Blue Zones

Have you heard of The Blue Zones®? They are nothing short of incredible - pockets of people around the world with the highest life expectancy, or with the highest proportions of people who reach age 100. Dan Buettner, 3-time world record holder for endurance bicycling and explorer, teamed up with National Geographic to find five Blue Zones® that met the criteria. Then Buettner and National Geographic gathered a team of medical researchers, anthropologists, demographers, and epidemiologists to search for evidence-based common denominators among all the places and found nine, they called the Power 9 Habits®. Here is an overview of each of the habits:

Power 9 Habits®

1. Move naturally - any natural movement, includes walking, low intensity activities

2. Right Outlook - connect your sense of purpose

3. Down shift - reduce stress in your life

4. 80% Rule - stop eating when you are 80% full

5. Plant Slant - eat primarily plant-based diet with small amounts of meat if you choose

6. Wine @ 5 - 1 to 2 glasses daily with friends and/or food

7. Belong - belong to a faith-based community

8. Loved Ones First - be engaged in positive relationships

9. Right Tribe - surround yourself with the right friends

How many Power 9 Habits® are you including in your life now? To extend and add even more to your life, you might want to consider adding in more of these evidence-based health habits. Find more information on the Power 9 Habits® here or at blueszones.com.