TODAY Show: Staying Healthy and Connected in the Age of Social Distancing

The Blue Zones Diet, in addition to human connection and a knack for weathering the storms of life, can help us all live longer, better—particularly in the age of physical distancing. “Every longevity culture in the world suffered periods of hardships. They went through wars, famines, the same sorts of stresses that we’re suffering right now, and that’s a lesson for all of us,” Blue Zones Founder Dan Buettner said in his NBC TODAY Show interview with Cynthia McFadden.

Amidst the hardships, this time has given us an opportunity to relearn the art of home cooking. The longest-lived people in the world find joy and purpose in gardening, cooking, and sharing family meals together (even if you have to Zoom everyone in—it counts!). Dan Buettner recorded the recipes and stories of these extraordinary people in his cookbook The Blue Zones Kitchen. 

No matter where people lived, whether in the mountains of Ikaria or the suburbs of Loma Linda, Buettner found that each one had four main foods in their longevity diets:

1. Beans
2. Greens
3. Whole grains
4. Nuts

And while what they ate was important, it was also who they had around the table.