National Geographic writer Dan Buettner and his team study “Blue Zones,” communities around the world that live longer and better than the average person. They found four geographic areas and studied them extensively to determine the underlying causes of their longevity.
In this TED presentation filmed September 2009 Buettner reveals 9 common diet and lifestyle habits that keep these communities active and strong past the age of 100:
Longevity has little value as an “end,” but it is useful as a means to an end. If part of your purpose is to be a blessing to the world you center it behooves you to take steps to enjoy vitality for as long as possible.
The day before yesterday I had the good pleasure of visiting a wellness clinic in Connecticut. Amongst the many activities that day they were filming the story of a remarkable family who had taken steps over the last year to improve their health.
Incorporating many of the suggestions outlined in Buettner’s presentation as well as specific recommendations to handle their particular needs, the family worked together, in strong agreement might I add, to be proactive relative to their health. Allergies disappeared, aches and pains went away and other patterns of ill health were clarified over time and boy are they excited to share their story!
Health is contagious. Health is inspiring. Informed choices, a radiant outlook and an active lifestyle can have a profound influence on your overall health, no matter what your starting point. As a doctor friend of mine once said, “Just because you got a bad pair of genes doesn’t mean you have to wear them.” I am inclined to agree.
I encourage you to incorporate any or all of these 9 healthy habits into your life! It is simply a matter of using your capacity of free will to form new and lasting habits.
Gregory Hake 
Some might consider health to be a choice. That is, do I want to be healthy or do I want to be unhealthy? Phrased this way, it is seemingly strange that anyone would be unhealthy.
With Love and Gratitude,
The Intentional Sage
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Health is something that is much more available than people believe. Thanks for a great post.
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Thanks for pointing out the real roots of good health.
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Move naturally, maintain the right outlook, eat wisely, belong to the right tribe – great message to get out there. Enjoyed the TED presentation – thanks!
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Wonderful stories, insights and data Mr. Buettner brought back from the blue zones. Thanks for presenting this on your blog.
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Fantastic presentation!
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Love it! Although the title is about longevity, the broader lessons here are about health and quality of life. Shows that physical and mental health are strongly intertwined.
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Thanks, Gregg – wonderful reminder of some simple practices to live healthy.
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Great to see health and longevity researched holistically to include diet, exercise, purpose, relationships, etc.
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Great talk! I think a lot of us overlook the benefits of generating “social capital” – the health and longevity advantages of community involvement, say, joining a club, knowing your neighbors, volunteering at a charity, etc.
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Things that everyone can do and afford to do, not only for a long life bur for a long life worth living.
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Food for thought for sure! “What is your ikigai?” I was struck by this question as to the “reason I wake up” each day, and also the tight social support many of the centenarians have.
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Billions are spent by the government and individuals on drugs and surgery because people eat what amounts to putting garbage in our bodies, do not exercise and are not involved in meaningful work or connections with others. This is life-serving and practical knowledge that should be taught in our homes, schools and communities. Thanks for taking on the cause!
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Did everyone notice the smiles on the faces of everyone in the pictures? More than the aspect of longevity, it seems that the quality of life is really the greatest reward.
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Phenomenal presentation! It really opened my eyes to what it means to make “healthy choices”, which I mostly attributed to diet and exercise but now I can see my healthy choices should span into my thoughts and choice of friends, for example.
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I’d love to see the piece on the family you mentioned – will it be available publicly at some point?
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Wonderful post, Gregg. Thanks for sharing!
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