I'm adding a totally separate page for blue zones because of its overall importance in learning to live a life you don't need a vacation from! These people have not only learned how to live but to do so for a MUCH longer time that most of us!
What are Blue Zones? 'Blue Zones' are the places on the Earth where people have been found to live the longest, and are the healthiest. These places have the highest concentration of centenarians or people who live to be 100 or more! BUT it's not JUST about being 'old' its about being old and STILL LIVING LIFE! These places have the elderly still physically moving around AND cognitively proficient!
There are 5 Blue Zones: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California.
What do They do Differently? It is important to understand that it is the COMBINATION of ALL of theses that makes the largest impact. Each one alone is great but putting them all together ... well, it creates a mixture of happiness and longevity that is a scarcity around the globe!
They MOVE ~ but they do so as a way of life not like a rodent at the gym, for example most of them garden (and then eat what they grow).
They have PURPOSE ~ "Ikigai" or "plan de vida" ... simply stated: knowing your purpose in life
They RELAX on purpose ~ remember the good times, pray, take a nap, enjoy happy hour
They follow the 80% rule for eating ~ and stop before they are full and consume their LAST and smallest meal late in the afternoon
They are NOT high protein ~ and normally only eating pork or fish in very small portions
They DRINK alcohol ~ they consume 1-2 glassed of wine per day
They BELONG to something ~ all but 5 of 263 centenarians interviewed belong to some sort of faith-based community ... denomination doesn't matter.
Their LOVED ONES are FIRST ~ they tend to their aging parents and grandparents, they commit to a life partner, and they invest in their children with time and love
They are in the RIGHT TRIBE ~ 'Moais' ... they have social circles that support healthy behaviors and healthy mindsets