Where do people live the longest? If you watched the CNN report on Sunday, March 15, 2015, you would have seen the show called The Blue Zones. It was based on the book with the same name by author Dan Buettner.
“People in the Blue Zones reach age 100 at 10 times the average rate. What’s their secret?”
- Move Naturally The world’s longest-lived people don’t pump iron or run marathons. Instead, their environments nudge them into moving without thinking about it.
- Purpose Why do you wake up in the morning? Knowing your sense of purpose is worth up to seven years of extra life expectancy.
- Down Shift Stress leads to chronic inflammation, associated with every major age-related disease. The world’s longest-lived people have routines to shed that stress.
- 80% Rule “Hara hachi bu” – the Okinawans say this mantra before meals as a reminder to stop eating when their stomachs are 80 percent full.
- Plant Slant The cornerstone of most centenarian diets? Beans. They typically eat meat—mostly pork—only five times per month.
- Wine @ 5 Moderate drinkers outlive non-drinkers, especially if they share those drinks with friends.
- Belong Attending faith-based services four times per month – no matter the denomination – adds up to 14 years of life expectancy.
- Loved Ones First Centenarians put their families first. They keep aging parents and grandparents nearby, commit to a life partner and invest in their children.
- Right Tribe They world’s longest lived people chose or were born into social circles that support healthy behaviors.
Thank you for reading. To your health!
Terry Ryan