Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones

A fascinating 4-part docu-series, Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones looks at longevity around the world. Can we harness the secrets of living longer from different cultures and regions of the world? From the Blue Zones website,

In the early 2000s, Dan Buettner collaborated with National Geographic to reverse-engineer a formula for longevity. He scoured the globe for years in pursuit of places where people live much longer than average, and the concept of blue zones came to fruition. To date, the expeditions unveiled Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Ikaria, Greece; Nicoya, Costa Rica; and Loma Linda, California, as blue zones with the highest rates of living centenarians. These five spots share some similar elements — a plant-based diet, natural movement, and putting family first — that have been proven to promote longevity and health in residents.

Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones takes members around the world to investigate the diet and lifestyles of those living the longest lives. Explore the original blue zones, be immersed in their culture and lifestyles, and see how Blue Zones is applying the research in communities across the United States. Buettner offers insight on how to benefit from following at least some of their leads, because the only thing better than looking good as you age, is feeling good as you age.

While not a perfect solution, Live to 100 is one person’s life work trying to make sense of how we create healthier, happier, more satisfying lives and in turn live longer. I did worry that some of the factors Buettner chose seemed sexy, in other words looked good in the series. What was his criteria? The follow up to this series would be to look at the holes in certain cultures. For instance the 7th Day Adventists in CA are not welcoming to progressives, including independent women and LGBTQ folk. Also, is there genetic data on these cultures that could factor in to longevity? Still, a good jumping off point. Well worth the time. 3.5 out of 5.

Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones currently streams on Netflix.