Expert Final

 How to Reach 100

Secrets from the world’s longest-lived people

 

Last week, I celebrated my 21^st birthday. All my life I’ve been waiting to experience this rite of passage into adulthood.  Turning 21 means that I can finally use my ID to hit a bar crawl, buy expensive cocktails, or get a pilot’s license if I wanted to. So when the moment came and the bouncer looked at my eager face then down at my REAL ID and back to my face… he handed back my liscense with a “Happy Birthday!” and let me through. Immediately, I felt old. 

 

I never gave aging much thought. But as I sipped on my martini, I couldn’t help but think about the terrible hangover and back pain I was going to wake up with tomorrow. I just turned 21, but how will I make it 100?

 

Thankfully, Dan helped me answer that question. What started out as a National Geographic expedition on researching longevity led Dan Buettner to discover the Blue Zones: 5 places in the world where people consistently live over 100 years old. In this article, I’ll be going over the blue zones and the 9 takeaways from these zones so you, too, can ultimately reach 100. 

 

What are Blue Zones?

“Blue Zones” are where the world’s healthiest people live. Buettner set out on a mission to find not only the places with the highest concentrations of people over 100 years old, but also the communities with people who aged free of health issues (Buettner et Skemp). With a team of scientists, demographers, and anthropologists, they narrowed down the lifestyles and culture of the people living in these 5 zones around the world. 

 

1.     Ikaria, Greece: Famously coined “The Island Where People Forget to Die,” Ikaria lies in the Aegan Sea with its residents thriving in their isolated culture.  Aside from longevity, Ikarians also flex being nearly entirely free of dementia and other common chronic diseases (Buettner).

 

2.     Loma Linda, California: The Seventh-day Adventist church was founded here in the 1840s. This community of Adventists live “as much as a decade longer than the rest of us” (“5 ‘Blue Zones’”).

 

3.     Sardinia, Italy: The villages along the Mediteranian coast make up the home to the world’s longest-living men. These residents carry a “rare genetic quirk” known as the M26 marker which is tied to longevity (“5 ‘Blue Zones’”). Culturally and geographically isolated, the characteristics of these residents have been passed on for generations.  

 

4.     Okinawa, Japan: These southern islands of Japan house the world’s longest-living women. Here, Okinawans have less cancer, heart disease and dementia than Americans (“5 ‘Blue Zones’”). The secret to their success can be pointed to their consistent lifestyle.

 

5.     Nicoya, Costa Rica: In Central America, the people of Nicoya live a long and happy life. Nicoya is an 80-mile peninsula just south of the Nicaraguan border. Their secret lies in their positive outlook on life.

 

 

Power 9®

By researching these 5 places with the highest life expectancy, Buettner and his team connected the dots to uncover the common denominators of the world’s centenarians. Through their research, they found the nine lifestyle habits of the world’s healthiest, longest-lived people.

 

1.     Move Naturally: The environment you live in creates natural exercise.

 

Nowadays, people flaunt the number of times they go into the gym as a badge of fitness. But in these isolated locations, the concept of a ‘gym rat’ simply doesn’t exist. Instead, Blue Zone centenials maintained fit by being one with nature. For example, the Ikarians lived in mountains. This environment alone provided natural forms of exercise. The poorest Ikarians, who lived in the highlands and benefitted from day-to-day activities such as gardening or walking to their neighbors, were found to live the longest (Buettner).

 

Now I, like many, don’t have the luxury of living in the mountains or on an island, but there are still ways to implement natural exercise in your day-to-day routine without going through the mental battle of dragging yourself to the gym. Small choices, like taking the stairs over the elevator or walking to school instead of taking the shuttle, can easily be adopted to add natural movement. 

 

2.     Purpose: “Ikigai” … “plan de vida” … know your purpose.

 

Why do you wake up in the morning? Most days, I’d argue that it isn’t my choice to wake up. I usually begrudgingly wake up to my alarm, go to school, … and repeat. Purpose plays a bigger role for many of the people living in Blue Zones. Okinawans value finding an ikigai, the sense of purpose in life. Every day, they wake up with an idea of their daily responsibilities being larger than the individual. The humble fishermen find pride in their duty of providing fish for their family. Like Okinawans, Nicoyans value having a “plan de vida”. The moral behind contributing to the greater good fuels these centenarians daily.

 

Before you fall into an existential crisis or retreat into solidarity for some soul searching, finding your purpose doesn’t have to mean choosing a profession or altering your life course. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture of saving the world (unless this is your purpose… please carry on with what you’re doing), but like the fisherman finding meaning in catching fish each day, its important to take a moment to think about your actions. It is a mindset. Practicing journaling, creating goals, and being aware of your surrounding environment, are all ways to help you clarify meaning in your life.

 

3.     Down Shift: Reduce stress through routines.

 

For me, the grey hairs are enough evidence to uncover the implications of stress. At this point, the word “stress” is a part of an average student’s daily vernacular. How are you? Stressed. Each day brings a new stressor to vent about. Blue Zone habitants actively combat this lifestyle through routine. To relieve stress, Adventists of Loma Linda practice a weekly 24-hour Sabbath to focus on their belief, family, and nature (“5 ‘Blue Zones’”). This reset period allows for a portioned-out time to decompress. Okinawans take time out of each day to remember their ancestors. Ikarians also take a daily nap. 

 

Whether its praying or napping, these activities can easily be implemented in everyone’s routines. Even if you “don’t have the time,” simply following a nighttime routine or closing your eyes for a few minutes to reset, can help you destress. 

 

4.     80% Rule: “Hara hachi bu”, stop eating when you stomach is 80% full.

 

The 2500-year-old Confucian mantra, “hara hachi bu” reminds Okinawans to stop eating when their stomachs are 80% full (Kotifani). Overeating and the consequences of weight gain can induce health problems. Other people in the blue zones balance their intake by having a small meal early in the evening and not eating for the rest of the day.

 

We’ve all been victim of coming home after a late night and ordering in burgers and fries. This doesn’t mean that you need to do a juice cleanse to live longer but being aware of how much you eat and when you eat are simple tips to keep in mind.

 

5.     Plant Slant: Beans, beans, beans! 

 

Pinto or black beans? The Chipotle line is most I’ve ever interacted with beans in my diet. But for the centennials, beans are a staple to their diet. For Ikarians, they drink antioxidant herbal teas, eat a Mediterranean diet, occasionally fast, and indulge in goat’s milk. Okinawans follow a plant-based diet rich in soy, which contains flavonoids that may protect against heart diseases Adventists eat a light and early dinner supporting the biblical diet filled with mostly plants, grains, fruits, and nuts (“5 ‘Blue Zones’”).

 

What you put in your body affects your health. Shocking, I know. But leaning towards plant-based meals and throwing in some beans as well are all doable steps that contribute towards a healthy diet. 

 

6.     Wine @ 5: Drink a moderate amount of alcohol regularly.

 

I never thought I’d see the word ‘wine’ included in tips to live a long life, but “people in all blue zones (except Adventists) drink alcohol moderately and regularly” (Kotifani). Drinking wine is a common tradition for Sardinians. Their wines contain flavonoids which cleanse arteries. This moderate consumption can explain lower levels of stress in men (“5 ‘Blue Zones’”). 

 

No, this doesn’t mean your 4-day benders of binge drinking are justified. Moderation is key. 

 

7.     Belong: Be a part of a faith-based community.

 

Research shows that going to faith-based services “four times per month will add 4-14 years of life expectancy” (Kotifani). Most of the centenarians in the blue zones all believed in something together. The Loma Linda Adventist community is entirely faith-based. Being surrounded by people who support your ideologies and beliefs strengthens your community. 

 

Don’t join a church just for the sake of it. Instead, look towards building relationships in your community, and supporting each others’ beliefs.

 

8.     Loved Ones First: Put your family first.

 

In Fast and Furious, Dom Torettto once said, “You don’t turn your back on family, even when they do.” He might have been onto something, as the centenarians in the blue zones all practice putting their families first. Sardinians strongly value family, especially their elders. Elders are celebrated and are heavily involved in their families’ daily lives. This generally lowers rates of depression and stress (“5 ‘Blue Zones’”). This perpetuates the cycle of children taking care of their parents and so on.

 

 

9.     Right Tribe: Choose social circles that support good behaviors.

 

In addition to family, friendships are also beneficial in a healthy life. Okinawans follow the tradition of forming a moai, a lifelong circle of friends. This network of around five friends who are committed to one another for their lifetime, provides comfort and security into their old age (“5 ‘Blue Zones’”). Having a social network to lean on through life is important in navigating trials and tribulations. 

 

You don’t have to sign a lifelong pact to show your dedication to your friends. But friends who support good behaviors and bring happiness are those you should keep by your side while venturing through life.

 

Age is Just a Number

Life expectancy of an American born today is 76.1 years (CDC). Although the odds are against me for reaching 100, it’s less of what the number means compared to what it means to live a healthy and fulfilling life. Even people like me, who don’t live on isolated islands or dedicate their life around religion, can practice the habits of the longest living people in our own way. 

 

 

Works Cited

 

“5 ‘Blue Zones’ Where the World's Healthiest People Live.” Books, National Geographic, 3 May 2021, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/books/article/5-blue-zones-where-the-worlds-healthiest-people-live.

Buettner, Dan, and Sam Skemp. “Blue Zones: Lessons From the World's Longest Lived.” American journal of lifestyle medicine vol. 10,5 318-321. 7 Jul. 2016, doi:10.1177/1559827616637066

Buettner, Dan. “The Island Where People Forget to Die.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 24 Oct. 2012, https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/magazine/the-island-where-people-forget-to-die.html?_r=0.

Kotifani, Aislinn. “Power 9®.” Blue Zones, Blue Zones, 28 Sept. 2022, https://www.bluezones.com/2016/11/power-9/. 

“Life Expectancy in the U.S. Dropped for the Second Year in a Row in 2021.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 31 Aug. 2022, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/nchs_press_releases/2022/20220831.htm.