Watch the Video Here – Lessons for Living Longer

In the recent October 2009 issue of Bottom Line Personal publication the topic of living longer sparked our interest. Dan Buettner, writer for National Geographic, published a book called The Blue Zone: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest. Along with the National Institute on Aging and the nation’s top gerontologists, they have studied the world’s Blue Zones, which are places where people live curiously longer and healthier lives. Below are some interesting facts from the article.

* Blue Zones include Okinawa, Japan; Ardinia, Italy; Loma Linda, CA, and Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica.

Why Loma Linda, CA (I raised my eyebrows too) known as home to California’s Seventh day Adventists? They do a lot of nature walks, which means they’re always exercising.

* Average life expectancy in the US is 78.1 years

* 50 centenarians per 100,000 people in Okinawa, Japan

* 20 centenarians per 100,000 people in the US

* 25% of longevity is genetics, 75% is environmental

* On average you can live 14 more years if you eat better and exercise more often,
nothing too strenuous just frequency will make all the difference.

* Recommended that you do 30-60 minutes worth of moderate exercise daily
One thing not mentioned in this article is annual check-ups at the doctor’s office. This is very important because preventive care with the right health insurance coverage will save you a lot of time and not to mention pain. Make sure you see your doctor annually and update your health insurance coverage.