The concept of Blue Zones isn’t new to me, but I admit that I didn’t know much about it until a recent IIN lecture from the creator and founder, Dan Buettner.  Have you heard of the concept?  It’s pretty fascinating!

Blue Zones are designated locations in the world where people are known to live the longest.  Five of these Blue Zones have been discovered so far:

• Okinawa, Japan,
• Sardinia, Italy,
• Nicoya, Costa Rica,
• Ikaria, Greece, and
• Loma Linda, California

The idea originated with the work of Gianni Pes and Michel Poulain, who identified Sardinia as a place of extreme longevity with the most male centenarians alive.  Dan Buettner expounded on their work and went on to discover four other longevity hot spots.  He, along with a team of demographers, medical researchers, epidemiologists, and anthropologists, researched to find the common environment and lifestyle habits of the people in these Blue Zones.  Armed with the knowledge that genes only make up about 20% of how long the average person lives, they put together a list of the common lifestyle and environmental denominators.  What they found was incredibly intriguing.  In fact, I bet at least some of these habits are probably a part of our lifestyles already!

So what are the nine common lifestyle habits of people who live in Blue Zones?

SOURCE

1. Move Naturally – People in Blue Zones live in environments that encourage them to move naturally via walking, gardening, etc. without really thinking about it.  They don’t exercise in a gym.  They simply have an active lifestyle.

2. Purpose – Blue Zone inhabitants can explain the meaning of their life in one sentence.  Can you believe that knowing your sense of purpose accounts for seven extra life expectancy years?!

3. Down Shift – The people in Blue Zones experience stress just like everyone else, but they also have daily, sacred rituals that help them shed their stressors.  Things like prayer, napping, or spending time with friends are all rituals that help them stay healthy.  They also get an average of 7.5 hours of sleep at least five days per week.

4. 80% Rule – People in Blue Zones eat their smallest meal in the late afternoon or early evening, and then don’t eat again until the next day.  They also stop eating when they are 80% full, which minimizes overeating.

5. Plant Slant – Inhabitants of Blue Zones nourish themselves with a plant-rich diet.  They eat at least (more than) 4 servings of vegetables and fruit every day, with meat consumed on average only about five times per month.  Beans are a longevity staple in all five Blue Zone locations.

6. Wine @ 5 – All of the people in Blue Zones (except for the Adventists) are moderate drinkers.  They consume 1-2 drinks per day and don’t save it all up for the weekend.  Moderate drinkers outlive non-drinkers!  And as a complete aside not related to consuming alcohol, Blue Zoners also drink coffee, usually 2-3 cups per day.  Research indicates that doing so can add years to your life!

7. Belong – Just about every centenarian who was interviewed is a member of a faith-based community and attends services at least four times per month.

8. Loved Ones First – People in the Blue Zones always put their families first.  Keeping aging parents close by, being active in their children’s lives, and being committed to their spouses are all key factors.

9. Right Tribe – All Blue Zone inhabitants have at least three really good friends who they can talk to and share life with.  Having a “tribe” is incredibly important and influences overall lifestyle habits.  Especially because people tend to have similar lifestyle habits with those whom they spend the most time, these relationships have the power to shape health in really positive ways.

Are you really nailing any of these Power 9 lifestyle habits?  Or perhaps you discovered one or two habits that you might consider trying to incorporate into your lifestyle?  I know that I feel pretty good about a few of them, but I could definitely work on a few others, like the Plant Slant and the 80% Rule.  What about you?

If you are interested in calculating your own life expectancy based on Dan Buettner’s Blue Zones formula, take the quiz below.  Give yourself one point for each statement that applies to you:

• I get at least seven and a half hours of sleep at least five days a week.
• I eat at least four honest servings of fruits or vegetables every single day.
• I haven’t smoked in at least three years.
• I have never had unprotected sex with a stranger.
• I belong to a faith-based community, and I actually show up at least four times a month.
• I have at least three good friends.
• I can write on a piece of paper in one sentence my life meaning.
• I get at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day.

7 points or more – 90 years old
3–6 points – 84 years old with three years of morbidity
3 points or fewer – 76 years old with five years of morbidity

How do you feel about your results? Consider choosing one area you’d like to improve and commit to your success!