A longevity expert has shared the simple habit that you can implement in the new year that can lead to a much healthier lifestyle – and he insists it’s a lot more effective in the long run than dieting.
Dan Buettner, 63, from Saint Paul, Minnesota, has spent more than two decades studying the ‘blue zones’ – which are areas around the world where people have the longest life expectancies – and he recently spoke to Business Insider about some of the easy steps that you can take that could add years to your life in the long run.
The author and public speaker, who has released nine books on the topic, explained that many people don’t stick to their New Year’s resolutions for more than a few weeks – especially when it comes to starting a new diet.
So, he suggested that instead of trying to transform the way you eat all at once, you start by picking one day during the week to cook three ‘plant-based’ meals.
He pointed out that home-cooked dishes are much healthier than the stuff you eat when you order in or dine out.
Dan – who hosted the Netflix show Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones – also explained that having one day per week that’s pre-set as your cooking day will help turn it into a long-term routine.
‘Instead of making your resolution, “I’m going to get on a diet to lose weight,” which never works, [one day a week] in January cook healthy food with your family,’ he recommended.
The New York Times-bestselling author added that the new habit will hopefully lead to you cooking more often, but that even if it doesn’t, you’ve still learnt a new skill.
“At the end of the month, you’ll have achieved three things: The skills to cook 12 meals; you’ll know you have the hardware to cook those because you’ll have cooked them; and you’ll have the experience of tasting them.
“As long as you can get to four or five meals that you like that are whole food, plant-based, you’re on your way to eating to 100,” he continued.
In the end, the expert told the publication that the key to ‘longevity’ is to remember that there’s ‘no short-term fix.’
He concluded, ‘You have to think about things that will be in your life for a long time, a good recipe and a good friend.’
Dan also spoke about the topic in a video shared to his Instagram ahead of the New Year, where he often posts tips and tricks to living longer to his 515,000 followers.
“I want to talk to you about New Year’s resolutions.
“In a few days when 2024 starts, about 90 million Americans will make New Years’ resolutions, and by February 1, 80 per cent of them will fail,’ he said in the clip.
“So instead of a resolution this year, learn how to cook at home. Get a hold of a plant-based cookbook.
“Make it a challenge, try to cook 10 new recipes in January, or until you find some you like.
“Because the most important ingredient when it comes to eating for longevity is taste.
“Once you figure out how to make a handful of delicious plant-based recipes, my job is over, I’ll see you when you’re 100.”
In the caption, the 63-year-old added, “Every time you go out to eat, you consume about 300 more calories than you would if you just used your stove and sat around the kitchen table with your family.”
Some of Dan’s other advice to living a long life includes ‘moving naturally’ and finding a physical activity that you’re passionate about.
In his most recent book, he wrote that intense gym sessions ‘don’t work for a significant percentage of the population’ since they tend to ‘run out of gas’ or stop when ‘it gets hard.’
Instead, he said people who live in blue zones ‘just live their lives and move naturally.’
“I make a point of living in walkable communities so that every time I go to work, to the grocery store or to pick up coffee, I’m walking.
“I live in Miami Beach, and I can go weeks without using my car. I love biking. I also enjoy paddle boarding and pickleball,’ he said.
He recommended surrounding yourself with like-minded people and avoiding those who ‘just want to sit around at the bar.”
Dan also stressed the importance of sleep, explaining that in the blue zones, people go to bed shortly after sunset and wake at daybreak, which gives them eight full hours of sleep.
In addition, he advised against ‘restricting’ certain foods in his tome, adding, ‘If you tell people to restrict a certain food for the rest of their life, only a handful of them will manage it.
“In blue zones, they might slaughter a pig and eat a ton of it, but only once a month. Every once in a while, if I crave something, I’ll just eat it,” he said.
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