Life-Changing Lessons From Blue Zone Regions, Where People Often Live to Be 100

For people in most parts of the world, celebrating 100th birthdays for themselves, their family members, or their friends is rare. But in Blue Zones—those parts of the world with more centenarians than anywhere else—common environmental factors offer a healthy aging model for the rest of us to learn from.

"There isn't a pill for longevity or a fountain of youth, but only about 20 percent of how long the average person lives is dictated by our genes," says Dan Buettner, an award-winning journalist who discovered the Blue Zones. "The other 80 percent is dictated by our lifestyle and environment. Making the choice to set up your environment for health is the best step."

What Are Blue Zones?

Buettner was working with a team of demographers, researchers, anthropologists, and epidemiologists when they found five regions where the number of men who lived to 100 outpaced the rest of the world. Buettner named these areas Blue Zones (after the colored pen the team used to mark them on the map). Though the language and cultural details of each spot varied, Buettner identified a consistent element: "The key factor across all the Blue Zones is that the centenarians living there did not wake up one morning and decide they wanted to live to 100," he says. "They simply lived in environments that nudged them into daily movement and encouraged social connectedness and plant-based eating, making the healthy choice not only easy, but unavoidable."

The five Blue Zones are:

• Ikaria, Greece, a tiny, remote island in the Aegean Sea
• Sardinia, Italy, a Mediterranean island
• Okinawa, Japan, islands at the southern tip of Japan
• Nicooya, Costa Rica, a peninsula south of the Nicaraguan border
• Loma Linda, Calif., a community of Seventh-day Adventists, located just east of Los Angeles
  

What Makes a Blue Zone Lifestyle

As Buettner and his team looked more closely at each Blue Zone, they found nine common denominators—which they dubbed the Power 9—that they believe contributed to residents' longevity.

Plant-Based Diet: Meals in Blue Zones are primarily plant-based—and heavy on beans. You won’t find any “supersized” portions; serving sizes are about the size of a deck of cards.

Strategies to Relieve Stress: Whether that means praying, napping, relaxing with friends, or taking time to remember their ancestors, residents of each Blue Zone have rituals in place to help dissolve tension.

80 Percent Rule: People in Blue Zones typically eat only until they are 80 percent full.

Sense of Purpose: A sense of purpose increases life expectancy by seven years, says Buettner.

Family Ties: "Centenarians put their families first: They keep aging parents and grandparents nearby, commit to a life partner, and invest in their children," says Buettner.

Social Support: People who live longer surround themselves with people who live a healthy lifestyle, too. "They chose—or were born into—social circles that support healthy behaviors," says Buettner.

Moderate Alcohol: Buettner’s research found that moderate drinkers outlive non-drinkers, especially if those drinks are enjoyed with friends. However, not all medical experts agree this is the case.

Natural Movement: Instead of purposeful workouts, a Blue Zone environment nudges residents into moving without thinking about it. "The world's longest-lived people don't pump iron or run marathons," Buettner says.

Faith: "Attending faith-based services four times per month, no matter the denomination, adds up to 14 years of life expectancy," says Buettner.

Lessons We Can Learn From Blue Zones—and How to Live Them

Buettner's Blue Zones books offer tips and recipes for modeling your own environment after the Blue Zones lifestyle, while his company's community initiatives work toward improving public health across the United States. Here are some ways to integrate Blue Zone lessons into your own life.

Eat More Whole Foods

Susan Friedman, MD, MPH, a doctor who specializes in geriatrics and aging, has seen cholesterol, blood pressure, and fasting blood sugar numbers drop significantly after people switch to a whole-food, plant-based diet. "No one taught me that in medical school," she says. "It’s a very impactful intervention."

Start by simply incorporating more fruits and vegetables in your diet. "Eat a rainbow," says Dr. Friedman. "Choose fruits and vegetables that are colorful and different from each other."  Aim for 1 1/2 to 2 cups of fruit each day, and 2 to 3 cups of veggies.

Make Sleep a Priority

In Blue Zones, eight hours of sleep each night is the norm. No surprise, a growing amount of research shows that sleep is essential for weight management, immune function, heart health, mood regulation, stress management, metabolic function, and even cognition.

If you have trouble falling or staying asleep, try to get outside in the middle of the day. "The amount of light that you get outdoors is many times stronger than even the brightest indoor lighting," says Dr. Friedman. Natural sunshine cues your brain to stay awake and alert, while keeping your bedroom "cave-like" (think: quiet, dark, and cool) signals that it’s time to sleep.

Volunteer

"When a 110-year-old woman bounces out of my office and remembers everybody's name, everyone wants to know, ‘What's her secret?’ A strong sense of purpose is always in my top five secrets of healthy aging," says Scott Kaiser, MD, a board-certified geriatrician and director of geriatric cognitive health for the Pacific Neuroscience Institute. "Having a reason to get up in the morning is extremely powerful."

If you’ve yet to find your own sense of meaning, consider volunteering. Whether you give back to your local community or join a larger cause that aims to change the world, “volunteering, and feeling like you’re doing something that will leave a contribution, is a pretty remarkable way to find your purpose," says Dr. Kaiser. 

Eat Mindfully

Slow down and take the time to really savor your meals. "Try mindful eating—being conscious as you’re eating—instead of eating to be full like you just had Thanksgiving dinner," says Dr. Kaiser. When time allows, eat at a table, without a screen to distract you. Take small bites and chew thoroughly, making a point  to really notice and appreciate each bite. "Think about the joy of eating and, if you’re with others, the joy of fellowship and connection of eating with people you love," Dr. Kaiser says.

Get Moving

"Physical activity is the closest thing we have to a miracle drug," says Dr. Kaiser. Hit the gym, walk with friends, play with your kids at the park—"the clear thing is to get off the couch," says Dr. Kaiser. Adults are recommended to get 150 minutes of physical activity each week, but "that can be spread out all sorts of different ways," says Dr. Kaiser. Ten minutes here and 30 minutes there adds up. "Aspire to lead an active lifestyle rather than a sedentary lifestyle."

Build Community

"The negative health impacts of loneliness are on par with smoking 15 cigarettes a day," says Dr. Kaiser, who founded Determined Health, a technology platform that helps address social isolation. If you haven’t yet found your own community, tap into the resources of a trusted local group, like a community center, or a national nonprofit. Whether you attend an event, pitch in to help, sign up for classes, or do all three, you’ll have the opportunity to meet new people and nurture those all-important friendships.

A lovely truth about Blue Zones advice is that "these are things that make life worth living," says Dr. Kaiser. "Connection, purpose, physical activity—these are things that bring joy and passion and love to life. That's going to make you feel better immediately, and can help you feel better and live longer in the long run. That seems like a pretty good proposition."