Wouldn’t it be great if there was a real-world study that revealed the best way to live a long and healthy life, free of disease, happy, and active well into our nineties and beyond? With so many dietary and lifestyle trends, it can be incredibly confusing to know what is useful and true and what might be a passing trend.
We like the old saying, ‘proof is in the pudding’ and this is often revealed in retrospective analysis where we look for a desirable outcome then try to understand how that outcome was achieved. When it comes to longevity, Dan Buettner, a journalist, and explorer for National Geographic, did just that and shared his discoveries in a book called “The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from Those Who’ve Lived the Longest.”
Beginning in 1999, Dan Buettner led a series of expeditions with National Geographic and a team of anthropologists, demographers, and scientists to discover the world’s longest-living populations and the commonalities between these unique groups of people. The communities that he discovered have the highest percentage of centenarians in the world and they are referred to as the Blue Zones.
There are currently five Blue Zones around the world – Nicoya, Costa Rica; Sardinia, Italy; Ikaria, Greece; Okinawa, Japan; and Loma Linda, California. While each of these cultures has unique features that would make them distinct from each other, there were nine common themes between them that contributed to their long and healthy lives.
• Move Naturally – They do not exercise by going to the gym and working out for an hour. Movement is built into their daily activities such as gardening, walking, taking the stairs, walking up hills, hiking, being in nature, etc.
• Sense of Purpose – They wake up every day with a sense of purpose to contribute something positive to their lives and the lives of others regardless of age.
• Down Time/Stress Reduction – They take time out for relaxation, time with family and friends, time in nature, time for prayer, meditation, and reflection.
• 80% Rule – They eat slowly and stop when the stomach is 80% full. No overconsumption.
• Plant-Centered Diet – Meals are centered around plant-based foods with animal foods comprising only a small portion of their meals.
• Enjoy a Little Wine – Other than the Seventh Day Adventists of Loma Linda, the other Blue Zone cultures enjoyed a little red wine in the afternoon often with friends and family.
•Right Tribe – The people of the Blue Zones spend time with people of like-mind and habits.
• Family First – They value family above all else.
• Sense of Belonging – In the Blue Zone cultures, the elderly are revered for their knowledge and wisdom. They enjoy time with family and community. This sense of belonging has value at every age.
We encourage you to explore the Blue Zones website – https://bluezones.com and read the book mentioned above. There are other books available on the website as well. We are constantly bombarded with the latest-greatest trend that can pull us away from the things that truly matter. Aside from a healthy diet and active lifestyle, what we appreciate about the 9 Common Features within each of the Blue Zones is the emphasis on human values that focus on joy, connection, belonging, friendship, family, spirituality, rest, and purpose.
Together, these values bring balance and purpose to life that are fundamental to being human.
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