The nonnamaxxing trend, which encourages adopting the lifestyle of an Italian grandmother, has gained attention on social media for its potential health benefits. Proponents claim that emulating the habits of an Italian nonna can improve both physical health and mental wellbeing. The core principles are simple: prioritize time with friends and family, consume homegrown produce, and prepare hearty meals from scratch.
What is Nonnamaxxing?
Nonnamaxxing draws on lifestyle medicine research, which supports that these practices can extend lifespan and enhance quality of life. Instead of treating it as a fleeting trend, experts suggest integrating these habits permanently. Key areas include social connections, physical activity like gardening, and home cooking.
Positive Social Connections
Making time for loved ones is central to nonnamaxxing. Studies show that strong social ties are crucial for health across all ages. Social interactions help regulate emotions, reduce stress, and lower inflammation. Even brief positive encounters, such as chatting with a barista, can boost wellbeing. Collective experiences like concerts or dancing foster a sense of belonging and unity.
Try Gardening
Daily physical activity is linked to longevity, but it doesn't have to involve the gym. Gardening, a staple of nonna life, offers significant health benefits. It increases mobility, reduces sedentary behavior, and improves mental health. Gardening also stimulates the brain through planning and coordination, building cognitive reserve that may lower dementia risk.
Home-Cooked Meals
Cooking at home is another pillar of nonnamaxxing. Home chefs tend to eat more fruits, vegetables, and fiber while consuming fewer calories, fats, and sugars. This can help regulate blood sugar, reduce body fat, and prevent type 2 diabetes. Cooking also provides a sense of accomplishment and meaning.
How to Get Started
To embrace nonnamaxxing, start small. If in-person socializing isn't possible, use technology intentionally—calling or sending voice messages creates stronger connections than texting. For gardening, begin with easy plants like tomatoes on a windowsill. Even spending time in nature boosts health. When cooking, start with simple recipes and gradually build skills. If time is short, eating with others enhances connection, or choose nostalgic foods that evoke warmth.
While the nonnamaxxing trend may fade, its underlying principles are timeless. Living like an Italian grandmother has not only stood the test of time but is also backed by health research.
Trudy Meehan is a Lecturer at the Centre for Positive Psychology and Health, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences. This article was originally published by The Conversation.
