Green, Not Only on Our Plate

A little more than a year ago, I started Navigating Longevity with a simple goal: to create a space where research, reflections, and practical ideas could come together to help us think about how to live longer and better. Thank you to everyone who has followed along. With gratitude, I am taking a moment to celebrate this milestone.

You may have noticed that it has been a while since my last post. Part of the reason is that I have been preparing my article on social frailty and aging for journal submission. In our study, we found that higher social frailty in older adults was associated with a higher risk of mortality over time. A reminder that social connection and engagement matter for longevity.

The other reason is more personal. For a while, I have been planning to record videos for social media and bring the ideas behind Navigating Longevity to a wider audience. But memorizing the script and recording myself has been harder than I expected. I have postponed this many times because my voice, my image, and the final result never felt good enough.

In the meantime, I have continued working, studying, and collecting ideas worth sharing. One of them comes from Dr. John La Puma, who coined the term ultra-processed time and inspired a recent New York Times article.

We often talk about ultra-processed food, but our time can become ultra-processed too: too much screen time, too many interruptions, too little presence, and too little time outside.

His invitation is simple: spend more time outdoors.

What may seem like unproductive time can actually help us return more focused, more present, and more connected. Research shows that even short periods spent outdoors can reduce stress, improve mood, encourage movement, and support social connection. Adding more time outside to our daily lives may be one simple way to support a longer and healthier life.

Personally, I love long walks in my very green neighborhood and, whenever possible, in local parks with my husband. And when I am in Italy, besides the inevitable long shopping walks, there is nothing quite like walking along the beach.

The weather is helping us now, but we still need to be intentional. We can try to set aside a little time each day to take a walk, sit in a park, look at the trees, listen to the birds, meet someone outside, or simply spend more time in nature.

More green, not only on our plate.

I would love to hear what helps you step away from ultra-processed time and spend more time outside. And if you have ever struggled with feeling not good enough, or with perfectionism, please share what has helped you quiet that inner critic too.

Donatella