Living simply, not simply living!

Live to 100 (Secrets of the Blue Zones)
Netflix, Docuseries

 We always complain that life sucks and hope our next life will improve. If rebirth is not an option, then perhaps less time in purgatory or hell. For that, however, we have to leave our mortal bodies. That nobody wants. Instead, we cling to our dear lives as long as we can, 80, 90 or beyond a century.

Society has always revered our senior citizens. We may be giving our salutations to the years of experiences they have learnt and life lessons they have acquired in their time on Earth.

With increasing life expectancy worldwide, we noticed there are certain zones on the globe where people not only lead long lives beyond 100 but happy, independent ones.

Endurance cyclist Dan Buettner, who has cycled the world many times over, has a keen interest in this subject. In this 4-episode documentary on Netflix, he identifies areas (Blue Zone) on the map with the most centurions, makes a trip there, interacts with its people and explores the possible reasons for their excellent health and longevity.

Buettner visits Okinawa, Sardinia, Ikaria in Greece, Costa Rica's Nicoya, Loma Linda in California and Singapore. Each zone has different things to offer for good health. Some of the ideas overlap.

A common thread in all these people is that they are active and walk a lot. Walking uphill, downhill everywhere they go. Some of the terrain explored is hilly. In Singapore, the exorbitant price of owning private cars makes its citizens use public transport and incorporate walking as a compulsory need to move around. Even though Singapore is not a Blue Zone, its vast improvement of citizens' health in such a short duration, i.e. within a generation, the documentary makers thought, was worthy of mention.

Exercise does not mean going to the gym. These centurions do a lot of walking as they perform their own chores. Personal maids or caretakers are aliens in these societies. Joint flexibility is universal. Many indulge in gardening and even plant their own food. Gardening involves squatting and active movement of joints.

Many hardly consume meat. Their diet is predominantly greens, fruits, cereals and nuts. In Singapore, the Government control the amount of sugar in drinks and food. Another common observation is the lack of fast food. Caloric intake is also low. Most of the proteins are acquired from nuts.

Family support is essential. Regular sharing of meals with family members and friends is another commonality. Social interaction with friends cannot be overstated.

Above all, our citizens get up in the morning with a purpose. In Japan, the term used is Ikigai. In Costa Rica, it is 'plan de vida' (life plan). It is the reason they get up in the morning, living life with a purpose.

100-year-old rider

We also hear of a 66-year-old person with terminal cancer proving his oncologist wrong by living to be a centenarian by migrating to one of the blue zones. And we see a 100-year-old riding on a horseback. 

No one common factor connects all the blue zones. There are tropical islands, Mediterranean islands, highlands, and even modern places like California and Singapore. The Blue Zone in California is a 7th Adventist retreat emphasising moderation, community living, exercise, service and fellowship. Wine and merry-making are just fine, but moderation is key.

Improving socioeconomic opportunities and access to medical services indeed increases life expectancy; it merely increases the occurrences of non-communicable diseases and eradicates communicable diseases. It is more prudent to have a more preventative approach toward a healthy and long life.

Wisdom extrapolated from the people of the Blue Zones

• Move naturally - use your hands, do gardening, walk and walk.
• Have a positive outlook on life - learn to unwind, have religious faiths, have a purpose for living.
• Eat wisely -plant-based, take wine moderately, moderation in consumption.
• Connect - family is essential, partnership helps, have friends with the same wavelength.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.