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In parts of Italy, Greece, Japan, Costa Rica and the United States, there are pockets of people living longer than most of us, and they’re staying healthy well into their later years.
Researchers call these areas Blue Zones, and they’ve studied the people who live there to tease out their secrets to longevity. “Only about 20% of how long you live is dictated by your genes. The other 80% is something else, Dan Buettner, Blue Zones founder, told TODAY. “People in the Blue Zones are eating the right food, getting the right amount of physical exercise and socializing without even thinking about it. They aren’t pursuing health and longevity — it ensues.”
A new Netflix limited series, Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones, gives a first-hand look at the Blue Zones communities and the health-boosting lifestyles of those who call them home.
Buettner points out that most people in the U.S. today could live to about age 95, but we’re only living to age 78, on average. “The average American could easily live another decade if they optimized their lifestyle,” he said.
What are Blue Zones?
When Buettner discovered the places where people stayed healthy and lived the longest back in 2004, five locations topped the list:
- Ikaria, Greece, where fasting is part of their religious beliefs and people typically follow the Mediterranean diet.
- Loma Linda, California, home to Seventh-Day Adventists, who mainly eat a vegetarian or pescatarian diet that’s low in refined grains, sugar and salt.
- Nicoya, Costa Rica, where they eat corn, beans, squash and other staples of the Mesoamerican diet. They also tend to eat a light dinner on the early side.
- Okinawa, Japan, where gardening and the fresh vegetables and…
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