My Information

Average life span determined by your age and gender: 80 years
Estimated Blue Zones Years determined by your behaviors: 95 years
Number of extra years you're living because of good habits: 15 years
Extra years you could live by optimizing your lifestyle: 4 years

Good News!
Your current lifestyle and habits show that you have the potential to
live beyond your average life expectancy, which has been calculated
based on your age and gender. Make sure you keep up your Blue Zone-friendly
habits. Your answers indicate you might want to incorporate the
following to gain even more Blue Zone years:


Suggestions to Optimize Your Body: ------------------------------------
Way to lose those pounds. Now, keep them off with a healthy diet and
moderate exercise program. On the other side of the scale, weight gain
during middle age may increase the risk of death by 53 percent for
every 3.9 rise in BMI (body mass index), reducing your life expectancy
by 4-5 years.

Your exercise routine could use a boost. If the idea of going to the
gym fills you with dread, come up with a less structured way to get
moving. A simple 15-minute walk will go a long way; a 30-minute walk will go
even further. Sports leagues (volleyball, soccer, tennis, etc.) are
another great alternative.

Just remember: Moderate activity for at least 30 minutes every day can
reduce your risk of premature death by 47 percent and increase your
life expectancy by 5-7 years!

Two or more days of extended exercise a week is just right. Studies
show that individuals who reach their target heart rate (up to 70 to 80
percent of your maximum) at least twice per week live as much as 3-4
years longer. So, keep up this routine as long as you’re in good health.

You are getting two or more days of extended exercise a week, which is
spot on. Getting your heart rate up at least twice a week helps your
ticker keep ticking longer and greatly improves your quality of life.
That’s pretty amazing when you think about it. Keep doing this as long
as you are in good health, and consult your doctor to be sure it’s
right for you. By getting your target heart rate up to 70 to 80 percent of
your maximum heart rate at least twice per week, you can prolong your
life by 3-4 years. Talk about a payoff!

Congratulations for never picking up a nasty habit. Life is not only
healthier, simpler, and cheaper without smoking, it’s longer too.

Half a pack of cigarettes a day wreaks havoc on your body—and it’s
bound to haunt you sooner or later. Your current habit puts you at
great risk for lung cancer (which causes 124,000 U.S. deaths a year), heart
disease (111,000 U.S. deaths a year), and chronic lung diseases like
emphysema, bronchitis and chronic airways obstruction.

7-8 hours of sleep is just the right amount—which places you right in
the middle of your Blue Zone. Research shows that consistently getting
a good night’s sleep may extend your lifespan by up to 4 years.



Suggestions to Optimize Your Mind: ------------------------------------
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Research indicates that, on average, married men and women live longer
than their single counterparts. In fact, the life expectancies of
unmarried middle-aged people are shorter than those of unmarried men by
24-39 percent and unmarried women by 46-49 percent. Finding a partner could
be a great boost to your health.

It might seem like education and personal health are separate matters,
but in terms of longevity, higher education can work wonders. Educated
Americans with more than 16 years of schooling live longer, healthier
lives. And, for every additional year of education you get you could
increase your life span by 2-3 years.

Research indicates a correlation between higher incomes and longer life
spans. That means, pursuing a raise—or even a different career—may
be a boon to your health.

The fact that you enjoy your job has major benefits for your health.
Job satisfaction is a crucial component of a healthy lifestyle.

Some people are not naturally inclined towards an extensive social
life. But it’s still good to mix it up with friends or family from time
to time. People with healthy social lives (which for you may mean just
one outing a week) live longer in all age, gender and income categories.

Involvement in a faith community is associated with longer life
expectancy. You’ve already found an occasional place for spirituality in
your life; try getting even more involved. Participation in a spiritual
activity more than once a week could add 8-9 years to your life.

Feeling down is simply a part of life. However, if you’re
experiencing a sadness that you just can’t shake—for instance, if you’re
feeling numb, empty, and hopeless—don’t keep it to yourself. Consult
with a trusted friend or a counselor about it. Your “sadness” may
actually be clinical depression, which is not something you can think
your way out of.

Occasional anxiety is simply part of life—but excessive worrying is
hard on your health, and it can steal years from your projected
longevity. Find an enjoyable way to address your worrisome days. Walking,
meditation, yoga, and working out at the gym are all great options. They may
not make your worries go away, but they’ll give your body and mind a
better chance at coping.

You seem to have found effective techniques for managing your anger. As
you’ve probably discovered, occasionally feeling angry is not
necessarily a bad thing. The Tibetan Buddhists refer to a state of
“righteous anger,” which they believe to be a healthy way to channel the
powerful emotion.



Suggestions to Optimize Your Nutrition: -------------------------------
The fact that you’re not interested in drinking is generally a good
sign. But here’s a lesser known fact: Moderate drinking (1 drink a
day) is associated with better health outcomes than either heavy drinking
or non-drinking.

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Making fruit a regular part of your diet (roughly two cups of fruit a
day) can increase your life expectancy. Try seeking out the freshest
produce you can find; eating flavorful blueberries, mangoes, strawberries,
and peaches hardly feel like a chore.

Your inadequate vegetable intake is negatively impacting your Blue
Zones score. Try to incorporate the five vegetable subgroups into your
regular diet. They are: dark greens (spinach, kale, chard), orange
vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes), legumes (dry beans, chickpeas), starchy
vegetables (corn, green peas), and other vegetables (eggplant, peppers,
tomatoes, zucchini).

Dairy foods are part of a healthy diet and consuming them can increase
your life expectancy. But that doesn’t mean you’re limited to
drinking milk. Your body will also benefit from eating cheeses, yogurts, and
other dairy variations.

You steer relatively clear of fast food, and that's good. Avoid eating
it as much as possible, and pick the healthiest options and small
portions when placing your order. Fast food is often packed with saturated
fats and sodium, which don't contribute to a healthy diet.

Eat more whole grains. You can increase your life expectancy by
consuming at least two servings of whole grains a day.

Reduce your sodium intake to increase your longevity. Consider that
there are many foods come loaded with sodium, and refrain from adding
more.

: Increase your fish consumption. Frequent fish consumption was
associated with longer life spans in 36 different countries. And, women who
consumed fish more than four times per week reduced their risk of heart
disease.