‘Blue Zones’ provide guide to living longer, healthier life

ABC News

10 Dec 202106:30

Summary

TLDRDan Buettner, a New York Times best-selling author and founder of Blue Zones, discusses his book 'The Blue Zone Challenge' in this interview. He explains the concept of Blue Zones, regions known for the longest-lived people, such as Sardinia, Italy, and Okinawa, Japan. Buettner outlines key lifestyle habits that contribute to longevity, like plant-based diets, stress-reducing rituals, and community involvement. He emphasizes that longevity is not about discipline or self-control, but about shaping environments that naturally promote healthier choices, and he offers a four-week guide to help people achieve long-term well-being.

Takeaways

🌍 The concept of 'Blue Zones' refers to areas around the world where people live the longest, including Sardinia (Italy), Okinawa (Japan), Ikaria (Greece), Nicoya Peninsula (Costa Rica), and the Seventh-day Adventist community in the U.S.
🧬 Only 20% of longevity is dictated by genetics; the other 80% comes from lifestyle, environment, and habits.
🥗 People in Blue Zones primarily follow a whole food, plant-based diet, with 65% of their intake coming from complex carbohydrates.
🚶‍♂️ Regular movement is naturally integrated into daily life in these regions, often through activities like walking, gardening, and manual work.
🧘‍♀️ Stress management is key: Blue Zone residents have daily rituals to downshift, like remembering ancestors (Okinawa), napping (Greece), and prayer (Seventh-day Adventists).
🍷 Socializing and connection are crucial, with traditions like 'happy hour' in Sardinia fostering a sense of community and relaxation.
👫 The immediate social circle significantly impacts health: If your friends have healthy habits, you're more likely to adopt them as well.
💪 Successful long-term health changes are more about shaping your environment than relying on self-control or discipline.
📅 The Blue Zone Challenge is a four-week guide that helps people engineer their surroundings to naturally promote healthier choices without needing willpower.
🎯 Long-term, sustainable health improvements require creating environments that make the healthy choice the easy and automatic one.

Q & A

Who is Dan Buettner?
-Dan Buettner is a New York Times best-selling author and the founder of Blue Zones, an organization focused on providing people with tools to live longer, healthier, and happier lives.
What is the main purpose of Buettner's book 'The Blue Zone Challenge'?
-'The Blue Zone Challenge' provides a four-week guide to help people live longer, healthier lives based on habits and environments from the world's longest-lived communities.
What are 'Blue Zones'?
-Blue Zones are regions identified through a National Geographic project where people live significantly longer lives. These regions include Sardinia (Italy), Okinawa (Japan), Ikaria (Greece), Nicoya Peninsula (Costa Rica), and among Seventh-day Adventists in the United States.
What percentage of longevity is determined by genetics, according to Buettner?
-Only 20% of longevity is dictated by genetics, while the other 80% is influenced by lifestyle and environment.
What common habits do people in Blue Zones share that contribute to their longevity?
-People in Blue Zones live in environments that encourage regular movement, have sacred rituals to reduce stress, eat primarily whole food, plant-based diets, and have strong social circles that support healthy living.
How does diet in Blue Zones differ from the standard American diet?
-In Blue Zones, about 65% of dietary intake comes from complex carbohydrates, mainly from whole plant-based foods. This diet can extend life expectancy by about six years compared to the standard American diet, which is higher in processed foods.
What rituals help reduce stress in Blue Zones?
-In Okinawa, people remember their ancestors daily, in Costa Rica and Greece, napping is common, and among Adventists, prayer is used to manage stress.
Why does Buettner believe diets fail to create lasting change?
-Buettner argues that no diet has worked for more than 3% of people after two years. Instead of relying on willpower and self-control, he advocates for shaping environments to make the healthy choice the easy choice.
What role do social circles play in achieving longevity, according to Buettner?
-Buettner emphasizes that the people you spend time with influence your habits. If your closest friends are healthy and active, you are more likely to adopt similar habits, which can improve long-term health.
What is Buettner’s advice for people seeking long-term change for a healthier life?
-Instead of focusing on self-discipline or trying to change behavior, Buettner suggests shaping your environment and social circle to support healthier choices automatically.

Outlines

00:00

🎤 Interview with Dan Buettner: Founder of Blue Zones

Dan Buettner, New York Times best-selling author and founder of Blue Zones, joins the show from Miami to discuss his new book, *The Blue Zone Challenge*. This book offers a four-week guide aimed at helping people live longer, healthier lives. The guide is based on insights from Blue Zones, regions around the world where people live significantly longer lives. Buettner explains that only 20% of longevity is determined by genes, while 80% is influenced by lifestyle factors, which he and his team have studied in various locations including Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Ikaria, Greece; the Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica; and among Seventh-day Adventists in the U.S.

05:01

🌍 Common Habits of Long-Lived People

Buettner shares key findings from his research into Blue Zones, emphasizing that the inhabitants of these regions do not suffer from common diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Their lifestyle promotes movement every 20 minutes, as they live in walkable communities, have gardens, and perform daily tasks manually. Additionally, 65% of their diet consists of complex carbohydrates, mostly from whole, plant-based foods. He highlights that following this diet can add about six years to life expectancy compared to the standard American diet.

💆 Rituals and Stress Reduction in Blue Zones

Buettner dives deeper into the daily rituals practiced in Blue Zones that help reduce stress, which in turn lowers inflammation—a key factor in aging-related diseases. He explains that in Okinawa, people honor their ancestors, while in Costa Rica and Greece, taking naps is common. These practices are associated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease. In Sardinia, happy hour gatherings provide a way to unwind, and among the Adventists, daily prayers serve as a form of meditation.

📊 What Makes Blue Zones Unique

Buettner explains that Blue Zones inhabitants share similar genes and levels of discipline as the rest of the world, but what sets them apart is their environment, which naturally promotes healthier living. He notes that in Blue Zones, the healthiest food is often the cheapest and most accessible. This contrasts with the challenge many face in other parts of the world, where unhealthy food options are more readily available. Buettner also highlights that diets, particularly New Year's resolutions, tend to fail in the long term for most people, whereas in Blue Zones, healthy living is part of the natural environment.

👥 The Importance of Social Circles in Longevity

Buettner emphasizes that one of the most powerful factors in achieving longevity is curating a healthy social circle. He explains that the behavior of the people we spend the most time with has a significant impact on our own health habits. By surrounding ourselves with friends who enjoy physical activities and eat plant-based diets, we can improve our chances of living healthier and longer lives. He advises shaping our surroundings rather than relying on self-control to make lasting changes.

🚶 Long-Term Lifestyle Changes for a Healthier Life

Buettner wraps up the conversation by stressing that there is no quick fix to living longer—no pill, supplement, or superfood will add years to life unless it becomes a long-term habit. The *Blue Zone Challenge* provides a four-week guide to help individuals gradually reshape their surroundings and social environment in ways that promote healthier choices. He reinforces the idea that long-term change requires adjusting our environment rather than relying on willpower, especially as people prepare to make New Year’s resolutions.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Blue Zones

Blue Zones are regions in the world where people live significantly longer and healthier lives. In the video, Dan Buettner mentions these areas include Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Ikaria, Greece; Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica; and a group of Seventh-day Adventists in the United States. The concept is central to the discussion on longevity and health, as these regions serve as models for lifestyle habits that promote longer life expectancy.

💡Longevity

Longevity refers to living a long life. In the context of the video, Buettner emphasizes that longevity is only 20% determined by genetics, with the remaining 80% influenced by lifestyle factors. He identifies common traits of people in Blue Zones who have achieved longer life spans, connecting longevity to healthy environments, social connections, and dietary habits.

💡Power of Nine

The 'Power of Nine' refers to nine habits or practices that Dan Buettner found to be common among people living in Blue Zones. These habits include regular physical activity, plant-based diets, strong social connections, and stress-reduction rituals. They are integral to the theme of the video, as Buettner suggests these habits contribute to the longevity and health of people in these regions.

💡Environment

Environment in the video refers to the physical and social surroundings that influence people's health behaviors. Buettner highlights that people in Blue Zones live in environments that naturally promote movement, healthy eating, and stress reduction. He contrasts this with the environments in most Western societies, where unhealthy choices are more easily accessible, emphasizing the importance of shaping one's environment to support healthy living.

💡Complex Carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates, which include whole grains, vegetables, and legumes, are a major part of the diet in Blue Zones. Buettner mentions that 65% of the dietary intake in these regions consists of complex carbohydrates, which are associated with reduced risk of diseases like diabetes and heart disease. This contrasts with the typical Western diet, which is often high in processed foods.

💡Stress Reduction

Stress reduction is a key factor in longevity, as described in the video. Buettner explains that chronic stress can lead to inflammation, which is linked to age-related diseases. In Blue Zones, people practice rituals like napping, prayer, and ancestor remembrance to manage stress. These daily habits are presented as critical components of a long and healthy life.

💡Social Circle

Social circle refers to the group of close friends and family that people interact with regularly. Buettner stresses the importance of surrounding oneself with people who have healthy habits, as this can significantly influence one’s own health and longevity. In the video, he notes that if your closest friends are unhealthy, there is a much higher chance that you will adopt similar habits, making it essential to curate a supportive and health-conscious social circle.

💡Plant-Based Diet

A plant-based diet, which is rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, is a common trait among people in Blue Zones. Buettner highlights that this diet is associated with lower rates of chronic diseases and longer life expectancy. He contrasts it with the Standard American Diet, which is high in processed foods, and explains how eating primarily plant-based can add years to one’s life.

💡Movement

Movement in the video refers to the regular physical activity that people in Blue Zones engage in as part of their daily lives. Unlike structured exercise routines, these individuals live in environments that naturally encourage them to move every 20 minutes or so. This includes walking, gardening, and doing household tasks, which collectively contribute to their physical health and longevity.

💡Purpose

Purpose refers to having a sense of meaning and direction in life, which Buettner describes as an important factor in longevity. In Blue Zones, people have a clear sense of purpose, which has been linked to better mental and physical health. Buettner encourages individuals to find purpose in their own lives, as this can help promote well-being and extend life expectancy.

Highlights

Dan Buettner is the founder of Blue Zones, an organization providing tools for living longer, healthier, and happier lives.

Blue Zones were identified as the statistically longest-lived places, including Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Ikaria, Greece; Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica; and a Seventh-day Adventist community in the U.S.

The Blue Zones study found that only 20% of how long we live is dictated by genetics, while 80% is influenced by lifestyle factors.

Common habits in Blue Zones include being in environments that naturally encourage movement, such as walkable communities and gardening.

The diet in these zones consists mainly of whole food, plant-based items, with 65% of their dietary intake coming from complex carbohydrates.

Practicing sacred daily rituals to reduce stress is a commonality in Blue Zones, helping reduce the inflammation that causes many age-related diseases.

In Okinawa, Japan, people practice ancestor remembrance as a way to manage stress, while in Costa Rica and Greece, taking daily naps is a common practice.

The Blue Zones study suggests that taking a nap five days a week is linked to a one-third lower rate of cardiovascular disease.

The Adventists in the U.S. engage in prayer as a form of meditation, while Sardinians use happy hour for social relaxation.

The key difference between Blue Zones and other regions is their environments, which make healthy choices the easy choices.

No diet has successfully worked for more than 3% of people after two years, emphasizing the importance of shaping one's environment for long-term health.

In the Blue Zone Challenge, Dan Buettner suggests focusing on curating one's social circle to include friends who encourage healthy habits.

Research shows that if your three closest friends are unhealthy or overweight, you're 150% more likely to be unhealthy yourself.

Longevity is achieved through long-term lifestyle changes, not quick fixes, supplements, or superfoods.

The Blue Zone Challenge provides a four-week guide to help individuals engineer their surroundings for unconscious healthy choices.