Photo by bravenewtraveler.

My great grandfather lived to 103 and received a letter from the Queen of England to mark the occasion. I want my own letter when I reach 100. In the U.S. I hear you get a letter from the President, not the Queen, though I’ll take either. 

I recently came across a book called The Blue Zone by National Geographic explorer Dan Buettner. Buettner explores the longest lived cultures from around the world and attempts to find the distinguishing features that turn them into ageless wonders.

Five centenarian cultures made the final cut with three coming out on top (see the Venn diagram below).  Listed are some of interesting habits these cultures maintain. Dan Buettner said it best, “Centurions have managed to live longer and better because of the foods they eat, the social circles they keep, and their outlooks on life.” I have a feeling this is going to be much simpler than we think.

• Okinawa, Japan(longest lived on Earth)
  • Ikigai (raison d’etre)
  • Maintain a garden
  • Diet high in seafood
• Sardinia, Italy
  • Goat milk
  • Red cannonau wine
• Loma Linda, USA
  • Day of rest (Sabbath)
  • Eat an early light dinner
• Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica
  • Drink hard water high in calcium
• Icaria, Greece
  • Afternoon naps

If you live in any of these places, congratulations! For the rest of us, and those who’d like to receive a letter, here’s a distillation of the results:

• Vitamin D
  • All these cultures get plenty of vitamin D rich sunshine. It only takes 2o minutes a day. Check this out on why you should skip the sunscreen.
• Plant-based diet
  • You shouldn’t have to take vitamins, minerals and supplements everyday for the rest of your life. Eat plenty of local, seasonal high quality plant based foods to get your one a day from your diet. Don’t forget the protein if you’re vegetarian. Many of these cultures consume legumes to balance out their diet. If you eat meat,  go for grass fed, free range varieties.
• Antioxidants
  • Be it Sardinian cannonau wine, blueberries, açaí or pomegranate, antioxidants are a crucial nutrient to aging gracefully. Find them in the most colorful of foods by simply eating the rainbow
• No smoking
  • Its obviously a terrible habit, kick it.
• Socially active
  • Being part of a community provides emotional support.  Get socially engaged!
• No refined foods
  • Don’t eat white food, stick to complex carbohydrates and avoid simple sugars.  Americans consume their body weight in sugar a year (22 teaspoons a day adds up!). This is clearly a bad idea.
• Constant physical activity
  • Use it or lose it.  Build it into your day by gardening, walking everywhere you go or randomly doing 20 jumping jacks (I just started doing this – if you know the show 24, every time Jack Bauer says, “I need it now!” I get up and do 20.  Its quite a workout).

Should I frame the letters, or put them on the fridge? Anyone know a centenarian? What are their secrets? My grandmother still vouches by a single, small glass of whiskey on ice and a handful of pistachios every evening.

Dr. Nishant Rao is a co-founder of WellWire.com. He is a well-traveled naturopathic doctor and new father, practicing an integrative approach to create wellness in and around Los Angeles. Become a patient or discover his practice.