If your goal is to live a long and healthy life, it's time to get into the zone.
The Blue Zone, that is! These are places in the world where people are verified to live the longest without many of the diseases that are common in the U.S., like diabetes.
Author Dan Buettner joined New Day NW to share some key takeaways from his new book "The Blue Zones Challenge" on how you can align your lifestyle to the core idea of Blue Zones.
Diet and lifestyle takeaways
Food: People living in Blue Zones tend to eat whole food, plant-based diets that are high in complex carbohydrates. This includes nuts, beans, grains, greens, and tubers (roots like potatoes and yams).
Drinks: A daily cocktail, shot of whiskey, or glass of wine is common among the centenarians of the world, especially when the wine is rich in antioxidants.
Have 'purpose': People with a strong sense of purpose live about eight years longer.
Social connection: Loneliness shaves about eight years off of a person's life expectancy. Buettner recommended taking time to build a healthy social circle. Three or four friends whose idea of recreation is a physical activity; and who care about each other on a bad day. Friends also have a measurable impact on what you eat, so if they know how to make plant-based food taste delicious, that is a huge plus.
Segment Producer Joseph Suttner. Watch New Day Northwest 11 AM weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.