Resources

How to live to be 100+ - Dan Buettner

To find the path to long life and health, Dan Buettner and team study the world’s “Blue Zones,” communities whose elders live with vim and vigor to record-setting age. In his talk, he shares the 9 common diet and lifestyle habits that keep them spry past age 100. (Filmed at TEDxTC.)

Watch the full video talk by Dan Buettner.

BlueZones of Happiness by Dan Buettner

New York Times best-selling author Dan Buettner reveals the surprising secrets of what makes the world’s happiest places and shows you how to apply these lessons to your own life.

In this inspiring guide, you’ll find game-changing tools drawn from global research and expert insights for achieving maximum fulfillment. Along the way, you’ll:

• Discover the three strands of happiness-pleasure, purpose, and pride-that feature prominently in the world’s happiest places.
• Take the specially designed Blue Zones Happiness Test to pinpoint areas in your life where you could cultivate greater joy, deeper meaning, and increased satisfaction.
• Meet the world’s Happiness All-Stars: inspiring individuals from Denmark to the United States who reveal dynamic, practical ways to improve day-to-day living.
• Discover specific, science-based strategies for setting up a “life radius” of community, work, home, and self to create healthier, happiness-boosting habits for the long-term.

Purchase your own copy of ‘BlueZones of Happiness’ – Dan Buettner.

List of academic papers about plant-based diets

Below is a sample of academic papers about plant-based diets. We’ve only presented a sample of work that has been published in the last 5-6 years:

• Kahleova H (2017) Cardio-Metabolic Benefits of Plant-Based Diets. Nutrients. 9(8):848​
• Hever J & Cronise RJ (2017) Plant-based nutrition for healthcare professionals: implementing diet as a primary modality in the prevention and treatment of chronic disease. Journal of Geriatric Cardiology. 14(5):355
• Satija A (2016) Plant-based dietary patterns and incidence of type 2 diabetes in US men and women: Results from three prospective cohort studies. Plos Medicine. 13(6): 1
• Rinaldi S (2016) A comprehensive review of the literature supporting recommendations from the Canadian diabetes association for the use of a plant-based diet for the management of type 2 diabetes. Canadian Journal of Diabetes. 40(5): 471
• Zolot J (2015) Plant-based diet reduces weight and cholesterol levels in children. American Journal of Nursing. 115(11): 62
• Tuso P (2013) Nutritional update for physicians: Plant-based diets. The Permanente Journal. 17(2):61

Move Naturally

People in bluezones don’t necessarily go to the gym or compete in a sport. They simply move more than we do. They use active transport (walking, cycling). They garden. They have communities that allow safe and easy active time. We might still need to go to the gym or join a sport but the key message is to “move more”.

Purpose

“Why I wake up in the morning”. All bluezoners know their purpose, their reason for being here. What is yours?

Seek it out.

Down Shift

In our world, we call the Down Shift principle; stress management. Stress leads to chronic disease. Bluezoners imbed stress management practices into their daily routine.

80% Rule

Stop eating when your stomach is 80% full. The difference between the 80% of feeling satisfied and the 100% of feeling full couple make all the difference in your weight loss regime and keep your gut working efficiently.

Plant Slant

Here is where FastTrack comes in Bluezoners have a diet that is 90% plant based with beans being a major nutrient source.

Wine @ 5

Bluezoners (except the 7th Day Adventists in California) drink alcohol in moderation;

1-2 serves per day. Unlike in our society, Bluezoners do not binge drink.

Belong

Bluezoners have a connection to a belief system or faith. They belong to an ideal that represents something greater than themselves. This ideal is not necessarily religion, but it can be.

Loved Ones First

Committed to a life partner, caring for aging parents and knowing that it takes a community to raise a child. Bluezoners put family first in life.

Right Tribe

The worlds longest-lived and happiest people choose or were born into community that supported healthy behaviours. The people they interact with the most and who have an influence on them, have a shared philosophy.