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Today, we want to talk about an age-old question... literally! The question is one many of us have probably pondered, at least a little bit: How long will I live? Well, one National Geographic journalist named Dan Buettner set out in the early 2000s to discover what affects human lifespan. He looked all over the world and tried to find patterns in areas where people live the longest. In his studies, he found five regions where people live to 100 at a higher rate. The five areas were Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California, USA. Dan Buettner coined the term “Blue Zones” for these areas.1
Blue zones are regions of the world where more people tend to live longer, healthier lives. Since Dan Buettner’s research was published, scientists and anthropologists have studied these regions and looked for common themes in order to answer the question: what can promote a long, healthy life? Their findings have led to seven questions that can help predict longevity.1 Have we piqued your curiosity? Check out these seven questions based on the five blue zones:
Let’s talk about each one in a little more detail.
Do you remember a night where you didn’t get enough sleep? We’ve all had them. You were probably able to push through the next day, but maybe you felt a little fuzzy or you were less rational. Now, how about a few nights in a row where you didn’t get enough sleep? (We’re looking at you, college students and new parents!) If you’ve ever been without sleep for a long period of time, you may start to recognize how important sleep is to healthy mental functioning. Sleep helps promote growth and can even increase your attention span!2 The good news is that it’s never too late to start improving your sleep habits. Even if you only get a few more minutes a night, your body will thank you!
Hitting the gym might be difficult to fit in every day, but you don’t have to adopt the habits of Olympic athletes to get exercise. In fact, you can just take a walk. Exercise, even just a little, is one of the best ways to keep your body healthy and strong, and it’s well worth the effort. Exercise boosts your brain and can help you sleep better3,4 (see above for why that’s important). Exercising also challenges your body and forces your heart to work harder, which makes it more efficient.5 Your heart is one of your most important organs, and exercise is some of the best help you can give it!
You’ve probably heard that you should try to get five servings of fruits or veggies every day, and that’s because fruits and vegetables are a very important part of a healthy diet. You don’t need to only eat fruits and vegetables of course, but they are far more nutrient dense than your average pop tart. Fruits and vegetables also support and provide antioxidants, which fight against potentially harmful molecules called free radicals. Free radicals can do some major damage in your body, and antioxidants fight against them.6 Beans also provide plant-based protein, which helps your body move and function.
When you maintain a healthy weight, your body functions better. In fact, a healthy weight can help you maintain the other areas on this blue zone list! Plus, staying at a healthy weight may also boost your immune system function.7
Being part of a church or religious group has plenty of benefits! Members of churches or religious groups have a network of people with similar beliefs they can turn to in hard times. Religious groups also provide their members with unique support resources.8 Plus, being part of a religious group can also create great opportunities to serve. Serving others can often help you develop a more positive outlook on life.
Smoking is hazardous to your health, and it introduces toxic chemicals into your body. Smoking can also weaken your respiratory and cardiovascular systems.9 One of the best things you can do for your health is to not smoke or to stop if you smoke now. It’s well worth the effort, and it will help your whole body function better.
Good friendships can help you feel happier and healthier. The friendships we are talking about are with friends who have meaningful conversations with you, friends you can call on a bad day, and friends you enjoy spending time with. A good support system is important, no matter what phase of life you’re going through. So, pick up the phone and call someone you care about. It will do both of you some good!
No matter how well you’re doing in these seven blue zone areas, you can still benefit from our newest product: 4Life Transfer Factor AgePro. This product has powerful, proprietary, and exclusive ingredients that target the pathways of healthy aging. There’s no other product on the market like it.*
It’s never too late to support healthy aging, so buy 4Life Transfer Factor AgePro today!*
External links provided in 4Life blog posts are provided strictly as a courtesy to blog readers who may find the linked pages interesting. 4Life is not endorsing these websites or vouching for the accuracy of any information found on these external sites.
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK298903/
2. https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/cultivating-health/better-sleep-why-its-important-for-your-health-and-tips-to-sleep-soundly/2023/03
3. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/exercise-and-brain-health
4. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/exercising-for-better-sleep#:~:text=Based%20on%20available%20studies%2C%20%E2%80%9CWe,at%20Howard%20County%20General%20Hospital
5. https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-many-ways-exercise-helps-your-heart
6. https://www.stjohns.health/documents/content/top-20-foods-high-in-antioxidants.pdf
7. https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-weight-growth/about/enhancing-immunity.html
8. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1020264718397
9. https://veterans.smokefree.gov/reasons-quit/smoking-affects-health
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