Connect

Want to live longer? Get connected! This is going to be my final blue zone post, and if you follow Dan Buettner's advice about getting connected, he says you can add 4 years to your life. Here are his final 3 tips:

Belong - "All but five of the 263 centenarians we interviewed belonged to some faith-based community....Research shows that attending faith-based services four times per month will add 4-14 years of life expectancy."
Loved Ones First - Invest in family by establishing traditions and living closer to them (or with them) if you can. Create ways to preserve memories and honor loved ones that have passed.
Right Tribe - Surround yourself with others who have a healthy way of life. Have a close group of friends like the Okinowans, who had "moais" that were committed friends for life. "Research from the Framingham Studies show that smoking, obesity, happiness, and even loneliness is contagious. Assessing who you hang out with, and then proactively surrounding yourself with the right friends, will do more to add years to your life than just about anything else."

Faith, friends, and family are a huge part of being healthy and living longer. If your family and friends are not already practicing healthy habits, this is not an excuse to ditch them. See it as a great opportunity to influence them toward healthy living and to start creating a mini blue zone of your own. Healthy living is so much more than eating your fruits and veggies -- let's learn from those who have lived long and prospered!

I hope our growing little family can adopt lessons learned from those who lived the longest.