How to live to be 100

The work of National Geographic and Dan Buettner discovered 5 communities around the world where people commonly live to be over 100 years old. These communities have been named Blue Zones (1). 

The communities are spread out around the world and include:

1. Loma Linda, CA, USA
2. Nicoya, Costa Rica
3. Sardinia, Italy
4. Ikaria, Greece
5. Okinawa, Japan

“They must have great genetics…”

I know what you are thinking, they must have great genetics. That may be partially true – but it appears that lifestyle has a much larger impact on health. In fact, a study of twins shows that 80% of our life expectancy is from lifestyle and only 20% from our genetics (2). 

By looking at the common denominators in these communities they were able to find 9 commonalities in lifestyle they believe contribute to long lives in these communities. These are commonly called the Power 9. 

The Power 9 hold the secrets of how to live to be 100

1. Move naturally. Among the communities of people who live the longest in the world they participate in daily activities that cause them to move naturally. That could include growing gardens, walking the mountains as shepherds or doing household chores. 
2. Purpose. Having a clear purpose for your life can add 7 extra years to your life. 
3. Downshift. Integrate a regular routine to deal with stress in your life. There are several approaches that you can try from the communities that were studied. Prayer, remember your ancestors, take a nap, or do happy hour. 
4. 80% rule. Hara Hachi bu – “an old confucian mantra” that people from Okinawa commonly recite before meals means to eat until you are 80% full. . 
5. Plant slant. Amongst the people living to be 100 years old, a large source of protein comes from beans (black, soy, fava, lentils). They typically only eat meat about 5 times a month. 
6. Wine @ 5. A common practice amongst these communities is to drink 1 to 2 drinks of wine every day with a meal or food. The adventists that were studied didn’t drink alcohol and still had a long lifespan. 
7. Belong. Belonging to a faith based community increases longevity. 
8. Loved ones first. Committing to a partner for life can add 3 years to our life. Also, keeping family close by investing time and love in children, parents and grandparents. 
9. Right tribe. Being in a social circle that supports healthy living will increase your longevity. 

Learn more

If you want to go in more depth, you can get Dan’s book, “Blue Zones” on amazon to learn all of the details. 

Just pick one of the power 9 to focus on for the next month and then add another and another until you hit that magical 100. If you are ready to make these changes, I recommend getting baseline labs to see how these changes affect your cholesterol and blood sugar. Schedule an appointment at Blue Ocean Family Medicine to get started.  

REFERENCES:

1. Buettner D, Skemp S. Blue Zones: Lessons From the World’s Longest Lived. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2016 Jul 7;10(5):318-32. [PubMed]

2. Herskind AM, McGue M, Holm NV, Sorensen TIA, Harvlad B, Vaupel JW. The heritability of human longevity: a population-based study of 2,872 Danish twin pairs born 1870-1900. Hum Genet. 1996;96:319-323. [PubMed]

Kent J. Lofley, DO Family Medicine Physician

Dr. Kent Lofley is board certified in family medicine and osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) by the AOBFP. He has a special interest in OMT, in-office procedures, and preventative health. Dr. Lofley is a lifelong student and loves to teach others. He currently sees patients of all ages and conditions with a special interest in helping patients reach their health goals. 

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