I’ve been interested in living healthily for a long time now – in particular the connection between our mental health and our physical health, and a few years ago I stumbled across Dan Buettner on Instagram. Dan is a National Geographic fellow, and the founder of the Blue Zones.
From the outset I loved the Blue Zones approach to aging. From his research, Dan identified regions in the world where people live longer, while enjoying better health. He then set about trying to work out why this is, by studying their lifestyles and looking for common threads.
The Blue Zones approach doesn’t claim to be able to prevent aging – nothing can do that. Instead, it focuses on slowing the effects of aging through adopting healthy everyday habits.
What are the Blue Zones?
The Blue Zones are five regions with exceptional longevity rates and remarkably low incidences of chronic disease:
- Okinawa, Japan
- Sardinia, Italy
- Ikaria, Greece
- Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica
- Loma Linda, California (a Seventh-day Adventist community)
In these regions, people live longer and remain active and engaged well into their later years. This is believed to be due to daily habits that promote health and resilience without relying heavily on modern medicine or fad diets.
The nine Blue Zones principles for slowing down aging
Buettner and his team discovered common lifestyle patterns across all Blue Zones. These are often called the Power 9 principles. Each one helps reduce the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and dementia while supporting graceful aging.
1) Move naturally
People in Blue Zones don’t rely on gym workouts. Instead, they naturally integrate movement into their everyday lives by walking, gardening, chopping wood, kneading bread, and taking care of animals.
This kind of consistent, low-intensity physical activity keeps our muscles strong, our joints flexible, and our cardiovascular health in check – all of which are essential for aging well. Research shows that light, frequent movement throughout the day can be just as effective, if not more, than short bursts of intense exercise for longevity.
2) Purpose
It’s important to have a purpose; a reason to wake up in the morning. In Okinawa, yetis is called ikigai, and in Nicoya, it’s known as plan de vida.
Purpose has been shown to add up to seven years of life expectancy. When we maintain a sense of direction in life, whether that is through family, hobbies, work, or volunteering, we are more likely to stay active, avoid depression, and continue contributing to our communities. Purpose protects our mental health as well as our physical well-being.
3) Downshift
Research has shown us that chronic stress speeds up aging by gradually raising our cortisol levels, increasing inflammation, and our damaging DNA. Blue Zone communities have rituals that enables them to regularly downshift and release stress. For example:
- Okinawans honour their ancestors
- Sardinians enjoy happy hour with friends
- Seventh-day Adventists in Loma Linda observe a Sabbath
These important moments of pause help to lower stress, restore balance, and strengthen resilience against age-related decline.
4) The 80% rule
Known as Hara Hachi Bu in Okinawa, the 80% rule means stopping eating when you’re about 80% full. This helps to prevent overeating, support digestion, and keeps your body weight at healthy levels, which in turn reduces the risk of obesity-related diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
As the Dan Buettner put it: “The 20% gap between not being hungry and feeling full could be the difference between losing weight or gaining it.”
Eating until you are satisfied, rather than full is one of the easiest yet most effective ways to protect against premature aging.
5) Plant slant
Diet plays a big role in the Blue Zones lifestyle. Across all five regions, people eat mostly plants – beans, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and nuts. While they mostly do eat meat occasionally, it is usually reserved for special occasions, and even then the portions are small.
This ‘plant-slant’ helps to reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol, and provide antioxidants that protect our cells from age-related damage. Foods like lentils, chickpeas, and sweet potatoes all feature prominently in Blue Zones diets, fuelling our body with slow-digesting carbohydrates and fibre.
6) Wine at 5
People in all the Blue Zones (except Adventists) drink small amounts of alcohol regularly, usually red wine with meals and in good company. They key is moderation is key – they typically drink one to two glasses a day, and never binge drink.
Moderate alcohol consumption, especially red wine, has been linked to cardiovascular benefits. However, its important to note that alcohol is not essential for longevity, and abstaining may be healthier for some people.
7) Belong
Many years ago, when I trained to be a psychotherapist and hypnotherapist, I learned about the Human Givens. This is a theory that we all have specific needs that must be me in order to be psychologically healthy. Many of these cross over with the Blue Zones, but an important one for me is the need for connection; to belong to a group.
This sense of belonging can come from family, friendships, work teams, volunteering, sports teams and from religion. Many centenarians in Blue Zones are members of faith-based communities. It’s not the denomination or religion that matters, but the sense of belonging, ritual, and shared values.
Studies have shown that attending religious services four times a month can add up to 14 years of life expectancy. Faith and spirituality can offer stress relief, social networks, and a deeper sense of purpose, all von which are vital for healthy aging.
That’s not to say that you need to join a local church or other religious group! But it is important to ensure you have some kind of community you feel part of – people who share your values and whom you enjoy spending time with.
8) Loved ones first
Family is at the very heart of life in the Blue Zones. Older parents and grandparents often live with or close to younger generations, ensuring intergenerational support. Children are cherished, relationships are prioritised, and social bonds are strong.
This emphasis on family helps to reduce feelings of loneliness. And, as loneliness has been shown to increase mortality risk as much as smoking or obesity, this is an important factor in longevity.
9) Right tribe
People who enjoy long lives often chose, or are born into, close social networks with friends who support each other physically and emotionally.
Research shows that both good habits and happiness is contagious. Being surrounded by like-minded, health-conscious, supportive people helps to reinforce positive habits and reduces the likelihood of unhealthy behaviours. To contrast, isolation and weak social ties are major risk factors for early death.
How to adopt the Blue Zones approach to aging
You don’t need to live in Sardinia or Okinawa to benefit from Blue Zones principles. Instead, we can learn from what they have in common and begin adopting these lessons into our daily lives – wherever we live.
Here are some simple steps to get you started:
- Do one thing to be more active every day – walk up stairs rather than get the lift, get off public transport one stop early, or walk around the block every morning.
- Find your purpose – if you don’t already have one, find a hobby, interest or activity you love and pursue it.
- Create your own stress rituals – take up yoga or meditation, walk in greenery, bake a cake… find an activity that calms you and do it regularly.
- Adopt the 80% rule – use smaller plates, eat slowly and mindfully, and pause or stop eating before you are full.
- Eat more plants – cut back on meat and introduce more plant-based meals into your diet. You could start with a meat-free day a week.
- Join a community – find your ‘people’. It may take a little while, but join groups and say yes to invitations until you find a community you feel part of.
- Cherish your family – spend time with your immediate and wider family. Maybe organise a meal for a special occasion, or create a WhatsApp group you can communicate on.
- Choose your tribe – ensure you have a healthy, supportive group of friends. Invite someone you like out for a coffee or a walk and spend quality time together.
The Blue Zones isn’t a miracle cure to aging
The Blue Zones approach isn’t about holding back time with anti-aging creams or miracle supplements. Instead it’s about living in harmony with your body and your community. It’s about creating simple, healthy habits that will enable you to live better, and hopefully longer.
None of us can stop the clock, but we can help to slow it down and ensure the years we live are richer, healthier, and more fulfilling.
