October 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 46

DAN BUETTNER
" In blue
zones,
the older
you get,
the more
honored you
are, " says
Buettner.
helps others. I mean, we have the
vocabulary for purpose, but people
don't really know what it means and
they don't know how to create it for
themselves. In blue zones, it's easier.
Does this help my family, my neighbors
and my community? And am I
good at it? And now let's do it. It's
a little harder in America. But as I
said before, it's the convergence of
what you're good at, what you like
to do, what you can contribute, and
then having an outlet for that.
" You can have all the knowledge
in the world, but if you don't
have applied experience,
it's not as good. "
our TV [at home] or at our offices
[in front of a computer] and thinking
we're going to make up for it
with a half hour of intense physical
activity at the gym.
First, we don't [all] go to the
gym. The reality is people sign up
with these memberships and they
make it fewer than once a week
on average. But number two, that's
not the way we evolve. We evolve
moving all the time, so that's moving
naturally. Eating wisely. If you
mimic the way centenarians - or
people who have made it to 100
- have eaten throughout their lifetime,
they're eating peasant food.
They're eating whole grains, beans,
greens, tubers (vegetables).
[It's]
very cheap food, but they've taken
the time to learn how to make that
delicious. And the diet of longevity,
beyond a shadow of a doubt, is
two-thirds complex carbohydrates.
We're not talking jellybeans; we're
talking lentil beans. Outlook. That
essentially means having a sense
of purpose. That means knowing
what you like to do, what you're
good at, what you can contribute
and having an outlet for that. The
outlet is important - you can't just
have your sense of purpose and sit
at home and do it. Connection. In
blue zones, there are always philanthropic
[and social] elements to it.
If you look at all the data on longevity
and happiness, they all converge
on having a group of four or
five friends who are healthy in the
first place, who you can have meaningful
conversations with, and who
care about you.... And forget all
the supplements, super foods...and
anti-aging [products]. If you focus
on those four factors, it's worth
about 10 extra years of life expectancy.
There's nothing else that will
get you anywhere near that.
P&R: Tell me about the concepts
of ikigai and plan de vida, which
you believe are primary factors
to Okinawans' and Nicoyans'
longevity.
Buettner: It's their vocabulary for
purpose. And as I said, in both instances,
it's having an outlet for doing
what you do best in a way that
46 Parks & Recreation | O CTOBER 2 0 2 4 | PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
P&R: In the United States,
ageism in the workforce and
society is a reality. What can we
learn from the cultural norms in
these blue zones?
Buettner: The older you get, the
wiser you are. And while other
cognitive elements may diminish
wisdom, [that] wisdom is the sum
of knowledge plus experience. You
can have all the knowledge in the
world, but if you don't have applied
experience, it's not as good. So, we
very quickly judge older people
on their outward appearance or
the way they walk or the way they
talk, but we are doing ourselves a
disservice.... In blue zones, the older
you get, the more honored you
are. You're looked to for resilience,
for guidance on running the family.
Older people are tapped to help
with raising children, with agricultural
decisions. With village decisions,
almost all the time it's the
older person who is the consigliere
to the mayor. The mayor might be
younger, but he or she is surrounded
by older people.
P&R: And in some of these areas
are smaller villages, but they
really value that sense of family
as well as community.
Buettner: Yes,
it's some of the
smaller areas, but also Okinawa has
October 2024 – Parks & Recreation

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