Residents of the “Blue Zones” live in very different parts of the world. Yet they have nine commonalities that lead to longer, healthier, happier lives.
The world’s longest-lived people don’t pump iron or run marathons. Instead, their environments nudge them into moving without thinking about it.
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Why do you wake up in the morning? Knowing your sense of purpose is worth up to seven years of extra life expectancy.
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Stress leads to chronic inflammation, associated with every major age-related disease. The world’s longest-lived people have routines to shed that stress.
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“Hara hachi bu” – the Okinawans say this mantra before meals as a reminder to stop eating when their stomachs are 80 percent full.
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The cornerstone of most centenarian diets? Beans. They typically eat meat—mostly pork—only five times per month.
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Moderate drinkers outlive non-drinkers, especially if they share those drinks with friends.
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Attending faith-based services four times per month – no matter the denomination – adds up to 14 years of life expectancy.
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Centenarians put their families first. They keep aging parents and grandparents nearby, commit to a life partner and invest in their children.
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The world’s longest lived people chose or were born into social circles that support healthy behaviors.
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Learn MoreOur researchers traveled the world to discover the secrets of longevity in the planet’s five “Blue Zones.” Visit Each “Blue Zone”
Travel to this tiny Aegean island to discover the secrets of residents who live eight years longer than Americans, have half the rate of heart disease and almost no dementia.
Learn MorePull off the San Bernardino freeway east of Los Angeles and you’ll encounter a community of Adventists teaching us new lessons about the power of faith, friendship and fruit.
Learn MoreVisit this Mediterranean island—home to the greatest concentration of male centenarians in the world—and you’ll discover healthy lifestyles that have not changed much since the time of Christ.
Learn MoreTouch down on these South Pacific islands and you’ll meet residents – including the world’s longest-lived women – eating three foods that could help every American live longer.
Learn MoreGrab a bike and pedal along a path on this Pacific coast peninsula and you’ll find colorful houses, exotic fruits and residents twice as likely as Americans to reach a healthy age 90. Is it something in the water?
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