The five secrets to live long and healthy lives
Key lessons from the planets longest lived people living in the so-called Blue Zones
How to stay young and healthy has been a quest for mankind for a long time. When Juan Ponce de León landed on the coast of Florida April 2nd, 1513, he was searching for the Fountain of Youth. And the quest has continued up until today, where so-called experts and commercials promise the magic source of a long and healthy life – whether it comes disguised as a pill, diet, or something else.
And yes, we do all get older. It is part of being human. Aging begins at birth and continues throughout our lives until we die. It is – still – the only inevitable fact of life. So, the question might not be how we defeat death, but how we make sure to live active, fulfilling, and healthy lives. A relatively big question.
Luckily, this has been the focus for National Geographic’s longevity expert Dan Buettner who has traveled the world to meet the planet’s longest-lived people in unique communities called Blue Zones. These communities stand out in terms of not only the high percentage of centenaries, but also how long these unique individuals live active and fulfilling lives.
Research have revealed five Blue Zones around the world, as accounted for in detail in his book “The Blue Zones”. Specifically, the zones are Sardinia, Italy; Loma Linda, California; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece and Okinawa, Japan.
I will not dwell on the fantastic stories about these unique people living life at its fullest. That deserves more space – so really recommend you read the book.
What I will do instead is offer my key take-aways and how to implement some of the secrets in your everyday life. In his research, Dan Buettner has developed nine lessons from the Blue Zones, which he labels cross-cultural distillation of the world’s best practices in health and longevity.
I have picked the 5 elements, which stood out to me as the key pillars, that I am actively trying to implement in my life. It is not easy, and creating new habits take time. However, I truly believe there is so much wisdom to be found among the centenaries’ way of life.
1. Ikigai
Have a purpose in life. Okinawans calls it ikigai and Nicoyans call it plan de vida. You do not have to save the planet or become the next Warren Buffet. But you do have to have a personal mission statement guiding you to get up in the morning every day. E.g. the farmer in the mountains of Sardinia walks the same path that he has done for the past 60 years guiding his sheep – and takes in the view of the surrounding hills every morning, as this is his call in life, and enabling him to provide for his family. Nothing more, nothing less.
Ikigai means “reason for being”. It does not mean that you should only be doing what you love. That is not how the world works. However, you should point your attention to what you love to do, and try to mix it up with what the world needs; what you are good at and what you can be paid for.
How am I implementing this? I am still working on this one. I truly love to help other people grow, which is why I am working as a consultant and coach. Not everything I have a passion for translate to something the world needs, let alone something I can be paid for. But that is ok. As long as I can mix it up and feel that every new day is part of my own Ikigai.
The question you should be asking: Why do you get up in the morning?
2. Slow down
In our times it is easy to get distracted. Blue Zones people don’t care about the number of likes on social media; they don’t have Netflix and HBO subscriptions to fight over their sleep, and they honestly couldn’t care less about measuring their successes in life based on “external” indicators such as money, possessions or titles. However, what they do care about is being present here and now and building and nurturing strong relationships. Often, they belong to a religious community (like the Seventh-day Adventists in California - the Ikarians are traditionally Greek Orthodox). It does not matter if you are Jewish, Hindu or whatever. What matters is that you have faith and thus involved in a community.
How am I implementing this? I have learned that you can disable notifications on your mobile phone; turn off the ringtone and physically put it away during the day or in the evening. I am still active on social media although I have significantly reduced how much time I use. But hey, sometimes I really miss the first mobile phone I received when I started working – the Nokia 6310. It was amazing when I got it – and unless you got addicted to “snake” (the infamous Nokia game), it was difficult to waste time with this phone.
The question you should be asking: How can you reduce the noise in your life?
3. Hara Hachi Bu
If you are lucky enough to eat with Okinawan elders, you will probably hear them intone this Confucian-inspired adage before eating hara hachi bu. I.e. stop eating when your stomachs is 80 percent full. In short, eat less and preferably early in the day. And yes, a lot of the Okinawans eat mostly a plant-based diet having a least two vegetables at each meal. Fruits and nuts are the go-to snack. When friends meet in Okinawa, they share a glass of sake. When friends meet in Sardinia, it is a glass of local red wine. However, the secrets of the Blue Zones suggest that consistency and moderation are key.
How am I implementing this? We are trying to reduce how much meat we are consuming in our house. We like meat and will properly continue to eat meats until we grow old. But we are changing our habits slowly, buying less but organic meat. Still, this is a baby step, but a step in the right direction.
The question you should be asking: What would you like to see more of/less in your life?
4. Have fun. Keep moving
Longevity all-stars do not run marathons or compete in triathlons. Instead they engage in regular, low intensity physical activity, often as part of their daily routines. It is not uncommon to see them walk to the neighboring town to visit an old friend through a mountainous path.
How am I implementing this? Well, this one has taken me about 15 years to figure out. For a long time, I was dependent on having a car for my work (or so I thought). But 5 years ago, my wife was changing job and had a longer commute to work than I had. So would make sense that she got the car. Instead I got a new bicycle and a new waterproof jacket. Since then, I have been cycling to work. It is not something that will make me win the Tour de France, but basically means that I get five hours for “free” exercise in a normal week.
The question you should be asking: Is there a way to make your lifestyle more active?
5. Right tribe
Social connectedness is integrated into the world’s Blue Zones. Okinawans have moais, i.e. groups of people who stick together. Sardinians finish their day at the local bar and so on. Yes, families stand out as social networks important in all Blue Zones, but that is all. Most people in the Blue Zones have very strong social ties to different groups.
How am I implementing this? I do not have a short list of people that I have star marked. However, I do try to optimize my time with people giving me energy – and minimize time with people taking energy. I have learned the hard way that I – and only I – am responsible for how I choose to spend my time and the people I hang out with.
The question you should be asking: Who is in your inner circle and do you spend enough time with them?
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Final note on Blue Zones. It is not a competition about who can get the oldest. The key thing is how to make the most out of your life with the cards you have been dealt. It is about appreciating the here and now and making the most out of life while having fun. There is no rehearsal. This is it.