Take a look at the map below...
Longevity Hotspots
In 2004, Dan Buettner, a longevity expert, traveled the world on several scientific expeditions to study communities with the planet's longest-lived people. National Geographic supported these expeditions. His team included scientists, writers, video producers, and photographers. While in Italy, Dr. Michel Poulain, a Belgium demographer who had dedicated over 15 years of his life to studying pockets of long-lived peoples around the world, zeroed in on municipalities in the region of Sardinia and circled these areas with blue ink. The regions in the world with the longest-lived people would eventually be coined Blue Zones. The longest-lived people aged gracefully without advanced diseases. They were found to be active in their community while maintaining fairly good health. These are the regions that were identified as Blue Zones with the highest population of centenarians living to 100 years old or more:
Loma Linda, California
Nicoya, Costa Rica
Sardinia, Italy
Ikaria, Greece
Okinawa, Japan
Lessons from the Blue Zones
In addition to identifying the actual Blue Zones, the goal was to identify the shared characteristics that the centenarians had in common, contributing to their longevity. Over the course of ten years, Dan Buettner and his team identified nine commonalities that were eventually coined the "Power 9 Principles" and are essential lessons mentioned in his book The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest.
Move naturally
Hara Hachi Bu
Plant Slant
Grapes of Life
Purpose Now
Downshift
Belong
Loved Ones First
Right Tribe
You can say that the longest-lived people of the world live with a sense of community and belonging, a sense of purpose, eat a mostly plant-based diet, are physically active, and manage their stress appropriately.
Adopting Blue Zone Living
According to the CDC, the top leading causes of death include heart disease, cancer, and other cardiovascular diseases that may be lifestyle-related.
Today, science shows us that only about 20% of diseases can be attributed to our genes while the other 80% can be attributed to lifestyle choices.
Could our western lifestyle essentially be responsible for most of the advanced diseases and premature deaths that we see in our society? Could our living alone and/or in isolation, working long hours, sitting for long periods of time, consuming fast food/processed foods regularly, and lacking a sense of purpose be the reason many of us do not grow old gracefully?
A Podcast About Lifestyle Medicine
Welcome to the Plant-Based DFW Podcast show, a podcast about lifestyle medicine. We are Dr. Riiz and Maya, and we broadcast from the (Dallas/Fort Worth area. Each week we feature guests who are trained in this evidence-based field designed to empower and encourage you to make healthier lifestyle choices to help prevent, halt, and in some cases reverse lifestyle-related diseases that are all too prevalent.