01-05-2025
Expert shares nine habits of people who live to 100
There are five regions globally where people tend to outlive the rest of us, and these areas have been dubbed 'blue zones'. Explorer Dan Buettner and his team of scientists identified these longevity hotspots.
Their mission was to find communities worldwide where people not only lived longer but also enjoyed a high quality of life in their twilight years. They pinpointed five such regions: Sardinia in Italy, Loma Linda in the US, Ikaria in Greece, Nicoya in Costa Rica, and Okinawa in Japan.
Despite being scattered across different continents, the inhabitants of these regions share traits that contribute to their long and fulfilling lives. Buettner firmly believes that their secret to longevity lies in their lifestyle choices and dietary habits, leading him to compile a list of common factors found across these five communities, , reports Surrey Live.
Here are Dan's top 9 tips for a longer life.
Buettner noted that the world's longest-living individuals don't "pump iron, run marathons, or join gyms". Instead, they reside in environments that promote daily physical activity, such as maintaining gardens and performing household chores manually rather than using machines.
According to Buettner, this can add up to seven years to your life expectancy.
While we all grapple with stress, those who clock up the most birthdays have routines to "shake off" the tension. For example, Ikarians catch forty winks, Sardinians enjoy a tipple during happy hour, and Loma Linda's Adventists turn to prayer.
This is key as stress can trigger chronic inflammation.
Folks residing in regions boasting the highest life expectancies typically tuck into their smallest meal in the late afternoon or evening, and then don't raid the fridge again that day. Okinawans live by the mantra 'hara hachi bu', which translates to halting your munching when your belly is 80% full.
According to Buettner, this "could be the difference between losing weight or gaining it,".
For the majority of centenarians, their plates are piled high with beans, while meat only makes an appearance about five times per month.
Apart from the Adventists, folks in the other Blue Zones enjoy a moderate and regular tipple. The secret, Buettner reckons, is to savour one-to-two glasses of vino daily with mates and meals.
Over in Sardinia, they sip on Cannonau wine, known for its flavonoid content that packs an antioxidant punch.
Studies have revealed that showing up at faith-based gatherings four times a month can tack on an extra four to 14 years to your lifespan. It's no fluke that all but five of the 263 centenarians interviewed by Buettner and his crew were part of a religious community.
Folks who enjoy longer lifespans often put families at the centre of their lives, with grandparents and parents living close by or even under the same roof. People in these communities make a dedicated commitment to their life partners and pour "invest in their children with time and love" into their family life.
Individuals blessed with longevity tend to surround themselves with friends who encourage good health habits, vital because studies have proven that behaviours like smoking, obesity, happiness, and loneliness can actually spread through social groups.
