Back in 2000, an explorer named Dan Buettner traveled to Okinawa, Japan after reading an intriguing report about the people who lived there. According to the information from the World Health Organization, Okinawans have the longest disease-free life expectancy in the world. Buettner, who worked for National Geographic at the time, wanted to know why.
Buettner’s exploration of what makes for a healthy long life didn’t end up stopping at Japan. He went on to find more longevity hot spots, in places like Italy, Greece, Costa Rica, and even California, before eventually naming them “Blue Zones.” And now, these hot spots are the subject of a new Netflix documentary, Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones, which has already inspired people to start making lifestyle changes.
But what exactly makes a Blue Zone? And how can you live like a Blue Zoner? It turns out, it’s not all…