EP 1,181B - THE BLUE ZONES: Secrets for Living Longer

YOU: The Owner's Manual

Longevity trailblazer and NYT bestselling author Dan Buettner. In The Blue Zones Secrets for Living Longer, Dan reveals an all new Blue Zone. And we will have exciting news that we will share later this month!

Nearly 20 years ago, journalist Dan Buettner landed in the mountain villages of Sardinia, Italy, with a backpack and a National Geographic assignment to investigate hotspots around the world where people are thriving into their 100s. A wealth of dedicated research, extensive global travel, five books, and a groundbreaking national wellness project later, Buettner returned to his original five Blue Zones—Ikaria, Greece; Okinawa, Japan; Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula; and Loma Linda, California, along with Sardinia—for a follow-up visit.

In The Blue Zones Secrets for Living Longer: Lessons from the Healthiest Places on Earth (National Geographic; August 29, 2023), Dan Buettner shares updates on the communities known for their super-agers—centenarians who maintain healthy, fulfilling lives and sharp brains until the end—as well as his Blue Zones Project across the United States. Yet, this book is much more than a recap. Within a captivating tour of the Blue Zones through beautiful photographs and engaging anecdotes, Buettner offers vital new insights and expanded practices for adding 10 or more vibrant years to life expectancy.

Among timely topics and never-before-published information, Dan Buettner discusses his investigation into an all-new and exciting “Blue Zone 2.0”—the first intentionally created Blue Zone yet explored—where government policies have increased longevity, reduced healthcare costs, and strengthened a sense of family and kinship.

The remarkable success of his Blue Zone Project, the largest preventative health program in America, in more than 70 cities, from Fort Worth, Texas, to Naples, Florida, as well as the entire states of Iowa and Hawaii. Stunning results include double-digit drops in obesity, smoking, and BMI; significant reductions in employee absenteeism; and millions of dollars of savings in healthcare costs.

His priority on making it easier for everyone to develop and sustain habits proven to increase longevity by changing their surroundings. He can share simple tips for redesigning any home, room by room, to naturally encourage longevity-enhancing practices from plant-based eating to regular exercise to taking time to downshiftThe toll of the typical American diet and sedentary lifestyle not only across the USA—where rates of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and dementia continue to rise as we spend billions on vitamins, protein supplements, and prescription drugs—but also in the Blue Zones, due to the forces of globalization and technology.