How to Turn Your Home Into a Longevity “Blue Zone”

Bring It Home: If you’ve watched the Netflix series about Blue Zones, you know there are a handful of places around the world (like Sardinia and Okinawa) where people commonly live past 100 with far less chronic disease. Researchers have traced the phenomenon to everyday habits like eating mostly plants and staying close to family and neighbors. With that in mind, you can still incorporate a version of this into your own home without relocating across the world.

How to Do It: The best place to start is in the kitchen, since a plant-heavy diet shows up across every Blue Zone. Wash and chop produce as soon as it comes home so it’s easy to grab, and keep beans and nuts in sight. As for exercise, researchers recommend focusing on ordinary activity throughout the day, like doing chores, gardening, and walking to run errands. And in the living room, turn the seating to face each other so conversation beats the TV as the default.

The Benefits: Research has found that Blue Zone residents live seven to 10 years longer than the average American, with far less heart disease and cancer. So adding these simple habits may support a longer, healthier life and could reduce your likelihood of developing certain diseases.