Written by Siddarth Saikia

The editors of Cooking Light have done a comprehensive job in providing 9 researched diet strategies in Nutritional Tips for 2009 over at CNN Health. Dan Buettner was part of the panel of experts, bringing some Blue Zones lessons to the table.

The best advice, particularly in the convoluted world of nutrition and diet, is always simple. A plant based diet is an essential part of any nutritional program, with overwhelming evidence from the four Blue Zones (Loma Linda, Nicoya, Sardinia and Okinawa) pointing to the regular consumption of vegetables and fruit aiding longevity. It's important to note that you don't have to become vegetarian to do this, indeed not everyone living long and healthy lives in the four Blue Zones is vegetarain. However, meat consumption should become occasional instead of default. Think about eating a good lean free-range steak at a family dinner or on your birthday and put down that Cheeseburger you're about to wolf down on your lunchbreak. Heather Bauer, R.D., C.D.N., founder of Nu-Train, a nutrition and counseling center in New York City, and author of "The Wall Street Diet reminds us that" "Any way of eating that doesn't allow for the occasional indulgence is not sustainable."

Now that's good advice. Check out the other 8 strategies plus a whole feast of recipes, and ideas how to apply them pracitcally, here.

Written by Dan Buettner

What if I could tell you how to live another 10 years, as well as look younger and feel younger at every age? Something called the Danish Twin Studies established that less than 25% of how long the average person lives is dictated by genes.  In other words, most of how long and how well you live is up to you.

The premise of Blue Zones is:  identify the optimal lifestyle of longevity and you have a de facto formula of longevity.

What is the optimal lifestyle of longevity?  Does it involve diets? supplements? exercise programs?  Should you be eating organic, free range chicken or tofu? And what about physical activity?  Should you be running marathons or doing yoga?

To answer these questions, I teamed up National Geographic and hired the world's best longevity researchers to identify pockets around the world where people are living MEASURABLY better.  In these Blue Zones we found people who reach age 100 at rates 10 times greater than in the United States, where people suffer a fraction of the rate of heart disease and cancer than we do and where people are getting the extra 10 years that we're missing.

Then, we took teams of scientists to each location who know how to identify lifestyle characteristics that may explain longevity.    In Sardinia, Italy we found a wine with the world's highest-known levels of antioxidants, and in Ikaria, Greece we discovered ancient herbal teas that lower blood pressure.   On the other side of the planet, we found an island where purpose and mutual support networks called Moai explain an extra half dozen years of life.   In Nicoya, Costa Rica it's the mesoAmerican diet of beans, squash and a special corn tortilla that is propelling people into their 90's at rates 4 times greater than in the US.  Finally, among Loma Linda's Seventh Day Adventists, we found America's longest-lived culture.  They're living about an extra decade longer than the rest of us.  How? Part of the reason comes from a diet inspired from the Bible.  Genesis, Chapter 1, vs 29.

For the first time in living history, life expectancy of our children is projected to drop, as a nation we're getting fatter every year. Diabetes is on the rise.  Is this because Americans are less disciplined?  Have we undergone a moral degeneration or are we somehow inferior to previous generations?  I don't think so.   We are products of our environment.  Every day, hundreds of marketing messages rinse over our psyches--many of them encouraging us to eat things that aren't good for us.  Machines have engineered physical activity out of lives and networked electronics are replacing face-to-face human contact.   We live in environments of sickness.  The key to getting the extra 10 years we're missing is to follow the lessons from world's longest-lived people and create environments of health.

Click here to watch the CBS Early Show video

Written by Michelle Albert

It's not too difficult. Just be sure to include these foods and beverages on your table, and you can feel good about the health benefits of these Thanksgiving staples and practice the healthy eating found in the Blue Zones.

Red wine (Sardinia) The red wine commonly enjoyed in Sardinia has two to three the amount of procyanidins as other wines.

Sweet potatoes (Okinawa): A staple food for Okinawans until recently, these tubers are rich in antioxidants in the form of beta-carotene and vitamin C. For real authenticity, see if you can find the purple Okinawan variety.

Goat cheese or pecorino cheese (Sardinia):Along with some whole-grain crackers, serve some goat or pecorino cheese. Both are eaten in Sardinia, and pecorino cheese is high in omega-3 fatty acids and both cheeses are excellent sources of calcium and protein.

Go Vegan (Loma Linda):Many of the Seventh-day Adventists of Loma Linda, California, don't eat meat, and their plant-based diet offers many benefits in the form of longer (and healthier) life. Fill up on the sidedishes and enjoy the meat, if you must, as a condiment.

Take a walk (all Blue Zones):All the Blue Zones populations get outdoors, naturally. So after your meal, gather up your friends and family and take a walk. The exercise (and sunshine if it is sunny) is the perfect way to end your celebration.

Written by Dan Buettner

Why are the lessons from the Ikaria, Greece Blue Zone so important? Our team has discovered that over one-third of everyone in the northeastern end of Ikaria reaches age 90. They suffer 20% less cancer and half the rate of heart disease. And there’s virtually no dementia. In other words, they’re living the good years many of us are missing. Years we could possibly have by just adjusting a few simple habits, including:

1. Wild Greens - Greens are abundant in fields and roadsides, Ikarians frequently eat wild green salads and pies. Some contain more antioxidants than green tea or wine.
2. Herbal Teas - The common herbal teas consumed here contain compounds that lower blood pressure and decrease the risk of heart disease and dementia.
3. Low sense of time urgency - Feeling less obligation to one’s schedule and day is shown to lower heart-harming stress hormones.
4. Daily naps - Taking a 30-minute nap at least five times a week can decrease the risk of heart attack by 35 percent.
5. Mountain living - Here, every trip out of the house occasions a mini workout. People get their daily exercise without thinking about it. Studies show the mountain people have lower cardio vascular disease.
6. Strong sense of community - Family and village support create strong social connections, which are proven to promote longevity.
7. Goat's milk - 80 percent of all people over 90 have consumed goat’s milk many times per week throughout their life. It is rich in blood-pressure lowering tryptophan and antibacterial compounds.
8. Ikarian diet - The Ikarian variation of Mediterranean Diet is high in vegetables, beans, and low in meat and sugar. Uniquely, though, it’s lower in grains and fish, but high in potatoes.

But then there’s a big picture: Cancer costs our country almost $250 billion per year, heart disease another approximately $500 billion and dementia yet another $175 billion. If we could live Ikaria’s lifestyle, we could, at least in theory, cut our rates in half and save ourselves and our country nearly a half a trillion dollars.

To experience the Ikaria Quest go to http://www.bluezones.com/ikaria/