The Blue Zones
Secrets for Living Longer
Dan Buettner
286 pages
National Geographic
published August 29, 2023
Are you as fascinated as I am that there are pockets of the world that have life expectancies well over the average of other spots? This book highlights some of those places showing their habits, family, religion, customs, exercise and diet.
Small towns in Italy, Greece and Costa Rica aren’t that surprising but a town in California surprised me.
Each section includes a recipe and beautiful photography. I could flip through this and not read a word and get lost in all the beautiful places and people.
The last section of the book summarizes some of the “rules” of longevity. And while I may never incorporate them into my life a little help can’t hurt. This is the third blue zone book I’ve read and they’ve all taken me on a lifestyle journey.
About the book
National Geographic Explorer and best-selling author Dan Buettner has traveled the globe to uncover the best strategies for longevity, which he found in the Blue Zones: places around the world where higher percentages of people enjoy remarkably long, full lives. In The Complete Blue Zones, Buettner returns to Sardinia, Italy; Ikaria, Greece; Okinawa, Japan; Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula; and Loma Linda, California to check in on the super-agers living in the blue zones and interprets the not-so-secret sauce of purpose, faith, community, down-time, natural movement, and plant-based eating that has powered as many as 10 additional years of healthy living in these regions. And Buettner reveals an all-new Blue Zone—Singapore—where pro-health government policies have increased longevity (and reduced healthcare costs), making it the first man-made Blue Zone yet explored. Throughout his two decades of research, Buettner has worked with some of National Geographic’s top photographers—including David McLain and Gianluca Cola—to document the healthy habits of the world’s longest living communities. In this informative collection, their work punctuates Buettner’s lively text, offering a beautiful introduction to the Blue Zones and a companion to fans of the Blue Zones Netflix series.
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