A few years ago, back when I still watched Netflix, I stumbled upon a documentary called Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones. I had never heard of Blue Zones before, but that quickly changed. I devoured that documentary like a starving person crushing a pizza: in record time! I found it absolutely fascinating, and to this day, I notice just how much truth there is in what was said. That’s pretty remarkable, because in my 36 years on this planet, I’ve read a lot of books, listened to countless podcasts, and watched tons of documentaries, but almost none of them really stuck. The Blue Zones did, though, and that’s how I know there’s a real core of truth to it—at least for how I live my life.
But what exactly are Blue Zones? Blue Zones are regions around the world with remarkably high concentrations of vibrant, healthy centenarians. Unlike most elderly people today, they don't suffer from age-related ailments like diabetes, heart disease, or dementia. They are in peak health, stay physically active, and remain involved in their communities. These healthy seniors are clustered in five specific areas around the globe:
- Sardinia, Italy
- Ikaria, Greece
- Okinawa, Japan
- Nicoya, Costa Rica
- Loma Linda, California, USA
To hit the 100-year mark, you do—as the official Blue Zones website puts it—have to 'win the genetic lottery.' Reaching that age isn't in the cards for everyone. However, by living a healthy lifestyle, it’s entirely possible to add ten to twelve years to your life, completely free of chronic illnesses or disorders. Ten to twelve healthy years—wow!
I was—and still am—glad that one of these Blue Zones is a city in the United States. If all Blue Zones were just these cute, quiet, totally off-the-grid places like Ikaria or Nicoya, it would be easy to think, "Well, it's easy for them." They move at a different pace, live more stress-free, and follow the rhythm of nature. We could never pull that off here in Belgium with our fast-paced society, right? Apparently, we can. If Loma Linda can do it, Belgium definitely can too, in my opinion!
Anyway, researchers wanted to find out why these people live such long, healthy lives. It turned out that while these five local cultures have their differences (for example, one community drinks wine every day, while another doesn't touch it at all), they share several key habits. These healthy practices were distilled into 'The Power 9: nine habits of the world's healthiest and oldest people':
Physical Activity
1. Move Naturally
Mental Well-being
2. Purpose
3. Downshift (taking time to decompress and reduce stress)
Nutrition
4. The 80% Rule
5. Plant Slant (eating mostly plant-based)
6. Wine at 5 (unwinding with a glass of wine)
Community
7. Right Tribe (surrounding yourself with the right people)
8. Loved Ones First
9. Belong (faith/spiritual community)
You won’t hear me claiming that I practice all nine of these habits, because that simply wouldn't be true. But in my upcoming blog posts, I want to dive into the habits that I do practice (which is most of them!) and why they help me lead a physically, emotionally, and spiritually healthy life. The beautiful thing is that I was already doing most of this before I ever discovered the Blue Zones. Hearing it all felt like a confirmation of what I already knew deep down: "This is right. This is life wisdom, and it just clicks for me as a human being." And I know this because I used to live differently, and the toll that took on me was very real. I want to share that part of my journey in this upcoming series too, because I truly learned from that pain, and I don't want to hide it away. There are no mistakes, only life lessons. Right?
In my next blog post, I want to share why my (twelve-step) community is so important to me. It’s something I’ve always taken for granted, but it wasn’t until I consciously took some distance from it last month that I realized why being part of a community is so crucial for my mental well-being. I’ll also cover the other aspects—to the extent they hasn't been discussed on this blog before—such as faith, ikigai (having a purpose), healthy eating, and so on. All these aspects together are like the petals of a flower: they’re nice enough on their own, but it’s only together that they truly shine and form the flower as a whole. And recovery is exactly the same way!
Had you ever heard of the Blue Zones before, or maybe even watched the documentary? What are your thoughts? Now that I’m researching it all again, I notice there’s quite a bit of pushback from various angles, but it makes me wonder: so what? What if what Dan Buettner and his team are saying isn't entirely accurate? In my own life, it’s already been proven time and again that living healthily and mindfully pays off and makes me happier in the here and now. Maybe it won't add decades to my life, but just for today, I’m happy to apply these proven principles to keep my mental well-being as optimal as possible. Don't you think? What are your thoughts?
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