Dan Buettner - The Blue Zones Kitchen

If you want to live to a healthy 100, eat like healthy people whove lived to 100. About 15 years ago, in conjunction with National Geographic, I set out to reverse-engineer a formula for longevity. Working with renowned doctors and experts Gianni Pes and Michel Poulain, I identified the places around the world where people live the longest, drawing a line around each area in blue ink. Together, we created the

concept of Blues Zones: the set of characteristics that have produced the worlds longest lived people. Their secrets can help you live a longer, better life.

In Sardinia we found the worlds longest lived men in a string of mountainous villages. On the South Pacific islands of Okinawa, we found villages that produced the worlds highest percentage of centenariansmostly women. In Ikaria, Greece, we found the Island Where People Forget to Die10,000 or so residents who not only live long lives but also suffer the worlds lowest rates of dementia. On Costa Ricas Nicoya Peninsula, we found an entire population likely to reach a healthy age of 90. And in and around Loma Linda, California, we discovered a group of Seventh-day Adventists who live up to a decade longer than other Americans.

These people dont live longer because of supplements, pills, or hocus-pocus antiaging serums. They do so because their surroundings nudge them into the right behaviors.

What does work? We found that those who live in the blue zones move naturally every 20 minutes or so. Their streets are built for humans, not cars; going to a friends house, out to eat, or to work is an opportunity for a walk. Their houses arent full of mechanical conveniences: They still do work by hand, grinding corn or kneading bread. They grow a garden.

People arent lonely, because it simply isnt an option. If after a few days people dont show up to the town festival, church, or even the village caf, someone will generally check in on them. Electronic gadgets havent yet taken over: People talk face-to-face instead of on Facebook.

Moreover, blue zones residents have a sense of purpose (the Okinawans call it ikigai, and the Nicoyans call it plan de vida). Their lives are imbued with meaning from age 10 to age 100, and their brand of purpose is not just hobbies or golf. It also includes a sense of responsibility: for their community, family, or the next generation.

And of course, blue zones inhabitants live longer because theyve eaten the right foodsand avoided the wrong onesfor most of their lives. Ninety to 100 percent of their diet consists of whole, plant-based fare. They eat this way not because they possess heroic discipline, but because fruits, vegetables, tubers, nuts, beans, and whole grains are cheap and accessible. Their kitchens are set up so its easy to make those foods; they spend time with people who eat the same way; and they possess time-honored recipes to make healthy food taste good. Taste is the most important ingredient in any longevity recipe.