Perhaps you’ve heard of the “Blue Zones,” regions that are characterized by long life expectancies and an unusually high number of centenarians. There is some controversy over the accuracy of the Blue Zones data, but the basic idea of the project – try to identify areas where people seem to live longer and better lives and study them to see what we can learn – makes sense. Not surprisingly, the commonalities that residents from the different Blue Zones seem to share include regular physical activity, a traditional diet that is low in processed foods and made up mainly of home cooked meals, and strong family and community ties.
