Blue Zones: Live longer or die young

If you want to live longer, you might consider changing your habits. Blue Zones are places in the world where people live longer and have more people living to be 100 years old. Below are their nine secrets of a longer life.

• Move around. This is not pumping iron, or being in gyms, it is simply moving around all day long. Do things by hand instead of by machine, outside for men and inside for women. 

• Gardens. Most of these people have gardens, which contributes to healthy organic foods and to moving around.

• Downshift from stress. They have routines that shed stress. In Okinawa, they take a few moments to remember their ancestors. Some pray. Sardinians have happy hour.

• The 80% rule. The 2,500-year-old Confucian mantra, and in Okinawa, reminds people to quit eating when they are 80% full.

• Eat plant foods. They eat beans, soy, lentils. Meat and poultry are only eaten less than 5% of food intake and then only a serving of three to four ounces. This is tough for most people, but it can be done. I did it once and was vegetarian for six years prior to statin drugs. They eat early in the evening; no big meals late. 

• Alcohol. People in Blue Zones drink alcohol moderately and regularly; moderate drinkers outlive non-drinkers. No more than one or two drinks.

• Belong. All but five of the 263 people interviewed that were 100 years old belong to a faith-based community. Otherwise, they go to church. Doesn’t make any difference which religion. This adds four to 14 years to your life.

• Loved ones first. Blue Zone people keep aging parents in their homes or nearby. Staying with the same spouse adds three years to your life. 

• Social circle. The longest-living people have social circles to communicate with friends. Research shows that bad habits like smoking , obesity, loneliness are contagious. So are good habits like meeting with friends, happiness, and sharing good health behaviors. You should regularly meet with friends, have your own circle.

Of course, following these rules won’t guarantee you will make it to 100 years old, but you will stand an excellent chance of adding more happy years to your life.

All this from a Netflix documentary, "Live to be 100, Secrets of Blue Zones," by Dan Buettner.

ROGER GREGORY

Priest River

P.S. I am presenting this and am starting to live by the Blue Zone theory.