"Blue Zone" Values

The following are the "Power 9" behaviors of the world's eldest, healthiest people as reported by Daniel Buettner in The Blue Zones, Second Edition: 9 Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest. The Blue Zone values are based on a study in which scientists sought to identify human behaviors that most contribute to a long, healthy life by studying communities in four parts of the world (dubbed the "Blue Zones"). These communities have the best record for healthy longevity, including the highest rate of people who live past 100 years of age. The researchers identified the following nine behaviors in all four groups:

1. Move naturally: - Be active without having to think about it.
2. Hara Hachi Bu (Confucian-inspired reminder to stop eating before full): Painlessly cut calories by 20 percent.
3. Plant slant: Avoid meat and processed foods.
4. Grapes of Life: Drink red wine (in moderation).
5. Purpose now: Take time to see the big picture.
6. Downshift: Take time to relieve stress.
7. Belong: Participate in a spiritual community.
8. Loved ones first: Make family a priority.
9. Right tribe: Be surrounded by those who share the Blue Zone values.

¹Daniel Buettner, The Blue Zones, Second Edition: 9 Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest (National Geographic 2012).