The Blue Zones: Where People Live to Be 100

Is it where they live or how they live that contributes to their longevity?
These five places in the world, called blue zones, have a higher than average number of people who live to be 100:

Sardinia, Italy
Okinawa, Japan
Loma Linda, California
Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica
Icaria, Greece

What do all these beautiful places and amazing people have in common? One thing is that they are all very near or surrounded by water. But what would that have to do with it other than eating more fish and long, relaxing walks on the beach?

Speaking of fish, what's both interesting and sad is that the Mediterranean is heavily polluted from the yearly dumping of:
650 million tons of sewage,
129,000 tons of mineral oil,
60,000 tons of mercury,
3,800 tons of lead and 36,000 tons of phosphates

Yet the people that border the Mediterranean are supposedly very healthy.

They eat a Mediterranean diet: nuts, seeds, vegetables, beans, breads, fish and fruits. What's more important is that they eat whole, unprocessed foods. Dairy and red meat are the most limited. Is this the recipe for healthy living to 100? Could it be that eating this kind of diet can help our bodies to overcome the toxins and bad choices of daily life?

Ground water near Loma Linda, California is contaminated with perchlorate and the air quality near Loma Linda is among the worst in the United States. Perchlorate interferes with the normal functioning of the thyroid gland but Loma Linda is still one of the blue zones.

Residents of Icaria go to sleep long after midnight, then sleep late in the morning. They also love to party. I've read things like; if we don't get in bed by a reasonable time, sleep in total darkness for no longer than eight hours but no fewer than seven hours, we are doomed.

Maybe centenarianism depends not only on diet but also on lifestyle. The daily functioning of the blue zones tend to operate at a slower pace. Closeness with family and friends play an important role in good health and happiness of blue zone residents. They get adequate exercise through normal daily activities. They don't ride a stationary bike to exhaustion. They simply and naturally move, every day.

A healthy diet and lifestyle is not always the reason for centenarianism. We've all read stories of people who are healthy smokers at 100 years of age. 'Healthy smoker' has to be the king among oxymorons! Adding to that miracle, they also may have consumed processed food their entire lives. Can living with lower stress, being happier, having good friends and close family be the antidote for a lifetime of poisoning?

To follow in the footsteps of blue zone residents we should we try to:

Love more
Eat less
Eat whole, uncomplicated foods
Take long walks
Smell the roses along the way

These ingredients for healthy living don't guarantee you'll live to 100 but it will make the journey much more enjoyable along the way.

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Zones
AARP Magazine - September/October 2009