By Sandee LaMotte, CNN
In a few, unique communities around the globe, people live long and heathy lives, up to and past 100. Dubbed “blue zones,” residents of these areas share a common environment and lifestyle that scientists believe contribute to their longevity.
The Italian island of Sardinia was where one of the first groups of centenarians were studied — soon, similar long-lived people were discovered in Ikaria, Greece; Okinawa, Japan; Nicoya, Costa Rica; and Loma Linda, California.
People in blue zones walk, garden and bike as part of their daily lives. They are close to friends and family, have a purpose in life, handle stress well, and are often members of a social or religious group. They eat a plant-based diet and stop eating before they are full.
Dan Buettner, who first brought blue zones into the public consciousness with his National Geographic articles and later books, doesn’t like to call the blue zone eating pattern a “diet.” Instead, it’s part of a healthy lifestyle, Buettner said, one that he believes anyone can copy, no matter where they live and eat — even in highly processed, food-obsessed cultures such as the United States.
