Connecticut
Is Connecticut one of the next Blue Zones? | Moffly Media
If drinking an elixir of bone broth, dehydrated pig blood, and celery juice while cold plunging in 39-degree spring and sea water could potentially extend your life, would you try it?
Chances are, you would, because the pursuit of longevity has become mainstream, with the global market expected to reach $183 billion by 2028.
But what if it was as easy as, say, living in Connecticut?
That’s what NowPatient’s newest index—inspired by the 2023 Netflix series “Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones”—suggests, as
it aims to predict the next ten states to become Blue Zones.
Blue Zones are where some of the world’s oldest people live, characterized by lower chronic disease and significantly longer life expectancies. Currently, there are five Blue Zones globally, located in Italy, Greece, Japan, Costa Rica and Loma Linda, California.
According to the index, Connecticut is the eighth most likely state to become the next Blue Zone. So we asked an expert for his take.
“We have to remember that Blue Zones are something researchers have been looking at for years, but the man who popularized it wasn’t a researcher, but a journalist,” says Andrew Garritson, vice president of education at the Nutritional Coaching Institute and founder of Argentum, a quality information control organization.
“By nature, his job is to capture attention. So when we see one of the Power 9 criteria for a Blue Zone being ‘Wine at 5’, we should be skeptical,” he says.
Research is pretty well established around alcohol consumption being associated with all-cause mortality, he adds, so to claim that ‘moderate drinkers outlive non-drinkers’ is misleading.
“It’s correlation, not causation,” he says. “That said, everything is a trade-off. Moderate alcohol consumption can be the mechanism indicating that a community is more socially fulfilled—and social fulfillment and belonging has been shown to increase longevity.”
“So the physical trade-off of alcohol consumption can be offset by the social benefits that come from the environment it’s consumed in,” says Garritson.
In the new index citing Connecticut as a promising Blue Zone candidate, researchers looked at mental health, diet, exercise, religion, plant-based diets, sleep and life expectancy.
When asked for his take, Garritson largely agreed with the criteria observed to increase longevity. “It’s not necessarily about religion … per se,” says Garritson. “Religion might be the mechanism that shows you’re plugged into a social community.”
He adds that recent research showed that there was decreased all-cause mortality with a plant-based diet, but notes that people who follow plant-based diets can be at higher risk of nutrient deficiencies, which can lead to sickness.
“The key is to eat complete sources of protein in a plant-based diet, which requires a more mindful food selection,” he says.
So, does Connecticut have a shot at becoming the next Blue Zone? Yes, but the criteria for getting there might need a bit of a deeper dive.
WHEN IT COMES TO DIRECT, NO-NONSENSE, SCIENCE-BASED FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO LONGER, HEALTHIER LIVES, ANDREW GARRITSON DRILLS IT DOWN TO THESE FIVE HABITS:
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- Having a strong sense of purpose
- Strength training 3 to 5 times per week
- Getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep
- Drinking at least half your bodyweight in ounces of water per day
- Managing obesity
Image: Julija – stock.adobe.com
Andrew Garritson has helped more than 2,000 people lose 40,000+ pounds of fat, gain 4,600+ pounds of lean body mass, and eliminate 100+ medications You can connect with him on LinkedIn.
Connecticut
Here's how much snow fell in Connecticut on Saturday
The storm dropped two inches of snow in Stratford, as of 8 a.m., and Newtown, as of 10 a.m. In Shelton, weather observers reported 1.8 inches of snowfall as of 8 a.m., according to reporters from the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network.
Along the western edge of the state, the storm dropped 1.3 inches of snow in New Preston and an inch in New Milford by 9:15 a.m., Frank Nocera, a meteorologist in the National Weather Service’s Boston office said. Further south, the Bridgeport area received a 0.4-inch coating, according to weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Nocera said the National Weather Service should have more data available as snow continues to fall Saturday. He said Connecticut’s totals should stick between a coating and two inches.
Snow began falling overnight and was set to create slippery conditions on the roads Saturday. Electric utility customers reported hundreds of outages in the state Saturday morning, but their cause was not immediately clear. The weather service has said the snow should fade in the afternoon as drier conditions close out the weekend.
Connecticut
Want to donate to Los Angeles fire victims? Be aware of scams
CONNECTICUT (WTNH) — In Los Angeles, where fire has destroyed thousands of homes, officials say they don’t need any more items like blankets or clothing. What’s needed is money to help people try to get back on their feet.
Here in Connecticut, if you want to give there are some things you should know to avoid being scammed.
A warning from the Connecticut Better Business Bureau says that before you open your heart and your wallet, do your due diligence before you donate and verify which charities truly have a proven track record of helping.
One of the more common scams you may see is a direct message in your social media feed.
“So, an acquaintance on Facebook messages you and says my uncle was a victim of the fire in LA and I’m collecting money, and you’re asked to click to donate or send me some cash via Venmo, but what you don’t know if that FB page has been hacked,” Kristen Johnson of Connecticut Better Business Bureau said.
The best advice is to pick up the phone and call that Facebook friend and ask are you really collecting money for LA relief. And if you can, make sure the charity you give to is registered with the state of California.
“And another thing that happens and this isn’t a scam, but people who want to help they set up charities to help but they don’t have boots on the ground — they’re not established,” Johnson said.
In other words, avoid grass roots efforts even though their heart may be in the right place. Experts also say never send cash and only a use a credit card.
If a charity says 100% of your gift goes to the LA cause that’s a red flag. Why’s that?
“Because every charity has some overhead right even your credit card payment will come with a transaction fee,” Johnson said.
The Connecticut Better Business Bureau has certain charities that meet their criteria. Just go to give.org to see the list.
Watch the full story above.
Connecticut
Central Connecticut State University remembers Jimmy Carter’s 1985 visit
NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (WTNH) — A few years after former President Jimmy Carter’s term ended, he made a trip to New Britain.
In 1985, about 3,000 people gathered at Central Connecticut State University’s Welte Hall to hear the former president deliver the annual Robert C. Vance Lecture.
This lecture series ran from 1983 to 2015 to honor the editor, publisher and journalist for The Herald in New Britain, Robert C. Vance.
In addition to giving a speech, Carter was also awarded the university’s first honorary degree.
The university’s archivist, Renata Vickery, said, “it was also important for our students to see someone who started from the very humble beginning.”
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