The word is Centenarian. It is a person who has lived to be 100 years old. If you would like to be a Centenarian yourself, it would pay to examine the lives of people who have done it.

That is what Dan Buettner has done in his book “The Blue Zones”. He has identified four places in the world where Centenarians are more common, and he has identified characteristics of their lifestyles that help them to live so long. Here is an interview with the author:

Dan Buettner talks about life in “The Blue Zones”

Okinawa is one of the Blue Zones. Here’s a look at what they do to live so long:

From the video: “In a culture where Alzheimers, cancer and heart disease is undheard of…” They claim that any community can replicate this with:
- proper diet (no sugar, low fat, lots of vegetables)
- exercise
- affordable health care system
- strong sense of community
- optimism

Costa Rica is another:

At the 3:00 point: “One of the characteristics common to Centenarians is that they are all likable people. They are interested and interesting. They possess compassion and an ability to laugh. I do not know if they are born with this quality or learn it, but it is clearly tied to their longevity. One Harvard study in fact shows that seniors with strong social connections are three times more likely to live another decade than loners are.”

In the following video, Dan Buettner identifies 8 key factors to long life:

The 8 factors are:

1) No smoking
2) Exercise (he recommends “40 minutes of brisk walking or gardening a day”)
3) Quit eating when your stomach is 80% full
4) One to two drinks a day
5) Plant-based diet
6) Eat nuts (if you eat 2 ounces of nuts 4 days a week it extends life by 2 to 3 years)
7) “Invest in your family and community”
8 ) Have a “sense of purpose”

See also:
- How the Dukan Diet works – The French diet that is supposed to end the obesity epidemic
- Your chair is trying to kill you

[[[Jump to previous How To - How to take good sports photographs]]]