The Blue Zones: 9 tips for living longer life

Want to feel better, look younger, and add years to your life? Want to do it without pills, expensive therapy, or wacky supplements? It's possible, says Blue Zones founder Dan Buettner, author of the book The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest. All it takes is a change in lifestyle.

An explorer and longevity researcher, Buettner has spent the past five years traveling to regions where people live the longest. What he's discovered are nine common denominators among the folks who live in the longevity hot spots, or Blue Zones. The Power 9 he calls them. And here they are.

• Move Naturally. Be active by focusing on activities you love.

• Eat Less. Cut calories by 20 percent.

• Plant Slant. Avoid meat and processed food.

• Grapes of Life. Drink red wine (in moderation).

• Purpose Now. Articulate your life purpose.

• Down Shift. Punctuate your days with calm.

• Belong. Be a part of a spiritual community.
  

• Loved Ones First. Make family a priority.

• Right Tribe. Be surrounded by those who share Blue Zone values.

This may seem like small stuff. But the payoff from committing to the Power 9 is huge. Buettner says the average American can add 14 good years of life by putting these habits to work.