The Blue Zones: Secrets of the World's Longest-Living People
I just put down one of those books I’m adding to my list of great teachers.
The Blue Zones: 9 Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who’ve Lived the Longest
I was reminded about the Blue Zones while watching Down to Earth with Zac Efron—the Sardinia episode—on Netflix.
I then, of course, had to further research and found myself watching The Longevity Film on Amazon Prime.
To conclude my research, I picked up the book I mentioned above and read it within days. Besides the data-backed fascinating facts about longevity, Dan Buetnner’s storytelling is unparalleled.
The book is about the five Blue Zones around the world:
Okinawa, Japan
Sardinia, Italy
Ikaria, Greece
Loma Linda, California
Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica
These are the places people are living the longest, healthiest lives with fewer diseases, active lives and close circles of friends and family.
A team of researchers, scientists and journalists spent years in these blue zones trying to figure out why. This book is the result of their findings.
I can’t recommend it enough. It’s excellent.
Dan with 101 year old Costa Rican Norberta Marcena Diaz. Photo @mclain.david.
And it really got me thinking about health.
I mean, really.
For so long, healthy to me meant:
be in bed by 9pm
wake up early
take B12
chug lemon water
meditate for at least 20 minutes
chug celery juice
chug a green smoothie
keep mornings raw
avoid gluten, dairy, soy, corn, canola oil, caffeine, alcohol
hit the Peloton HARD
talk to my therapist
set boundaries
journal my feelings
buy vegan gluten-free snacks at Whole Foods
find my purpose and make it my career
detox
take zinc
chug another smoothie
be present
be present
dammit be present!
take vitamin c
drink herbal tea
be in bed by 9pm
Meanwhile, these centenarians are:
waking up when they want
drinking coffee
drinking wine (everyday)
eating lard
taking naps
chillin—so much chillin
appreciating what they have
putting family first
not “exercising”
not “detoxing”
not searching for “purpose”
definitely not trying to be healthy
This isn’t to say that my approach isn’t healthy.
But the difference between these centenarians and I is that while I try to be healthy, they just are healthy.
And that’s when it hit me. My God. I’m trying SO HARD to be healthy—am I even healthy? Am I en route to 100 long, healthy years? Honestly, at the rate I was going, that’s a no.
Reading their stories gave me one my biggest aha moments. I started to really reevaluate what healthy meant to me.
It’s like life has been asking me to relax.
Just relax.
Obsessing about health is not healthy.
And these blue zone centenarians are not obsessing about health.
They’re present—and they not trying to be present, they just are.
They’re grateful for what they have—a simple, healthy life surrounded by love.
They’re relaxed and have consistent ways of shedding stress everyday.
They’re lean and fit—not from the gym—but from the natural ways they move each day. Like walking, gardening, and bike riding.
Now, granted, these beautiful centenarians lived in a very different world, say 50, 60, 70 years ago. I believe we live in a much more toxic world.
For instance, plastic. We’re basically eating it now you guys. Plastic wasn’t really around until 1960.
Just like commercial air travel, pesticide use and GMO’s—this is sht from our lifetime that we have to deal with.
So I’m still a big proponent of eating healing foods and being mindful of the toxins we consume and how we detox.
But but but—we gotta stop obsessing and take a few pointers from our dear centenarians.
That’s what I’m doing.
Because living a long, healthy life is not what I thought it was…
Dan with 102-year-old Nicolo Quagliana. Read his 9 pearls of longevity wisdom here. (p.s: he eats pasta everyday!) Photo @danbuettner.
The Okinawan centenarians taught me about ikigai—a reason for being. Aka the dreaded “purpose” we millennial Westerners associate with career and, of course, loads of money.
We genuinely believe that unless we’re banking on our purpose, we’re not truly living it.
Okinawan centenarians are calling bullsht and showing us that ikigai may not have anything to do with income.
Kamada’s ikigai is praying for her village. Ushi connects with her ikigai during her daily chats with girlfriends. Fumiyasu finds his ikigai in his daily exercise.
You see. The everyday stuff.
Having a reason to wake up every morning gives us a simple sense of purpose that brings meaning to the everyday things we consider mundane, but really, they are FULL of purpose.
Wow. I feel so much more relaxed already.
This got me thinking about my current ikigai. Where I was once feeling soooooo purposeless without a “purpose career”, I now feel like my life is brimming with ikigai:
baking vegan goodies for my family
loving myself
traveling the world
healing my inner child
experimenting with human design
learning about food
I mean really—my life is chock-full of juicy purpose. And I know yours is, too. You just gotta stop thinking it’s related to money. It may or may not be. Either way, your life has igikai—lots of it.
Then we have the Sardinians and Ikarians drinking wine everyday—hello.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still committed to my sobriety. But you won’t hear me tell people wine is unhealthy. Whether it is or isn’t, I’m not here for that debate.
I am here, with an open mind, fully comprehending that one can live 100 long, healthy years and still moderately drink wine everyday.
Fascinating.
And these Nicoyans. Ugh. I’ve backpacked Costa Rica eight times and now I know why the Nicoya Peninsula healed me in such a powerful way.
It’s like no other place I’ve visited in Costa Rica. And to think these centenarians eat lard everyday. Everyday you guys. Lmao. Oh, how we’re getting it all wrong.
One thing Dan noticed about most homes he visited in the blue zones was that there was no processed, packaged food. The majority of them ate locally grown produce with minimal animal protein and dairy.
It’s about time we start questioning the current health and wellness industry. Because that’s exactly what it’s turned into—a capitalist industry.
Once something enters the capitalist machine, it’s profit over people. We cannot leave our health and wellness in the hands of an industry. Now it’s our job to discern and decide.
Meet Marge Jetton, 100-year-old Loma Linda, California resident, who starts each day with a mile long walk. Photo @mclain.david.
Are those packaged, processed vegan gluten-free cookies really better than the homemade regular ol’ cookies?
Is that organic cucumber from abroad really better than the conventional cucumber from the farm 20 minutes away?
Is hitting the Peloton hard for 30 minutes really better than a two mile walk?
I don’t know. I don't have a definite answer. But these are the questions I’m starting to ask myself.
My view on life, purpose, and health has been completely transformed since reading this book.
I now focus on local produce, remembering my ikigai, moving naturally everyday, spending quality time with friends and family, being present, and practicing gratitude.
Simple stuff, I know.
But in a consumerism culture driven by fear of the future and a lack mindset, it’s a daily, minute-by-minute practice.
I have no idea if I’ll live over 100 years. That’s not my ultimate goal.
Living a quality, active, VIBRANT life is the goal.
One where I’m at peace exactly where I am. Not striving, reaching, or wanting. Just being—vibrantly, graciously, humbly being. With a radical trust in Life.
Life doesn’t have to be this grand adventure full of fame, money, or fortune to inspire others.
I found more inspiration in these centenarian stories than I have in most TED Talks.
To me, these stories are life goals.
May you live a long, healthy, vibrant life full of natural movement, pure ikigai, yummy local plants and friends and family you love.
