Dan Buettner is an internationally recognized researcher, explorer, and New York Times bestselling author and National Geographic Fellow. He founded Blue Zones®, a company that puts the world’s best practices in longevity and well-being to work in people’s lives.
1. What gives you a sense of purpose?
Learning the wisdom of traditional people and spreading that wisdom.
2. Do you have any daily rituals?
In the winter I like to eat oatmeal with nuts and cranberries for breakfast, and lately I’ve been adding a little coconut oil too.
3. What is your favorite memory?
Eight years old, paddling into the Boundary Waters in Northern Minnesota and living off the land for a week with my dad.
4. What is your favorite longevity food?
My favorite longevity food is Ikarian Stew.
5. What is your most effective strategy for managing stress?
One hour of yoga at lunch. I’ve gotten pretty good at the meditation part and it helps me close off the rest of the world for a least a few minutes every day.
6. What do you think is the secret to longevity?
Show me someone with a good group of friends, and I’ll show you someone that lives a long time.
7. How do you incorporate physical activity into your daily life?
I bike to work absolutely every day that I can.
8. What is your favorite snack?
The best snack on earth is nuts. I could tell you that its raw almonds or walnuts, which are both very good for you, but you’d get sick of them after a few weeks and stop eating them. So I am going to tell you to eat a hand full of nuts everyday, any kind. In other words, go nuts!
9. If you could give one piece of advice to people, what would it be?
I am a huge believer in sleeping eight hours a day, and think you are cheating yourself if you don’t. I can tell you that the world’s longest lived people are sleeping at seven to nine hours a day on average.
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