Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zone show
I really enjoyed the Netflix documentary series as author Dan Buettner takes us on a tour of the Blue zones around the world like rural Okinawa, Sardinia, Ikaria Greece, Costa Rica, even Loma Linda in California among other places. Blue zones are defined as places where many people are able to live past 100 years of age.
Yes, some of these blue zones have been discredited due to some of the long lives recorded being seen as fraud by relatives collecting the pensions of the deceased (my guess is specifically in Italy and Greece). Still plenty of stuff to learn here regardless.
In Buettner’s words:
“Remarkably they all share the same common denominators. They all follow the same formula that produces the longest-lived people on the planet. These people live to 100 at the highest rates in the world. They’re living vibrant, active, happy lives, and perhaps the biggest take away is they live longer without trying. And their secrets could help every single one of us to get every good year we can get out of this body of ours.”
Some things I learned is that diet really matters. In Okinawa, they have more purple sweet potatoes in their diet because they are rich in carbs (good ones), fiber and plenty of antioxidants, more than blueberries (Blueberries are awesome btw & you should eat more of them). They have lots of legumes which are supposedly quite good for the body. Beans and legumes are good sources of a wide variety of fiber which keep inflammation in check and also good for your immune system.
If you like bread like I do, then have sourdough which is better for you. Carbohydrates are fine if they are prepared right. Basically eat more beans, legumes, nuts, vegetables and fruits. Also use local grown (not store bought) raw honey for sweeteners instead of sugar.
Also Okinawan tofu is special because it has a higher concentration of good fat and protein compared to tofu elsewhere. Smaller diets a day of 2000 calories versus say 4000 calories in the USA because their foods are nutritionally dense unlike the crap we have. And they only eat to 80% full, so they aren’t totally stuffed. I should follow this but I love food too much.
The other key piece is that they are active. Strong core bodies, lower bodies and strong balance. They do gardening which keeps them busy. 1–2 hours a day of low intensity activity with a wide range of motion. Basic exercise. In Sardinia they correlated longevity to steepness of the villages of the blue zones. Basically, people walk everywhere and have active lives. They exercise regularly without knowing they are exercising.
Building muscle mass when you are younger helps with everything in your health. Have you noticed how fit and clear minded both Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sly Stallone are at 77 and 78 respectively.
Community also seems to matter. In Okinawa, there is the Moai where a bunch of people pool their money together so if something happens, there is cash to help them. But it turns into a community of friends who help each other. They sing, they dance together and talk over tea regularly. This phenomenon is the same in Greece and Sardinia where older people know everyone in their community. There are no retirement homes there and centenarians are respected for their wisdom, taken care of and surrounded by their family and extended family. As 101 year old Umeta-san said: “Laughter brings longevity.”
This is in contrast to the US or Canada where there is a loneliness epidemic. Human connection is important. This was what wrecked so many of us in 2020. Unfortunately many people did not come out of that isolation from the covid pandemic lockdowns until this last year. And it shows. People are not surprisingly very weird and angry these days, we see it in everyday life and especially online.
And according to Dan Buettner, “loneliness can cost up to 15 years of life expectancy. Think about that. 15 years! There is no pill, no supplement, no blockbuster drug that could give us anywhere near 15 years.” So make some friends and get out there. Even for an introvert like me as much as I enjoy my books, podcasts and internet time, in 2020 isolation, it was only through the regular bi-weekly calls with my masterminds and crew, and that trip to Georgia that kept me sane.
After going through terrible situations in World War 2, many of them understand how valuable life is. And they don’t take it for granted unlike the spoiled and entitled people in the West. I liked how Okinawans lived with purpose. They have a very clear WHY. Ikigai: which in the show is defined as “a kind of mission. A sense of purpose. I think Ikigai is the main factor of the spiritual health of centenarians. If we lose ikigai, we will die.”
Apparently Okinawans do not have a word for retirement. They never stop working. Work is purpose and a puzzle. It keeps your mind engaged and active. This is why I’m lucky to stumble upon investing. It’s something I can keep doing for a long time. It is something I’ll do till the end of my life if I can. Something I’ve said many times.
Or for the Adventists at Loma Linda as part of their religion, they volunteer. “Volunteering is a very counterintuitive route to health, but we know people who volunteer have better memories, better social connections. They even report higher levels of happiness. If you think, it always involves some physical activity, involves some sense of meaning because you’re focusing on somebody else other than just yourself.”
So many great lessons to improve your life and life longevity. It’s not just about living longer but living well.
