Dan Buettner and National Geographic identified 9 common lifestyle characteristics of Blue Zone
communities that promote a healthier and longer life. These characteristics are called the Power Nine
Principles.
1. Move Naturally
The world’s longest-lived people don’t pump iron, run marathons or join gyms. Instead,
they live in environments that constantly nudge them into moving without thinking about
it. They grow gardens and don’t have mechanical conveniences for house and yard work.
2. Purpose
The Okinawans call it “Ikigai” and the Nicoyans call it “plan de vida;” for both it translates
to “why I wake up in the morning.” Knowing your sense of purpose is worth up to seven
years of extra life expectancy
3. Down Shift
Even people in the Blue Zones experience stress. Stress leads to chronic inflammation,
associated with every major age-related disease. What the world’s longest-lived people
have that we don’t are routines to shed that stress. Okinawans take a few moments each
day to remember their ancestors, Adventists pray, Ikarians take a nap and Sardinians do
happy hour.
4. 80% Rule
“Hara hachi bu” – the Okinawan, 2500-year old Confucian mantra said before meals
reminds them to stop eating when their stomachs are 80 percent full. The 20% gap
between not being hungry and feeling full could be the difference between losing weight or
gaining it. People in the Blue Zones eat their smallest meal in the late afternoon or early
evening and then they don’t eat any more the rest of the day.
5. Plant Slant
Beans, including fava, black, soy and lentils, are the cornerstone of most centenarian diets.
Meat—mostly pork—is eaten on average only five times per month. Serving sizes are 3-4
oz., about the size of deck or cards.
6. Wine @ 5
People in all Blue Zones (except Adventists) drink alcohol moderately and
regularly. Moderate drinkers outlive non-drinkers. The trick is to drink 1-2 glasses per
day (preferably Sardinian Cannonau wine), with friends and/or with food. And no, you
can’t save up all weekend and have 14 drinks on Saturday.
7. Belong
All but five of the 263 centenarians we interviewed belonged to some faith-based
community. Denomination doesn’t seem to matter. Research shows that attending faithbased
services four times per month will add 4-14 years of life expectancy.
8. Loved Ones First
Successful centenarians in the Blue Zones put their families first. This means keeping aging
parents and grandparents nearby or in the home (It lowers disease and mortality rates of
children in the home too.). They commit to a life partner (which can add up to 3 years of
life expectancy) and invest in their children with time and love (They’ll be more likely to
care for you when the time comes).
9. Right Tribe
The world’s longest lived people chose–or were born into–social circles that supported
healthy behaviors, Okinawans created ”moais”–groups of five friends that committed to
each other for life. Research from the Framingham Studies shows that smoking, obesity,
happiness, and even loneliness are contagious. So the social networks of long-lived people
have favorably shaped their health behaviors.
communities that promote a healthier and longer life. These characteristics are called the Power Nine
Principles.
1. Move Naturally
The world’s longest-lived people don’t pump iron, run marathons or join gyms. Instead,
they live in environments that constantly nudge them into moving without thinking about
it. They grow gardens and don’t have mechanical conveniences for house and yard work.
2. Purpose
The Okinawans call it “Ikigai” and the Nicoyans call it “plan de vida;” for both it translates
to “why I wake up in the morning.” Knowing your sense of purpose is worth up to seven
years of extra life expectancy
3. Down Shift
Even people in the Blue Zones experience stress. Stress leads to chronic inflammation,
associated with every major age-related disease. What the world’s longest-lived people
have that we don’t are routines to shed that stress. Okinawans take a few moments each
day to remember their ancestors, Adventists pray, Ikarians take a nap and Sardinians do
happy hour.
4. 80% Rule
“Hara hachi bu” – the Okinawan, 2500-year old Confucian mantra said before meals
reminds them to stop eating when their stomachs are 80 percent full. The 20% gap
between not being hungry and feeling full could be the difference between losing weight or
gaining it. People in the Blue Zones eat their smallest meal in the late afternoon or early
evening and then they don’t eat any more the rest of the day.
5. Plant Slant
Beans, including fava, black, soy and lentils, are the cornerstone of most centenarian diets.
Meat—mostly pork—is eaten on average only five times per month. Serving sizes are 3-4
oz., about the size of deck or cards.
6. Wine @ 5
People in all Blue Zones (except Adventists) drink alcohol moderately and
regularly. Moderate drinkers outlive non-drinkers. The trick is to drink 1-2 glasses per
day (preferably Sardinian Cannonau wine), with friends and/or with food. And no, you
can’t save up all weekend and have 14 drinks on Saturday.
7. Belong
All but five of the 263 centenarians we interviewed belonged to some faith-based
community. Denomination doesn’t seem to matter. Research shows that attending faithbased
services four times per month will add 4-14 years of life expectancy.
8. Loved Ones First
Successful centenarians in the Blue Zones put their families first. This means keeping aging
parents and grandparents nearby or in the home (It lowers disease and mortality rates of
children in the home too.). They commit to a life partner (which can add up to 3 years of
life expectancy) and invest in their children with time and love (They’ll be more likely to
care for you when the time comes).
9. Right Tribe
The world’s longest lived people chose–or were born into–social circles that supported
healthy behaviors, Okinawans created ”moais”–groups of five friends that committed to
each other for life. Research from the Framingham Studies shows that smoking, obesity,
happiness, and even loneliness are contagious. So the social networks of long-lived people
have favorably shaped their health behaviors.
Solid wisdom, Gary. I like #s 1 & 9 in particular.
ReplyDelete(Tried to fix the formatting but some of it was stubbornly resistant. Moved the title to the subject line, so the archive would show it.)
From my understanding, newer research is showing that basically all alcohol consumption is harmful. "The idea that a low dose of alcohol was heart healthy likely arose from the fact that people who drink small amounts tend to have other healthy habits, such as exercising, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and not smoking." (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/13/well/mind/alcohol-health-effects.html)
ReplyDeleteThis suggests to me that maybe the low alcohol consumption could also imply family dinners and other pro-social activities. It's interesting to consider that some 'vices' or 'bad habits' can be conducive to a happy life. Drinking in moderation possibly being pro-social enough to counter some of the long term effects of its toxicity. I wouldn't base my consumption off that idea though!
I'm finding plenty of palatable alcohol-free drinks crowding the grocery shelves, that I'd never have discovered if I kept up my beer-with-dinner habit. Especially the apple cider vinegar-based libations.
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