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Your faithful writer,
Dr. Daniel Smith

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Every year, we hear about the new dietary craze that will transform your body. Keto, fasting, no carbs, lots of carbs — it all gets a bit confusing.

If you want to move away from strict diets and learn some broad principles that can help you live a healthier and longer life, then you’re going to want to learn about Blue Zones.

What are Blue Zones?

Blue Zones are specific geographic areas with a high proportion of centenarians (people who live to be over 100 years old).

People living in Blue Zones are believed to live longer-than-average lives due to:

• Healthy diets

• Exercise habits that are built into their daily routines

• Frequent contact with family, friends, and community members

• Having a strong sense of purpose and meaning in their lives

Where are the Blue Zones?

While several places around the world have been designated Blue Zones since the term was coined in the early 2000s, the original Blue Zones include:

1️⃣ Ikaria, Greece: The mountainous island of Ikaria is home to a population known for its low rates of chronic diseases and a high percentage of people living into their 90s and beyond.

2️⃣ Okinawa, Japan: With one of the highest life expectancies globally, Okinawa is recognized for its healthy diet, strong sense of community, and active lifestyle.

3️⃣ Sardinia, Italy: The Sardinian region of Barbagia boasts an unusually high concentration of centenarians, attributed to a combination of genetics, diet, and a close-knit community.

4️⃣ Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica: This Central American paradise has a population with remarkable longevity, attributed to a combination of a plant-based diet, strong social connections, and an active lifestyle.

Blue Zones Principles

While each Blue Zone has its own unique diet and lifestyle, there are some common features of the Blue Zone diet that researchers have identified:

Dan Buettner, who popularized the Blue Zones concept and wrote several books on the topic, has devoted his life to helping people adopt these Blue Zone principles into their own daily routines:

Here’s Buettner talking to CBS about Blue Zones and longevity:

Learn More:

Watch: If you want to learn more about Blue Zones, check out the documentary Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones on Netflix.

Read: I really liked Buettner's book The Blue Zones: Secrets for Living Longer and would recommend that anyone who is interested in learning more about Blue Zones check out his work.

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Thank you for reading. Please reply to this email if you have any thoughts or feedback.

Yours,
Dan