Book review: The Blue Zones

     With all the information available to us through the news media and the internet, knowing how to live well and at our healthiest can be confusing if not contradictory at times.  In The Blue Zones, author Dan Buettner discusses his explorations of four areas of the world that have an unusually large percentage of people at least 100 years old.  Based on interviews with the centenarians, their families, and community members, he identifies key characteristics of the centenarians and the communities they live in that may help explain their unusual longevity.

     The book is arranged in six chapters: an introductory chapter, one for each of the four Blue Zone communities and a final summary chapter.  The first chapter reviews common perceptions of aging and uses interviews with national experts on aging to isolate some of the lifestyle factors associated with longevity that have been identified in previous scientific studies. 

     The four communities of Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Loma Linda, California; and the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica are presented next.  Discussion focuses on the external and internal environment of each community, descriptions of the centenarians, and the results of the interviews.  At the end of each chapter, the factors most closely linked to longevity in that community are summarized.

     The final chapter is a challenge to all readers to review their personal lifestyle and follow some of the “best practices” of people who live to be at least 100 years old.  He lists nine strategies to help each of us perhaps live not only longer but better and includes suggestions on implementing these strategies into daily life.

     I found the book fun to read and the stories of centenarians inspiring.  The upbeat tone encouraged me to critically evaluate my own lifestyle and consider making some changes.   The book is primarily anecdotal and the author reminds the reader that these strategies are associated with longevity, but are not necessarily factors that will increase longevity in an individual reader.

Contact Dignity Care Consulting to discuss incorporating some of these suggestions into your life.