The Blue Zones

 National Geographic Explorer Dan Buettner has traveled the globe to uncover the best strategies for longevity found in the Blue Zones: places in the world where higher percentages of people enjoy remarkably long, full lives. He found 4 of those Zones: one on the Nicoya Peninsula (Costa Rica) , one in Sardinia (Italy), one in Loma Linda (USA CA.) and one on Okinawa (Japan).

And for every place there were other reasons for longevity, but one reason was the same: no (or less) meat, regular work outs and a sunny environment.
In Nicoya he found that the people drink hard water, with a good combination of magnesium and calcium (for this we should eat more kale and broccoli), and the last meal of the day was the smallest one. Most centenarians worked every day on the fields or in the garden and lived with their family, which gives them a happy social life. 

In Sardinia they found that physical activity, 2 glasses of red wine a day, the local hard cheese and of course sardines were responsible for longevity. Drinking 14 glasses on Saturday and nothing for the rest of the week will not have the same effect. The cheese and sardines are responsible for the omega3 input (you can use flax seed too).

Red wine contains resveratrol, but did you know that there is even more resveratrol in the vine leaves?? I am sure you can find recipes of stuffed vine leaves online. 

In Loma Linda (California) Dan found a lot of centenarians within the 7th Day Adventists, a Catholic church movement : this church is known for its emphasis on diet and health, and its holistic understanding of the person. They are vegetarians, do not drink alcohol nor smoke, no diary products, a lot of beans and nuts, spend their Saturdays together in gratitude and they do a lot of charity.

The fourth zone is on the island of Okinawa , where Ikigai is very important.
Ikigai is the Japanese equivalent of the French, raison d'être. In English, these translate respectively as: 'something important one lives for', and 'a reason for being'. Few possess a raison d’être, but those who go through life with an enduring passion for something, can be consumed by it to the detriment of social relationships and a "normal" lifestyle. Thus, there are seen to be both desirable and undesirable aspects to having a raison d’être.

Everyone, according to the Japanese, has a hidden ikigai. Finding it requires a deep and often lengthy search of self. Such a search is regarded as being very important, since it is believed that discovery of one's ikigai brings satisfaction and meaning to life.

The main menu on Okinawa is vegetables, fish and tofu. The Okinawans believe that you should stop eating when you are 80% full.

If you want to know more about this 7 year research and the conclusions, you can buy the book 

"The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest " here.