The Keys To Living To 120: Blue Zone Wisdom with Dan Buettner

Jan 12, 2022

Dan Buettner, an explorer and National Geographic Fellow, shares his insights on achieving longevity through the wisdom of Blue Zones. He discusses the critical role of community, diet, and active lifestyles in promoting health. Buettner emphasizes the importance of strong social ties and how friendships can enhance well-being. The conversation also highlights the alarming obesity epidemic in America and the environmental factors fueling it. Listeners will gain practical advice on fostering healthy habits and supportive relationships for a longer, happier life.

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ADVICE

Environmental Design

Reshape your living environment to make healthy choices easier.
The constant barrage of unhealthy choices makes it difficult to maintain willpower.

INSIGHT

Obesity's Root Cause

America's obesity epidemic is not due to a sudden decline in moral character but a shift in the food environment.
The dramatic increase in fast-food availability and constant exposure to junk food contribute significantly.

ANECDOTE

Sardinian Shepherd

Dr. Hyman recounts meeting a vibrant 85-year-old shepherd in Sardinia who still actively farms.
The shepherd's lifestyle exemplified the Blue Zones' principles of activity, purpose, and community.

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This episode is brought to you by Eight Sleep, Athletic Greens, and Mitopure.

I recently spent time in Sardinia, Italy, which is known for having one of the world’s longest-lived populations. It simply blew me away. After getting to know the people, their day-to-day activities, their diets, and their sense of community I can totally see why they live such long and happy lives. So, how can we embrace these same aspects of Sardinian life in our own busy Western world? Blue Zones pioneer Dan Buettner joins me on this episode to talk about that and so much more. Dan Buettner is an explorer, National Geographic Fellow, award-winning journalist and producer, and New York Times bestselling author. He discovered the five places in the world— dubbed Blue Zones hotspots—where people live the longest, healthiest lives.

Dan now works in partnership with municipal governments, large employers, and health insurance companies to implement Blue Zones Projects in communities, workplaces, and universities. Blue Zones Projects are well-being initiatives that apply lessons from the Blue Zones to entire communities by focusing on changes to the local environment, public policy, and social networks. The program has dramatically improved the health of more than 5 million Americans to date. His new book, The Blue Zones Challenge: A 4-Week Plan for a Longer Better Life is a four-week guide and year-long sustainability program to jump-start your longevity journey.

This episode is brought to you by Eight Sleep, Athletic Greens, and Mitopure.

Head over to eightsleep.com/mark to check out the Pod Pro and save $150 at checkout.

Right now, when you purchase AG1 from Athletic Greens, you will receive 10 FREE travel packs with your first purchase athleticgreens.com/hyman.

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Here are more of the details from our interview (audio version / Apple Subscriber version):

Challenging our preconceived notions of aging (6:49 / 3:38)
9 lifestyle habits of the world’s healthiest, longest-lived people (10:32 / 7:24)
How our built environment influences our health (17:31 / 14:23)
Teachings on happiness from the Blue Zones (26:30 / 21:39)
Community, relationships, loneliness, and longevity (29:17 / 25:56)
What’s driving our decreasing life expectancy? (40:34 / 36:20)
Obesity rates in neighborhoods that allow billboard advertising and other environmental influences on health (45:49 / 40:53)
Foods to never have in your kitchen, and foods to always have on hand (54:06 / 49:16)
Is bread healthy, and if so, what kind? (58:32 / 53:50)

Get a copy of Dan’s book The Blue Zones Challenge: A 4-Week Plan for a Longer Better Life here.

Learn more about Dan’s work at https://www.bluezones.com/.