The Blue Zones: 9 Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest

by Dan Buettner

One Barbagia proverb said it all about foreigners: Furat chie benit dae su mare (He who comes from the sea is here to steal).

We truly believe that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and that God communicates to us through our bodies. So the things you do to impair your thinking and impair your health are cutting you off from God’s revelation.”

Gianni observed that the more daughters a man has, the longer he lives; that people born in winter seem to live longer than those born in the summer, and that people who think they’re going to live longer actually do.

“And for food, what does one eat in Juan Díaz?” “Beans and rice,” replied Aida, and after a well-timed pause added: “Or rice and beans. It depends how we feel.” Everyone laughed.

The researchers followed subjects for an average of six years, measuring their diet, physical activity, and how much they napped. They found that occasional napping decreased a person’s risk for coronary heart disease by 12 percent, but that regular napping decreased their risk by a whopping 37 percent.