The Choices You Make

We all want to live a long life, but few of us are prepared to put in the effort required to accomplish it. Being focused on developing healthy habits has never been easy for anyone, because making healthy choices is rarely our default setting, but with enough work, you can succeed. When healthy habits become part of your routine in your daily life, they are really beneficial.

According to the Danish Twin Study, genes account for only around 20% of how long the average person lives, with lifestyle and environment accounting for the other 80%.¹ This demonstrates that your actions will have a significant impact on how long you live. So, if no one in your family has survived to 100 years, don’t worry; you have the opportunity to break that record to some extent.

Let’s have a look at the various places where people are known to enjoy long, healthy lives.

Explore Blue Zone Areas

The phrase ‘Blue Zone’ was coined simply because the authors used a blue pen on a map to indicate villages with long-lived populations, and it has since become a general term given to communities in similar geographical areas with outstanding longevity.²

In social science, the term ‘Blue Zone’ refers to parts of the world where people live longer and healthier lives than the average.²

Regions known as Blue Zones

1. Okinawa in Japan
2. Sardinia in Italy
3. Yhe Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica
4. Ikaria in Greece
5. Loma Linda in California, USA.

9 Evidence-Based Common Denominators Among the Regions

Walking

The world’s longest-lived people do not exercise, run marathons, or join gyms; instead, they live in circumstances that continually urge them to move without thinking about it. They cultivate gardens and do not use automated conveniences for house and yard chores.

Having a Purpose

The Okinawans name it Ikigai, while the Nicoyans call it plan de vida; both mean “why I wake up in the morning.” Knowing your sense of purpose can increase your life expectancy by up to seven years.

Stress Mechanism

Even those in the Blue Zones feel stress. Stress causes chronic inflammation, which is linked to all major age-related diseases. The world’s longest-lived people have procedures for dealing with stress that others do not. Okinawans remember their ancestors every day; Adventists pray; Ikarians slumber, while Sardinians celebrate happy hour.

80% Rule

Hara hachi bu—the Okinawan 2500-year-old Confucian mantra recited before meals—reminds them to stop eating when their stomachs reach 80% capacity. The 20% difference between not being hungry and feeling full could make the difference between losing or gaining weight. People in the Blue Zones have their smallest meal in the late afternoon or early evening, following which they do not eat again for the remainder of the day.

Food

Most centenarian diets rely heavily on beans, including fava, black, soy, and lentils. Meat, primarily pork, is consumed only 5 times a month. Serving sizes range from 3 to 4 ounces, which is roughly the size of a deck of cards.

A Sip of Wine

People in all Blue Zones (excluding Adventists) consume alcohol moderately and regularly. Moderate drinkers outlive non-drinkers. The secret is to drink one to two glasses of Sardinian Cannonau wine per day, especially with companions and/or food. And, no, you cannot save all week to have 14 beers on Saturday.

What do You Believe in?

Belong. All but 5 of the 263 centenarians interviewed belonged to some faith-based community. Denomination does not seem to matter. Research shows that attending faith-based services 4 times per month will add 4 to 14 years of life expectancy.

Family

Loved ones came first. Successful centenarians in the Blue Zones prioritize their families. This involves keeping aging parents and grandparents close by or at home. They commit to a life partner (which can increase their life expectancy by up to three years) and give their children time and love. (They are more likely to care for their aged parents when the time comes.)³

Social Circle

The world’s longest-living population chose—or were born into—social circles that fostered healthy behaviors. Okinawans formed moais, groups of five friends who pledged to each other for life. The Framingham Studies2 shown that smoking, obesity, happiness, and even loneliness are contagious. As a result, the social networks of the elderly have had a positive impact on their health practices.

Using these principles, you can determine what you want to add or delete from your life in order to live a long life into your early 90s free of chronic ailments.³

References

1. Herskind AM, McGue M, Holm NV, Sørensen TI, Harvald B, Vaupel JW. The heritability of human longevity: a population-based study of 2872 Danish twin pairs born 1870-1900. Hum Genet. 1996 Mar;97(3):319-23. doi: 10.1007/BF02185763. PMID: 8786073.
2. What Are Blue Zones? www.age.mpg.de/what-are-blue-zones.
3. Buettner D, Skemp S. Blue Zones: Lessons From the World’s Longest Lived. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2016 Jul 7;10(5):318-321. doi: 10.1177/1559827616637066. PMID: 30202288; PMCID: PMC6125071.