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, […]
April 1, 2022
If they don’t aspire, on the whole, to accumulate great wealth or to achieve world dominance, what they do expect in terms of education, health care, social interaction, and exposure to the arts far outstrips what Americans expect. The Danish path to happiness, after all, isn’t about aspiring to scale peaks but rather about the […]
March 29, 2022
Just like with dating, making friends as an adult means putting yourself out there. A recent study found that most adults hadn’t added to their social circle in five years. So you actually have to get out of the house, and then also ask people out (as friends). Think about the things you like about […]
March 19, 2022
Okinawa is one of the world’s blue zones regions, or exceptional hot spots where people live extraordinarily long and healthy lives. I started exploring and identifying the blue zones regions of the world more than 20 years ago, and my November, 2005, National Geographic article on longevity, “The Secrets of Living Longer,” put these blue […]
March 1, 2022
The Sun Bonus Mexicans collect a small happiness bump from the sun bonus — more annual hours of sunlight than most of their neighbors to the north, and hence more vitamin D. There’s more to this than sunny clichés may suggest. “Emerging research shows that tanning prompts manufacture of endorphins that give you a feeling […]
April 9, 2022
1. What gives you a sense of purpose? Learning the wisdom of traditional people and spreading that wisdom. 2. Do you have any daily rituals? In the winter I like to eat oatmeal with nuts and cranberries for breakfast, and lately I’ve been adding a little coconut oil too. 3. What is your favorite memory? […]
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 […]
April 17, 2022
We’ve been told alternatively to not wear masks, to wear masks, to stay home, and to get out and reinvigorate the economy. Hydroxychloroquine and remdesivir both got our hopes up but now have largely fizzled. We’ve heard estimates that as many as two million Americans will die and now, with 100,000 deaths, we’ve heard we’re […]
April 21, 2022
I recently did a follow-up interview with Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH, an internationally known infectious disease epidemiologist who has advised both Democratic and Republican Presidents. He is the Director of the Center for Infectious Disease and Policy at the University of Minnesota and a recent appointee to President-elect Joe Biden’s Covid-19 Advisory Board. Here, he […]
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
