The collection, premiering August 30, places faces and names to the longevity insights round consuming, train, sleep, and socializing that Buettner has shared through the years, following his conversations with residents in each Blue Zone, in addition to in Singapore, which Buettner calls a “Blue Zone 2.0:” a spot the place the federal government has instituted insurance policies designed explicitly to advertise longevity—versus one the place individuals have lengthy embraced cultural habits that simply so occur to help wholesome getting older (extra on that under).

Spotlighted within the collection are the residents of Okinawa, who repeatedly get pleasure from plant-focused meals, and of Sardinia, who scale near-vertical hills on each day walks and at all times find time for dinner with household and buddies, in addition to the locals of the Nicoyan peninsula, who’re identified to embrace a plan de vida, or explicit life objective, as their north star. One other episode takes Buettner to apiaries in Ikaria; and one other takes him to the pickleball courts, kitchens, and worship teams of residents of Loma Linda. It is not till the final installment of the collection that Buettner makes his solution to Singapore, which he sees because the mannequin for creating extra Blue Zones by way of infrastructure and coverage.

Associated Tales

“The largest alternative with this documentary was to harness all the scientific analysis that was accomplished on the Blue Zones and metabolize it into a beautiful story,” says Buettner. He was thrilled to work with director Clay Jeter, who directed episodes of Chef’s Desk, to carry the individuals of the Blue Zones to life.

“We discovered individuals within the Blue Zones, and we distilled the science of why they’re making it to 100.” —Dan Buettner, longevity researcher

Buettner hopes that by getting to listen to straight from the individuals who stay and breathe the rules of longevity on a day-to-day foundation, those that watch the collection will higher perceive how and why they stay so lengthy, and really feel impressed to undertake related behaviors. “We discovered individuals within the Blue Zones, and we distilled the science of why they’re making it to 100,” says Buettner. However the energy of the present is basically in its storytelling round that science. “One of the best ways to someone’s mind is thru their coronary heart and by telling stunning tales that transfer them emotionally,” he provides.

Why Singapore is deemed a “Blue Zone 2.0” within the new Reside to 100 documentary collection

In initially figuring out every of the 5 Blue Zones, Buettner discovered that they have been locations the place longevity-boosting habits have been handed down by way of generations and ingrained within the native tradition—locations the place the surroundings naturally nudges the individuals who stay there towards the actions that promote a protracted life. “The massive perception with the Blue Zones has been that longevity ensues over time,” says Buettner. “It is not one thing it’s a must to attempt to persuade individuals to pursue; slightly, it occurs the place the healthiest alternative is the simplest alternative.”

However within the collection, Buettner reveals that Singapore has develop into a long life sizzling spot in its personal proper by very totally different means—by way of proactive coverage adjustments and funding in infrastructure that helps a wholesome way of life. “It is not the identical class as the unique Blue Zones, however what’s distinctive about [Singapore] is that they engineered a Blue Zone by shaping their surroundings so the wholesome alternative was not solely simple, however in some circumstances unavoidable,” says Buettner, who first started investigating Singapore in his reporting for a 2017 Nationwide Geographic story about happiness.

For a pair examples, Buettner factors out that Singapore’s authorities has carried out restrictions on sugary drinks like soda and presents subsidies to meals companies for together with nutritious substances like entire grains on their menus.

Singapore additionally has common well being care, the standard of which has been deemed the perfect in Asia by the Worldwide Commerce Administration. Medical amenities are additionally usually included proper into housing complexes, lots of that are designed to recreate a kampung, or “village” in Malay, the place individuals can simply co-mingle—one other longevity-boosting dynamic Buettner explores within the collection. The federal government additionally presents credit of as much as $30,000 Singapore {dollars} (about $22,000) to individuals shopping for houses with or close to their mother and father or married kids to encourage familial help.

Transportation and leisure infrastructure in Singapore has solely added to its longevity energy: Broadly obtainable and cheap public transit facilitates loads of on a regular basis strolling, and many leisure parks—lots of which supply government-sponsored train courses—make it simple and nice to spend ample time shifting your physique in contemporary air, says Buettner.

Taken collectively, these government-directed packages and insurance policies show {that a} Blue Zone is feasible to engineer from scratch, says Buettner, which has far-reaching implications for making longevity accessible to extra individuals.

2 different key takeaways from Reside to 100: Secrets and techniques of the Blue Zones

1. Romantic partnership is a recurrent characteristic among the many longest-living individuals

Buettner has lengthy espoused robust social ties as a key tenet of Blue Zones residing—however in filming the collection, he discovered that romance, specifically, could also be an particularly essential piece of that. “Visiting Ikaria this time, I had a extremely large epiphany round love,” Buettner narrates within the collection. “The ability of completely happy, dedicated partnerships could appear apparent, however we will’t underestimate how this sort of connection can result in an extended, extra fulfilled life.”

One notably touching vignette within the documentary collection highlights Panagiotis Kouloulias (96) and Aleka Mazari (81), a pair residing in Ikaria. These two discovered love later in life, when Kouloulias was a 73-year-old widower. “When my first spouse handed away, I had misplaced my urge for food to stay,” says Kouloulias within the collection. “I would not speak, I would not giggle, I would not eat… I fell into items, and [Mazari] introduced me again.”

Kouloulias and Mazari’s relationships demonstrates the ability of a romantic partnership to not solely enhance your happiness, but additionally, to encourage you to partake in wholesome habits, says Buettner. Analysis has proven that we are likely to mirror the approach to life behaviors of our companions, so if we’re romantically concerned with somebody who’s participating in longevity-boosting actions all day lengthy, there’s additionally extra of an opportunity we’ll, too.

2. A easy snack can have a big effect in your longevity

Although Buettner recognized a plant-based weight loss program as one of many authentic 9 pillars of the Blue Zones, he is discovered within the years since that one widespread piece of that weight loss program could play an outsize position in longevity—and that is nuts, specifically walnuts. Certainly, an observational research printed in 2021 that assessed mortality in practically 100,000 individuals over the course of 20 years discovered that increased walnut consumption was related to higher life expectancy, seemingly due to the nut’s excessive focus of omega-3 fatty acids.

Within the collection, nuts get their highlight when Buettner visits Loma Linda, the place many residents are members of the Seventh-day Adventist religion and thus eat a plant-based weight loss program for non secular causes—which undoubtedly contributes to their longevity. In exploring the diets of locals within the episode, Buettner uncovers that “it isn’t simply the absence of meat, however the common presence of entire grains, legumes, fruits, greens, and nuts [that makes a difference].”

On nuts specifically, Buettner emphasizes the significance of consuming a handful each day to up your probabilities of residing an extended life. And if walnuts aren’t your factor, know that there are well being advantages to be gleaned from every kind of nuts, that are wealthy in protein and wholesome fat.