Wonder how long your will live? Try taking this simple quiz formulated by Dan Buettner called “Blue Zone.” A Blue Zone is a Geographic area, group or community who have healthy lifestyle, long life and low morbidity rates. Take the quiz, give yourself 1 point for each statement that applies to you and total your points.
Blue Zone Quiz
- I get at least seven and a half hours of sleep at least five days a week.
- I eat at least four honest servings of fruits or vegetables every single day.
- I haven’t smoked in at least three years.
- I have never had unprotected sex with a stranger.
- I belong to a faith-based community, and I actually show up at least four times a month.
- I have at least three good friends.
- I can write on a piece of paper in one sentence my life meaning.
- I get at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day – walking counts!
7 points or more – 90 years old
3–6 points – 84 years old with three years of morbidity
3 points or less – 76 years old with five years of morbidity
How do you feel about your results? Are you surprised by any of your answers? If you struggle with getting seven and a half hours of sleep five days a week, think about why. Are you watching television or checking your email at night? Are you socializing after work?
Dig into the why behind your behaviors. Are you watching television too late because you work late and crave some relaxation time before bed? Are you socializing after work because you travel a lot on the weekends? Choose one area you’d like to improve, form an action plan, and commit to your success!
Think long term! If you have 3-5 years of morbidity, what do you imagine your life will look like? Understanding that your “morbidity years” means you require assistance from another person to get around and perform simple tasks. You will be losing some of the freedom most of us depend on during our youthful years. Also, remembering this isn’t only about you, who will care for you? Do you have enough money to hire extra help or will you depend on family members? 3-5 years of help from family could cause hardship on their own family needs. We should all do our best not to put unnecessary burden onto friends and family.
What can you do today? Curate a close-knit group of friends who share your values when it comes to eating, physical activity, and purpose. Invest in those people and be proactive about inviting them to social occasions. Be generous with them and listen more than you talk.
Do you know? There is one quiz question that has the greatest impact, can you tell me which one? (Answer is…question number 2, “I eat at least four honest servings of fruits or vegetables every single day” is the single best predictor of life expectancy)