The Blue Zones

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• Long life comes mostly from daily habits and surroundings, not from lucky genes
• Move naturally all day instead of relying on short bursts of hard exercise
• Eat mostly plants, stop before you are full, and keep meals slow and social
• A clear sense of purpose and a daily way to unwind protect body and mind
• Belonging to family, faith, and a close circle of friends adds years to life

In deze bit

1. Where people forget to die

   Imagine a hillside village in Sardinia where 90 year old shepherds still walk miles each day, or a Japanese island where great-grandmothers tend gardens every morning. Dan Buettner went looking for the places on earth where people live the longest and stay healthy the longest, and he found a handful of them: Sardinia in Italy, Okinawa in Japan, Loma Linda in California, the Nicoya peninsula in Costa Rica, and later the Greek island of Ikaria.

2. Move naturally, not heroically

   None of the world's longest lived people run marathons or lift weights in a gym. Instead, their days are built so that movement happens by itself.

3. Purpose and rest are medicine

   Why do you get up in the morning? Okinawans have a word for it, ikigai, and Nicoyans speak of a plan de vida.

4. Eat plants, stop at 80 percent

   The Blue Zone plate looks surprisingly similar across four continents. Beans are the star: lentils, chickpeas, black beans, soy.

5. Belonging keeps you alive

   The strongest thread running through every Blue Zone is people. Okinawans form moais, small groups of friends who commit to each other for life, sharing money in hard times and gossip in good ones.

6. Put it to work

   This week, rearrange your surroundings so that healthy choices become the default rather than a test of willpower. Take the stairs and walk the last stretch of your commute, and keep a pair of comfortable shoes by the door.