Blue Zones -- The Healthiest Places on the Planet

“Life is like a ten speed bike. Most of us have gears we never use.” — Charles Schultz

Where do people live the longest, healthiest, and happiest lives on the planet? The Blue Zones.

The big idea behind the Blue Zones is that if we study the places in the world, where people live the longest, healthiest lives, then we can learn from them and replicate their success in our own lives.

10% is Our Genes, 90% is Our Life Style

Only about 10% of how long the average person lives within certain biological limits is dictated by our genes. The other 90% is dictated by our life style. The premise of Blue Zone is if we can find the optimal life style of longevity, then we can come up with an ideal formula for longevity.

It makes sense — If you want to live a longer, better life, then learn from the best examples.

What Really Helps Us Live Longer, Better Lives?

There’s a lot of confusion around what really helps us live longer, better:

Should you be running marathons or doing Yoga?
Should you eat organic meat, or should you be eating Tofu?
When it comes to supplements, should you be taking them?
Should you be taking any hormones?
Does purpose or spirituality play into longevity? How does the how we socialize impact our longevity and quality of life?

There is a lot of competing information on these topics. If you try to sort your way through, what you find is there is a mixed bag of facts, feelings, and opinions about what should work, mixed in with what actually does work. One way to cut through this is to just look at the places in the world where people actually do live longer, healthier, and happier lives, and study their success.

The Blue Zones

These are the places where people live longer, better lives. The Blue Zones are:

Okinawa, Japan
Sardinia, Italy
Loma Linda, California
Nicoya, Costa Rica
Ikaria, Greece

In Sardinia, there is an area where men live the longest in the world with the most vitality, and they have ten times more centenarians than we have in America.

In a northern part of Okinawa, we find the oldest living female population, and it’s the longest disability-free life expectancy in the world. They Live seven good years longer than average Americans. They have five times as many centenarians. They have one-fifth the rate of breast and colon cancer. They have one-sixth the rate of cardiovascular disease.

Loma Linda, California is America’s longest lived population. The average life expectancy for women in America is 80. In Loma Linda, California it’s 89. The average life expectancy for men in America is 76. In Loma Linda, it’s 87.