The Simple Blue Zone Habits That Keep You Young, Sharp and Strong Well Past Your 100th Birthday
Want to live to 100? These simple daily habits can protect your heart, brain and overall health
The world’s longest-lived people are found in five key regions called Blue Zones. And you’re 10 times more likely to stay healthy, happy and independent long past your 100th birthday if you adopt their smart habits.
Prayer keeps you young!
Nearly 100% of Blue Zone centenarians place a high priority on their faith—some attend church; others pray or give thanks. And Italian scientists say nurturing your spiritual side could add up to 14 years to your life and cut your risk of memory loss, heart disease and other ills by 43%. The sense of calm that faith provides activates nerves that keep blood pressure low and organs working at their peak.
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Reverse stress by saying yes to rest days or set a small goal
Instead of trying to spread out your “me time” evenly over the whole week, focus on one special day and carve out as much time as possible to relax and pamper yourself. That’s what folks in the Blue Zone of Loma Linda, California, do, and a study in Biomedicines suggests weekly R&R could add up to 10 years to your life. A day filled with contentment produces a long-lasting drop in your body’s production of the tissue-aging stress hormone cortisol.
Start each day by choosing a small, upbeat task to accomplish (like sending a cheery message to a friend), and you’ll cut your risk of premature aging in half, Harvard research suggests. Experts found that waking up with a sense of purpose quashes cortisol release.
Boost immunity by snacking on fruit or pamper your houseplants
A strong immune system makes healthy aging easier since it helps you bounce back quickly from infections and destroys cancerous cells before they can grow and spread. To keep your immune system in fighting form, try what folks in the Blue Zone of Nicoya, Costa Rica, do: Nosh on sweet, juicy fruit every day. A Tufts University study found that anti-aging compounds in fruit (flavonoids) help keep immune cells energetic long past the age when they normally become a bit sluggish. And experts say enjoying two servings daily could add happy, illness-free years to your life.
Caring for plants stimulates the release of proteins that keep immune cells young and energetic, Finnish investigators report. Give your houseplants a little TLC every day, and you’ll increase your immune system’s ability to quickly trounce viruses and other invaders.
Nix memory blips by sipping wine or nap
Drinking 4 oz. to 6 oz. of wine daily (red or white) could be your ticket to a long, healthy life free of memory lapses. Even the most elderly people living in Sardinia, Italy, enjoy a glass of wine daily, and Italian scientists say that’s why they stay sharp into their 90s and beyond. It’s also the reason rates of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are so low in this Blue Zone. Thanks goes to wine’s brain-nourishing polyphenols.
Sneaking in a few Zzzs whenever you feel weary is a proven way to keep your memory sharp and your dementia risk low. So say SUNY Upstate scientists, who found that sleep is when your body’s ability to repair and replace aging brain cells peaks.
Keep muscles strong by stretching your legs or nibble on nuts
Centenarians living in the Blue Zone of Ikaria, Greece, don’t have treadmills or gym memberships. French experts say they stay in shape by puttering around their homes, yards and neighborhoods (they spend less than two hours daily sitting down!). Stand and stretch more often each day, and studies show you’ll enjoy the same anti-aging benefits as Ikarian women do: strong muscles and the healthy bones of someone up to 12 years younger.
They’re packed with minerals, healthy fats and protein essential for building and repairing muscles and bones. Enjoy a handful of nuts daily, and Australian scientists say you’ll cut your risk of muscle loss and bone thinning by up to 40 percent.
Protect your heart with a moai or peek at a picture
In Okinawa, Japan, a moai is a group of friends who get together regularly to chat and support each other. Purdue University researchers found that the happiness surge that comes from spending time with treasured friends switches on anti-aging genes in the body, keeping arteries healthy, plaque-free and flexible. This dramatically reduces your risk of heart disease.
Scottish researchers say admiring joyful photos daily reduces your risk of heart troubles by as much
as 44 percent by activating several genes that keep you young.
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