Blue Zones: Secrets For Living Longer, Lessons From The Healthiest Places On Earth, Dan Buettner, c. 2023

A National Geographic publication.

A signed copy by the author, hard cover, and a gift from Charles Schwab.

The book does not connect with me at all. Must have connected with someone over at Charles Schwab.

My hunch: connects with Gen Zers who listen to NPR.

The very first line, in the introduction, p. 7, turned me off:

Most of what we think will help us life longer and healthier is misguided and just plain wrong.

So many things wrong with that opening sentence. 

From the beginning the author implies he knows the answer(s) to the Fountain of Youth and is smarter than all the rest of us.

Then this on page 224, chapter 7, rules to live by (there are nine "power" rules). This was "power rule #6:

People in the blue zones (except Adventists) drink alcohol moderately and regularly. Moderate drinkers outlive nondrinkers. The trick is to drink one to two glasses per day (preferably Sardinian Cannonau wine), with friends and/or with food. 

One may want to take a look at the JAMA study published last year, March 31, 2023, which clearly says "no."

But, perhaps folks are not drinking Sardinian Cannonau wine. This would be equivalent to "two-buck Chuck" for west coast baby boomers. In other words, the table wine that that folks drink in Sardinia.

On another note: the book takes a look at five "blue zones" around the world. The first was in Sardinia, in a mountainous region about three hours up the southeastern coast from Decimomannu (about an hour northwest of the island's major city, Cagliari). 

During my time with the USAF in Europe, I spent a lot of time in Decimomnu ("Deci"). More on that later, perhaps.

So, bottom line for living longer:

• unless you are an Adventist, drink Sardinian Cannonau wine (a red wine);
• be happy, don't worry;
• laugh, eat, and drink with family and friends, especially with your abuelitos:
• learn to enjoy a plant-based diet; if you must eat meat, a small amount of fish;
• did I mention Sardinian Cannonau wine?
• lots of beans;
• live in the mountains, off the grid;
• wear blue denim;
• walk; lots of walking; no treadmills;
• bike; probably not in the mountains.

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Decimomannu, Sardinia, Italy