April 23, 2022
It starts with food choices. Most of the blue zones residents I’ve come to know have easy access to locally sourced fruits and vegetables—largely pesticide-free and organically raised. If not growing these food items in their own gardens, they have found places where they can purchase them, and more affordably than processed alternatives. They have […]
April 19, 2022
Now, Marta Zaraska, in her powerful new book, Growing Young: How Friendship, Optimism, and Kindness Can Help You Live to 100, unpacks these “soft drivers” of health, showing us why they are more important than the marketer’s panacea, diet-and-exercise. I interviewed Marta from her home in Paris (from Santa Barbara). I found her answers enlightening. […]
April 11, 2022
A few weeks ago, while delivering a speech in Monterrey, Mexico, a researcher leaned over to me and said coyly, “With all the travel you do, your life sounds just as stressful as anyone else’s. Aren’t you supposed to be Mr. Blue Zones?” The answer is no, actually. I am able to keep a relatively […]
March 23, 2022
Several longevity hotspots surfaced through my expeditions — the Barbagia region of Sardinia, Italy; Ikaria, Greece; Okinawa, Japan; the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica; and Loma Linda, California. People in these blue zones regions not just live longer, but they live better. Besides having a large number of centenarians, people in these areas remain active […]
March 11, 2022
Instead of focusing on an outcome like “lose 20 pounds” or “exercise every day,” focus on acquiring life-enhancing new habits. We are creatures of habit and products of our surroundings, so optimizing our environments and routines will yield a much higher rate of success. Don’t try all of the things below at one time. Choose […]
March 9, 2022
Eat a lean, plant-based diet accented with meat. The classic Sardinian diet consists of whole-grain bread, beans, garden vegetables, fruits, and, in some parts of the island, mastic oil. Sardinians also traditionally eat pecorino cheese made from grass-fed sheep, whose cheese is high in omega-3 fatty acids. Meat is largely reserved for Sundays and special […]
March 7, 2022
Embrace an Ikigai Older Okinawans can readily articulate the reason they get up in the morning. Their purpose-imbued lives gives them clear roles of responsibility and feelings of being needed well into their 100s. Rely on a Plant-Based Diet Older Okinawans have eaten a plant-based diet most of their lives. Their meals of stir-fried vegetables, […]
March 6, 2022
Perhaps when it comes to policy, maximizing freedom does not maximize collective happiness. In Singapore, at least, a system has emerged that provides an almost comforting degree of certainty to its citizens: Here are the rules. Follow them. Work hard and you will succeed. Pursuing the good life may indeed provide some real, if fleeting, […]
March 5, 2022
Find a sanctuary in time. A weekly break from the rigors of daily life, the 24-hour Sabbath provides a time to focus on family, God, camaraderie, and nature. Adventists claim this relieves their stress, strengthens social networks, and provides consistent exercise. Maintain a healthy body mass index (BMI). Adventists with healthy BMIs (meaning they have […]
The Blue Zones Kitchen fuses scientific reporting, National Geographic photography and 100 recipes that may help you live to 100. The Blue Zones’ food tradition is going the way of the dodo bird, thanks to the encroachment of the American Food Culture.
The Blue Zones Kitchen
