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How to Live Forever - Lessons from the Blue Zone
Apr 05, 2019
I recently returned from a weeklong trip to the island of Ikaria, Greece. Ikaria is known to be home to an unusual number of centenarians and has been designated as one of five "Blue Zones" in the world. This post will launch a mini-series focused on the Blue Zone way of life and how we can apply the principles to increase both our quantity and quality of life. In this first post, I provide a review of the Blue Zone book and offer my initial observations from my experience in Ikaria.
Length: 300 Pages
Life Design Applications: Health, Relationships
Recommendation: Highly Recommended
Three Sentence Summary: Living an active, fulfilling life well into your 90’s (and longer) may be easier than you think. The Blue Zones explores the defining characteristics of five unique locations around the world where the inhabitants live longer, healthier, happier lives. Discover how the (9) common elements of lifestyle, diet, and outlook seem to contribute to quantity, and more importantly, quality of life.
Who This Book is For: Anyone who wants to improve their overall quality of life, including longevity. One might be tempted to think this book only applies to the young, but I think it applies equally to all ages. Although some of the concepts are certainly best applied in our younger years, some of the concepts are applicable at any age. If you are willing to challenge your habits and current way of life in order to achieve something much more sustainable, this book offers a powerful paradigm shift.
What I Liked Most and Least: At first I thought the book was applicable only from the context of longevity. Frankly, I’m not sure that I want to live to 100. What I came to realize is the book is not about quantity as much as it is about quality of life. My hesitation about living to the ripe old age of 100 is mostly due to concerns and fears about what my life would be like at that age. Would I be healthy and independent? Would I have my mental faculties or would I be a burden on the people around me? As I learned more about the Blue Zones, I began to see the relevance to people of all ages. I also worried that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to apply the principles from the Blue Zones to my own life here in the US. Each of the 5 locations are unique geographically and culturally and each of them are VERY different from the traditional communities we find here in the US. That said, I was happy to discover that many of the principles are easily adapted to our way of life. I particularly appreciated the “Strategy” sections at the end of each chapter, where the authors provide ideas for how to apply the Blue Zone principles to our own lives in small, achievable, sustainable ways.
Some Highlights
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The five Blue Zones are located in Sardinia, Okinawa, Loma Linda California, Costa Rica, and Ikaria Greece.
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Lesson #1 - Move Naturally. Be active without having to think about it. The overall goal is to get into the habit of doing 30-60 minutes of exercise at least 5 times each week.
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Lesson #2 - Hara Hachi Bu. Painlessly cut calories by 20 percent. This phrase comes from the Okinawan and means eat until you are 80% full. Most of us overeat as a general rule.
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Lesson #3 - Plant Slant. Although many of the Blue Zone communities do eat meat, they do so as an exception rather than a rule. Their diets are largely plant-based.
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Lesson #4 - Grapes of Life. Drink red wine, in moderation. No explanation needed here, right?
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Lesson #5 - Purpose Now. Take time to see the big picture. Having a strong sense of purpose in life is helpful at reducing stress and is proven to contribute to long-term health across multiple fronts, including Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, and stroke.
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Lesson #6 - Downshift. Take time to relieve stress. People who’ve made it to 100 seem to exude a sense of sublime serenity.
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Lesson #7 - Belong. Participate in a spiritual community. Studies have shown that attending religious services may make a difference in how long a person lives.
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Lesson #8 - Loved Ones First. Make family a priority.
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Lesson #9 - Right Tribe. Be surrounded by those who share Blue Zone values. Much of your day-to-day decisions are shaped by the people around you. Cultivation of a healthy environment is crucial.
My Biggest Learning or Takeaway
I was fortunate to be able to experience a Blue Zone in person, when Kathie and I spent a week in Ikaria, Greece. Although the vast majority of the Blue Zone principles are congruent with the general principles that we hold dear at the Life Design Center, it was great to see them in action and enacted at a collective, cultural level. Although there is much to be learned from individuals there is also something interesting that happens when a society as a whole functions in a mutually supportive way. Over the next few weeks I’ll be unpacking my experience in the Ikarian Blue Zone and applying the principles to the Life Design process that we use in our training programs. My goal is to identify specific ways that you can apply these principles in your own life.
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