Missive #502

With the right lifestyle, experts say, chances are that you may live up to a decade longer. What’s the prescription for success? National Geographic Explorer Dan Buettner has traveled the globe to uncover the best strategies for longevity found in the Blue places in the world where higher percentages of people enjoy remarkably long, full lives. And in this dynamic book he discloses the recipe, blending this unique lifestyle formula with the latest scientific findings to inspire easy, lasting change that may add years to your life. An interesting book but does not actually provide any new information on extending your life expectancy. There are also a lot of scientific papers that debunk the findings presented in the book. I’m also a little suspect since all the research was funded by the National Institute of Aging which gets its money from the Department of Health and Human Services that has a rather poor track record for “Follow the Science”. Buettner does have a couple books about his bicycling tours that he took prior to getting this Blue Zone gig.

Buettner’s colossal research effort, funded in part by the National Institute on Aging, has taken him from Costa Rica to Italy to Japan and beyond. In the societies he visits, it’s no coincidence that the way people interact with each other, shed stress, nourish their bodies, and view their world yields more good years of life. You’ll meet a 94-year-old farmer and self-confessed “ladies man” in Costa Rica, an 102-year-old grandmother in Okinawa, a 102-year-old Sardinian who hikes at least six miles a day, and others. By observing their lifestyles, Buettner’s teams have identified critical everyday choices that correspond with the cutting edge of longevity research—and distilled them into a few simple but powerful habits that anyone can embrace.

I didn’t have much to say and even forgot that I was going to post this book today. Posting it late but did post it today.