Ever heard of The Blue Zones?  Well, I had not either.  Not until the day I was lucky enough to meet Dan Buettner and he gave me an autographed copy of his book.  Cool right?  Anyways, Buettner’s book, The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From People Who’ve Lived the Longest was remarkably interesting and I could not get enough.  So what is a blue zone?

Basically Dan and teams of scientists traveled the world to places where people are living measurably longer than the rest of the world.  From there, they asked why? Why do people in these areas live longer?  The four blue zones in Dan’s book include Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; the Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica;and Loma Linda, California.  The last one cracks me up, I never saw that coming.

(Source)

So what are some of the things they discovered and some similarities they seem to all share? 

Well Here are 9 Tips of Longevity based on the habits of the Blue Zone population:

1. Make regular activity intrinsic to your daily routine.
2. Have a “Plan de Vida,” i.e., a mission or purpose that gives meaning to your life.
3. Take your life out of the fast lane: work less, slow down, rest, take vacation.  ( I really need to focus on this one.)
4. Eat less by following the “80% rule.” Stop eating when you are 80% full.
5. Shift your diet to more vegetables and fruits, less protein and fewer processed foods.
6. Drink red wine in moderation.
7. Create a healthy social network.
8. Cultivate spiritual or religious beliefs and participation.
9. Make family a priority.

What I think is important to realize is that you do not have to go to these “Blue Zones” to transform your own life.  You can create your own Blue Zone.  I think the more you can look at life in the “big picture” and make lifestyle changes that foster healthy habits like daily movement, natural and moderation eating, purpose-driven living and more social connection, you are doing an excellent job.

What else Dan says is “Not only are they adding years to their lives, but they’re vital, enriching years.”  Sounds like a win-win to me.