for excretion, your bowel remembers its daily movement, your skin absorbs the sun, and your lungs suck in the air, releasing toxins too.

live to be 100Then there’s SLEEP

Sleep like never before. Turn off those screens an hour before bed. Use your bath, drink some delicious herbal tea that calms or warms you. Get cosy in your bed. Clear the clutter in your bedroom like taking out the laundry. Wipe the windows and blinds regularly to clear away any mould or dead insects. Breathe easy in your bedroom and dim the lights.

And STRESS

Those life-changing worries. Gosh, how we replay those old movies and create new ones as we dream on about what happened or might happen soon. Old cliche – let those go. So where do you start with that? Firstly, have some self-awareness. Know when you are winding yourself up and go for that walk. Or stretch your arms up and breathe. Take a cuppa tea. Get lost in a game, book or a good movie, or socialise with family and neighbours.

At GrowEatHeal, we can’t guarantee this is how to live to be 100, of course, but following GrowEatHeal’s DESS will be a good way to live and have fun while you’re trying!