A long healthy life is no accident. It begins with good genes, but it also depends on good habits. If you adopt the right lifestyle, experts say, chances are you may live up to a decade longer. So what's the formula for success? National Geographic Explorer Dan Buettner has lead teams of researchers across the globe to uncover the secrets of Blue Zones - geographic regions where high percentages of centenarians are enjoying remarkably long, full lives. Region by region, Buettner reveals the 'secrets' of the Blue Zones through stories of his travels and interviews with some of the most remarkable and happily long-lived people on the planet. Meet a 94-year-old farmer and self-confessed 'ladies man' in Costa Rica, an 88-year old yoga devotee and decathalete in Okinawa, and a 107 year-old Sardinian who still climbs trees to harvest nuts for her family's Sunday meal, to name a few. By observing daily life in these communities, and conducting in-depth lifestyle research, Buettner's teams have identified the everyday behaviors and choices that correspond with the cutting edge of longevity research. In Sardinia for example, family comes first, a fact of life celebrated with big dinners that include red wine and simple, home-cooked foods. In Okinawa Japan, gardening and yoga are two popular activities, and life is governed by the principle of ikigai, which means having a purpose. In Loma Linda, California, Seventh Day Adventists attribute longevity to strong faith, family, and dietary restrictions that limit food consumption and promote a healthy, low-fat diet. By distilling the key longevity behaviors from these wildly diverse populations, Buettner has derived recommendations for healthy lifestyle choices that anyone can make to create their own 'Blue Zone' and promote long life. Buettner's inspiring examples of well-lived lives and easy to apply 'best practices' from his studies empower readers to live longer, healthier, more fulfilling lives.

Reviews

In this 2008 title available for the first time on audio, Buettner (founder, Quest Network) draws from a National Institute on Aging study of four of the world's "blue zones"-Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Loma Linda, CA; and Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica-where common elements of lifestyle, diet, and outlook result in high quality and length of life. Narrator Michael McConnohie's (www.michaelmcconnohie.com) well-paced, enunciated reading helps to guide listeners through this fascinating discussion of the latest thinking concerning health, happiness, and longevity, which should appeal to listeners/readers of self-help and would work well alongside similarly practical health-based titles, like Mehmet C. Oz and Michael F. Foizen's You: On a Diet. [The National Geographic hc was a New York Times best seller.-Ed.]-Laurie Selwyn, formerly with Grayson Cty. Law Lib., Sherman, TX (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

""The Blue Zones" is one of the most important and engaging stories you will ever read! With Dan Buettner as your intrepid narrator, you will visit locations where people are living the longest, healthiest lives anywhere on the planet. More importantly, you will learn how to immediately incorporate those lessons from faraway places into your very own life. When I hosted the documentary "Chasing Life, " Dan Buettner was the man we looked to for advice. Now, you have all of it at your fingertips. Inside: the secret to a long life."--Sanjay Gupta, M.D.
"Eat less. Make family a priority. Banish stress. I figured it should be no problem to follow most of the common-sense tips that Dan Buettner outlines in "The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest.""--"New York Times"
"A must-read if you want to stay young! Buettner teaches us the secrets of the world's longest-lived cultures and how they can turn back your biological clock."--Mehmet C.