Do you want to live to age 100?

In doing some research for some upcoming talks I came upon a great TED Talk about centenarians, people who live beyond the age of 100.  The speaker, Dan Buettner, studies centenarians and specifically has identified areas his team calls Blue Zones.  These are regions of the world rich in centenarians.  What is so useful is that his team has culled the major attributes that are associated with this fantastic and quality-rich survival.

The first item that may be shocking to some is that most of these do not exercise!  No triathlons or stairmasters for them.  But they do all seem to live in regions that mandate a low level of regular moderate activity, think sheep herders on rough terrain.  Additionally many of these groups shun what most of us call convenience (e.g. elevators?).  Still it is clear an active life style is a key component.

Another major element is having a great outlook.  I do not think that optimism is mandatory but these people seem to wake up every day with a real purpose, big or small.  It is this purpose that keeps them motivated.  They also never seem to be in a hurry which is a good thing as the “hurry” attitude can be associated with increased inflammation related to adrenal hormones (e.g. stress).

Diet – these people eat mostly a plant based diet.  Fish and chicken are often consumed but overall they have all devised some rules to limit over consumption of food.  Think the 80% rule – that is, when you are 80% full at a meal, stop eating.  Personally, I have been working with the adage, eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.  I am feeling good about this!

Last, and this is the most interesting in todays connected world, they are all enmeshed in social networks.  Not necessarily Facebook and Linked In, but they surround themselves (often for life) with a core of like-minded people.  Many of them belong to faith-based groups and communities that all share the same healthy approach to life and longevity.

So there is a recipe for longevity, but the question remains, do you want to live to 100?  My answer is a yes!