How to live to age 100: Secrets of Centenarians

One of the reasons that I named by business Wellness to 100, was because I have always been fascinated with the idea of living to the age of 100. Ever since I was a child, I remember witnessing those in my family whom I loved so much, die prematurely, and often with debilitating illnesses. There was so much needless suffering and loss. I always asked myself “is this it, is it inevitable”?

Thankfully, I have come to believe that the answer is no! We have so much more control over how we age.  We know more about health and longevity than ever before. Many of those lessons from places known as “The Blue Zones”. Authored by, Dan Buettner, The Blue Zones, documents 5 places around the globe where humans live disproportionately longer then in other places. Not only do they live longer, but they live healthier, without most of the chronic illnesses that we suffer in western industrialized nations.

Most recently, Netflix launched a docuseries by Dan Buettner entitled Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones. I just binge watched it because I love learning about health and longevity, so this blog is an attempt at highlighting the key takeaways for living to 100 with health, energy and vibrancy.

Each blue zone seemingly has different characteristics that seem unique at first, but then as you learn about the others the overlapping similarities become clear.

Where the blue zones are and what is believed to make them pockets for humans to become centenarians?

Blue Zones

Okinawa is our first blue zone. It is an island southwest of Japan. known for its beautiful beaches and relaxed, easygoing locals. As a blue zone, characteristics that have been noted to enhance the longevity of the locals include:

• Japanese Sweet Potato (blue in color) which helped the Okinawans survive during times of famine.
• Tofu is eaten with most meals and is a good source of protein and is rich in minerals and vitamins, including calcium, manganese, iron and vitamin A. Tofu and other soy foods also are primary sources of health promoting isoflavones, which may prevent inflammation, and cancer.
• Moai is a group of lifelong friends that may form in childhood, and they take care of each other in many ways including financially, spiritually and with support during times of health challenges.
• Hara Hachi Bu is a saying before each meal by Okinawans to remind themselves to stop eating when they are 80% full.
• Balance and Strength are common among the elders here attributed to their home environments. Furniture (tables, beds) is close to the ground so getting up and down from the floor is common even in older age, which helps them maintain their core and lower body strength as well as their balance.
• Gardens are popular among the locals. The work of tending to their gardens translates into a form of low impact exercise.
• Green tea is consumed which is known to be high in polyphenol antioxidants shown to be beneficial to health.
• Laughter. Elders in Okinawa make time to socialize with family and play games inducing laughter and reducing stress.
• Spirituality and honoring their ancestors is a practice of the Okinawans.
• Ikigai or finding one’s purpose is a key tenant of the Okinawans.

Sardinia is our second blue zone, which is an island located west of mainland Italy and south of Corsica. It is also known for its beautiful beaches, but also for its rugged hills and rocky terrain.  Longevity in Sardinia is believed to stem from:

• Corn, Squash & Beans known as “The three sisters” are historically grown together by native peoples in America. These plants grow well together and are packed with nutrition.  The Sardinians eat these separately or together as a minestrone soup.

• Sourdough Bread is made with wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria, rather than baker’s yeast. “It’s richer in nutrients, less likely to spike your blood sugar, contains lower amounts of gluten, and is generally easier to digest than bread made with baker’s yeast.”(4)

• Steep Hills make the elder Sardinians fitter. In fact, the steeper the villages, the more centenarians there were. Consistent daily exercise just getting around seems to be a factor in their health and life spans. 

Nicoya, Costa Rica our third blue zone is also known for its untouched beaches, but also for pristine forests and a small-town surfing culture. Here the people’s longevity and health are attributed to:

• Beans and Rice are a staple of the Nicoya ancestral diet. An excellent source fiber, beans have been shown to promote good digestion and regularity. (5) “Whole grains provide fiber, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Whole-grain foods help control cholesterol levels, weight and blood pressure. These foods also help lower the risk of diabetes, heart disease and other conditions.”(6)

• Manual Work is common in Nicoya. They are a poorer country without modern conveniences of western nations. As a result, they stay fit and healthy by being active doing chores, making food and working outdoors.

• Siesta or taking a break in the afternoon(taking a nap) and working in shorter spurts, the people of Nicoya manage their stress levels each day by not over working. They take time to recuperate and recover

• Raw honey is used as a sweetener and is harvested in the hills.

Loma Linda, California is our fourth blue zone. It is unlike the others as it is not remote or on an island, but it has some of the longest lived people in modern society.

• Faith is what brings together the people of this blue zone. Founded by the Seventh Day Adventists, one of the first structures they built was a hospital, so maintaining good health is an important part of their faith.

• Exercise is also a big part of the faith of this group as it is believed to bring them closer to God.

• Good nutrition is another core tenant of the people of Loma Linda since a founding member had a vision telling her that they should abstain from eating meat in favor of more fruits and vegetables. About 30% of the community are vegetarian. In fact, the Adventist Health Study 2 found that “vegetarian diets were associated with lower BMI values, lower prevalence of hypertension, lower prevalence of the metabolic syndrome, lower prevalence and incidence of diabetes mellitus, and lower all-cause mortality.”(7)

See my related article on nutrition and weight loss. https://wellnessto100.com/2022/11/15/five-food-strategies-proven-to-help-you-lose-weight-for-good/.

Icaria, Greece is our fifth and final blue zone. The things that are believed to give the Icarians long life are:

• Wine like most Mediterranean countries is part of the diet. The wine is made from local Icarian grapes and fermented traditionally.
• Socialization among generations.  It is not uncommon for young and older adults to socialize together.  They laugh and dance, learning and honoring the history and traditions of their elders and ancestors.
• Herbal Tea (rosemary, common mallow, sage)contains health promoting plant compounds that the locals drink regularly.

So, what do these longevity hot spots have in common?

1. Eating a diet rich in plants and whole foods, including herbal tea and some wine
2. Social connections
3. Laughter and not taking things too seriously.
4. Regular daily movement
5. Multiple generations mixing and supporting one another.
6. Faith and Spirituality to get through difficult times.
7. Make time to relax and recharge.
8. Have purpose and a reason to get out of bed every day!

If you want to learn more about the Blue Zones, check out Dan Buettner’s website at https://www.bluezones.com/ or the Net Flix Series Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones.

Sources:

• The Blue Zones, by Dan Buettner
• 10 Evidence-Based Benefits of Green Tea, Healthline
• Who Are The Three Sisters? By Dr. Andrew Weil, MD
• How Healthy Is Sourdough? How to Make It and More Healthline
• Healthy food trends – beans and legumes National Library of Medicine
• Whole grains: Hearty options for a healthy diet Mayo Clinic
• Vegetarian diets in the Adventist Health Study 2: a review of initial published findings Author Michael J Orlich, Gary E Fraser