I put 9 simple habits of longest-living people on Earth to the test & was stunned by the results – I lost 1st in 6 weeks

IN five very different corners of the globe live the longest-living people on Earth.

The inhabitants of the so-called Blue Zones are those most likely to reach the grand old age of 100, in relatively good health.

suppliedClare O’Reilly lost 5.8kg in around six weeks[/caption]

SuppliedClare after doing the Blue Zones challenge[/caption]

Discovered by the researcher Dan Buettner, the Barbagia region of Sardinia in Italy, Okinawa in Japan, the Nicoya peninsula in Costa Rica, Seventh Day Adventists in Loma Linda, California, and Ikaria in Greece, are all home to an above-average number of ­centenarians.

And while these regions seemingly have nothing in common with regards to culture, geographic location or language, scientists have found they share nine common lifestyle traits, dubbed the “Power 9”.

Given the average life expectancy in the UK is around 79 for men and 82 for women — placing us 31st out of 201 countries — it suggests we could learn a thing or two.

The good news is you don’t need to morph into a gym freak, banish carbs from your diet or even wave goodbye to booze to follow the lead of the Blue Zoners.

Dr Samantha Wild, women’s health clinical lead from Bupa Health Clinics, tells Sun Health: “What’s interesting about the Blue Zones is their holistic approach to health.

“I always say to the patients I see as a GP, it’s not just about diet and exercise, and the Blue Zone inhabitants prove that.

“It’s lifestyle, stress levels, sleep and mental health.

“Things such as spirituality might not be for everyone but time spent in nature, moving slower, resting well, connecting with friends, having a ­purpose — they are all things that will reduce the release of harmful stress ­hormones which a lot of us live with every day.”

I’m 44 and I live a relatively healthy lifestyle.

But when I was in my 30s, I took a DNA test which suggested my life expectancy would be late-50s at best, based on my telomeres — a part of our DNA linked to ageing.

To say I was shocked is an understatement.

And so the idea that I might be able to reach my 100th birthday in 2078 is very appealing.

My eldest son Eddie would be 74, my middle son Sammy would be 70 and my daughter Annie would be 67.

Who wouldn’t want to see their kids as pensioners?

So, I challenged myself over six weeks to live like they do in the Blue Zones, switching my routine, diet and lifestyle.

And the results of two Bupa health checks at the start and end of my experiment showed really impressive results.

MOVE NATURALLY

GettyI ditched my long runs for more mindful, slower walks[/caption]

BLUE Zone inhabitants lean towards ­lifestyles that keep them moving naturally every day. T

hey grow and maintain gardens and generally do not use mechanical ­equipment for work in the house or garden.

As a marathon and ultra runner, my ­movement is normally more dogged and determined than natural.

So I swapped my vigorous exercise for a more gentle approach, ditching my long runs for more mindful, slower walks.

I also spent the month preparing my vegetable patch for spring and have taken to sweeping my wooden floor instead of vacuuming it.

SENSE OF PURPOSE

BOTH the inhabitants of Okinawa and the Nicoyans of Costa Rica have a phrase that translates as “my purpose for waking in the morning”.

This one is harder to adopt as it feels impossible to define.

But I made sure to message my dad, Mick, who has dementia, every morning.

I woke up 20 minutes before the kids each day to give myself time to enjoy a coffee in peace and tranquillity before the day starts.

I loved how it gave me a space between being asleep and being awake — and I ­realised it’s time I needed to just be on my own and breathe.

TAKE IT DOWN A GEAR

DOWNSHIFTING is about taking time to smell the roses.

Researchers looking into Blue Zone habits found each community takes time every day to relax and reduce stress levels, whether it’s prayer for the Seventh Day Adventists in Loma Linda or happy hour in Sardinia.

I’m partial to happy hour but I sat in the garden wrapped up and listened to the bird song instead.

I also wandered down to the local beach (I live in Cornwall) with a coffee, instead of drinking it at my desk.

ALMOST FULL

ALL the Blue Zone communities tend to have their smallest and last meal in the late afternoon or early evening and stop eating when they are 80 per cent full.

I’d normally describe myself as greedy, so this rule was tough to follow.

Eating slower and more mindfully became something I got used to fairly quickly, ­however.

As a result, I felt less hungry because I was eating with the focus on my food rather than last night’s episode of I’m A Celebrity.

GO GREEN

GettyI switched from carnivore mode to a mostly plant-based diet[/caption]

BEANS and lentils are the cornerstone of most centenarian diets.

With both excitement and trepidation, I switched from carnivore mode to a mostly plant-based diet.

I used hashtags such as #plantbased and #vegan to search for recipe videos on social media.

I was surprised to see that within days I felt brighter and had more energy.

I managed to get my five-a-day or more most days.

I didn’t eat tons of meat before, so I may have found it easier than many people.

But cutting down slowly is often easier. Now, I save my meat for Sunday roasts.

MODERATION IS KEY

GettyAll the Blue Zone inhabitants enjoy wine[/caption]

EXCEPT for the Seventh Day Adventists, all the Blue Zone inhabitants enjoy wine. ­

Buettner says “the trick is to drink one to two glasses per day”.

While it’s better than no wine at all, I’m guilty of having more than just two when I drink, although I drink probably five days a week.

I was surprised at how easy it was though.

I’ve realised it’s really just the first one or two I really enjoy anyway.

EMBRACE SPIRITUALITY

BLUE Zone researchers found attending a faith-based service four times a month can extend life expectancy by up to 14 years.

Having gone to church weekly until the age of 12 and then a couple of times a month through to my twenties, I immediately felt at home heading back to mass.

I attended two midweek services a week and really began to enjoy it. It’s not so much the sense of religion that has me feeling ­different, but the sense of calm, connection and taking time out of my day to slow down.

MULTI-GENERATIONAL

PEOPLE who reach 100 tend to have kept their family close, and even their ageing ­parents in their own home.

I’m not about to move my septuagenarian parents in with me but I do visit them twice in the month and have my dad, Mick, down to stay with me for a few days.

I enjoyed surprising them and while we’re incredibly close anyway, seeing them without a purpose or reason was a lovely way to spend some time together.

SOCIAL CONNECTIONS

ALL those living in Blue Zones enjoy healthy friendships.

Okinawans, in Japan, create groups of five friends that commit to each other for life.

So I spent my month checking in on friends I haven’t seen or spoken to for a while and making plans with others I’m ­normally too busy to see other than a few times a year.

SMALL CHANGES, BIG RESULTS

I ADMIT my results even surprised me. I’ve lost 5.8kg (almost 13lbs — just shy of a stone) in around six weeks.

Dr Wild says: “The change in six weeks in Clare is huge.

“Normally we’d tell people to change their lifestyle for three months before seeing changes, so to lose 5.8kg — four per cent body fat — is quite something, especially as Clare’s results were pretty healthy to begin with.

“She’s reduced her BMI substantially, her height-to-waist ratio, her risk of heart attack, diabetes, stroke, certain types of cancer, including breast and colon, and she’s reduced her risk of cognitive decline too.”

The only Blue Zone principle Dr Wild is cautious of is the daily dose of wine.

She says: “We do know there’s no safe drinking limit and we need several alcohol-free days weekly to allow healthy liver function.

“This is one area where I’d advise people not to drink at all if it’s possible.

“We used to think moderation of things like wine had protective benefits on the heart but studies are finding that less now.”

My husband Jon is even more surprised when I told him I’m sticking with the changes.

I feel calmer, I’m sleeping better, I’ve lost weight and my resting heart rate has slowed, according to my tracking watch.

No metric is worse for having done it. Nine new practices aren’t easy to wrap into everyday life. But on the other hand, they are a brilliant reset and it doesn’t feel like I’m changing things at 100mph.

They’re not a fad or a quick fix, or even anything “new”.

They’re a back to basics — family, slowing down, eating well and mindfulness.

They are everything we should all be doing a lot more of.

I’ll start running again because I’ve missed it but I won’t be going back to eating meat other than once a week.

Spirituality and going to church isn’t something I realised was missing from my life, but as with adopting a plant-based diet, it’s something I’ll keep doing.

My home in Cornwall might be a million miles from the Blue Zones, but with the help of the “Power 9”, I feel like that telegram from the King on my 100th birthday really might be within reach.

WHAT ARE THE BLUE ZONES?

LONGEVITY experts Dr Michel Poulain and Dr Gianni Pes first identified Sardinia as the region of the world with the most male centenarians.

The Blue Zones are the areas of the world where people enjoy a better quality of life into old age

From their research the idea of the Blue Zones emerged – the areas of the world where people not only live longer, but enjoy a better quality of life into old age.

The team has since identified four other regions – detailed below – that stand out for their “extraordinary longevity and vitality”.

Diet before and after

BEFORE

BREAKFAST: Granola, yoghurt, full-fat milk

LUNCH: Cheese and pickle sandwich on seeded bread with salad and crisps

SNACK: Banana

DINNER: Lasagne with garlic bread

DRINKS: Triple-shot ­cappuccino with whole milk, two litres of water

AFTER

BREAKFAST: Orange, slice of seeded toast with vegan spread

LUNCH: Hummus, wholemeal pitta and crudites

SNACK: Apple

DINNER: Five-bean chilli with brown rice and ­wholemeal pitta

DRINKS: Triple-shot ­cappuccino with sugar- free oat milk and two litres of water