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

by Dan Buettner

Reflecting on the Lessons DAN BUETTNER’S QUEST to discover the secrets of longevity does not end with his journey into the Blue Zones. His goal is to take the learnings from the world’s longest-lived people and spread them within U.S. borders by helping people create their own personal Blue Zones. To this end, Buettner is currently leading two pilot Blue Zones programs—in coastal southern California and the state of Iowa. What can you do to create your own personal Blue Zone? This discussion guide can be your pilot. 1. Buettner tells us that one of the remarkable things about the centenarians he met on his amazing journey was how extraordinarily ordinary these people were. What struck you the most about these people? What parts of their lives do you find most remarkable and worth emulating? 2. Buettner cautions that if you live the average U.S. lifestyle, you may never reach your potential maximum life span and you could be shortening your life by as much as a decade. Think about your own lifestyle practices that you would like to change. Write them down and compare them among yourselves. What concerns do you share? What good practices can replace bad habits? How could you help one another make them happen? 3. Blue Zone centenarians have somehow managed to avoid the chronic diseases—heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes—that kill the majority of people in industrialized countries around the world and especially in the United States. What are they doing right th...