January has arrived, ushering in a new year and a fresh start for 2026. When we talk about wellness, we’re talking about good health and overall wellbeing. I really want you to hear this: health is about more than avoiding illness and eating nutritional foods, though that’s certainly part of the picture.

In the book, “Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life” by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles, the authors explore why people in Ogimi Village, Okinawa live such long lives. The answers they came up with are many and varied and include — along with diet and lots of daily movement and activity — community connection, low stress and having a purpose in life.

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