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Blue Zones Longevity predictor---


Soror
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Just for kicks....

 

Since this has come up here a few times I checked out The Blue Zones Solution from the library.  For those not familiar Dan Buettner from National Geographic has studied the populations that live the longest and wrote The Blue Zones detailing their lives. The Blue Zones Solution is a synopsis of their lives along with recommendations of what changes to make in your own life. He does research now in the US working with different cities trying to increase health and longevity and has shown that there are changes cities can adopt that lead to improvements in the health and well-being of their citizens.

 

You do have to give your email to get your result.

 

https://apps.bluezones.com/en/vitality/background?_ga=2.152556217.1012681013.1519227656-1074488584.1519227656

 

A lot of the recommendations are things we know are good for us(eating leafy greens, staying away from sweets, eat unprocessed foods), although there will be disagreement on the diet recommendations (as there always are- the Vegs saying it advocates too much meat and everyone else thinking it is not enough). The populations studied are the Okinawans, Seven Day Adventists, Ikarians, Sardinians, and Nicoyans(Costa Rica). All populations ate a large volume of their diet from plants but the Sardinians had the majority of their calories from olive oil. All but a subset of the SDA's ate meat but ate it sparingly.

 

I got dinged for my mood but it has been off due to my thyroid, thankfully it is improved now that my levels are getting back where they need to be. But true to the facts it doesn't just focus on diet and movement but mood and lifestyle. There are changes you can make to increase your health without changing what you eat at all.

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I stopping filling out the survey when it asked my zip code.  I know that's relevant to the result, but I just got that feeling of "do I really want to enter this information here" and not knowing what else might be asked.  It's interesting, though, and I might look up the book sometime.   :-)   

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According to this, my “healthy life expectancy “ is over in a year. This is different than my “life expectancy “ of 99.

 

 

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Wow, that is a huge difference. 

 

Mine was 12 yrs difference I think? 

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Wow, that is a huge difference. 

 

Mine was 12 yrs difference I think? 

 

Since my dad died at 92 and my mom is 93 and still going strong, my genes say that I probably will live into my 90's.  (Not that this website knew that, mind you. . . )  This site also doesn't know (because it didn't ask the right questions) that I have been chronically ill for 30 years and according to it's matrix, I really haven't had a "healthy life expectancy" for those last 30 years.  But I've clawed myself up from semi-invalid status more than once, I'm in the process of clawing myself up even higher as we speak.  But it's not pain free or what others would consider a vibrant healthiness and I'm suspecting never will be.  So I'm not quite sure why I bothered to do this.  Curiosity, I guess, like probably everybody else. 

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A lot of the recommendations are things we know are good for us(eating leafy greens, staying away from sweets, eat unprocessed foods), although there will be disagreement on the diet recommendations (as there always are- the Vegs saying it advocates too much meat and everyone else thinking it is not enough). 

 

 

 

fwiw, I agree that current evidence shows that there isn't much more health impact from going from very little meat/dairy to none.  For me the last bit is all about the ethics of it. 

 

It's an interesting calculator. The one thing I can't do is its recommendations to get religion :D   

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I have also been interested in this since the posts on the Blue Zones here and I appreciate you posting this. I can add 3.8 more years by drinking alcohol, being less anxious, and eating more fruit and fish. I don't really eat fish because it is soooo expensive but I take fish oil pills. Does that count? :) I guess I could eat more tuna. I  eat fruit every morning for breakfast but that must not be enough.

 

 

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I got 86/96/97.5

I don't put much stock into this calculator. The stuff they ask is not a robust predictor.

My maternal grandmother lived through two world wars, periods of famine, and times of very limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables. She had periods of high stress, as a refugee with three children fleeing from the bombs.

She lived a healthy life until she died at age 93 in her own bed after three days illness.

My paternal great grandmother lived through two world wars with all that entailed. Her husband of two weeks was killed in the war and never saw his daughter. Very traditional diet with limited fresh produce. Never 'exercised". healthy life until 95, stroke, and a year of nursing care until she died at 96.

My paternal grandmother was a war widow and single mother, working full time running a business. High stress life. No 'exercise". healthy until 90, died at 91.

 

I think claiming to predict lifespan based on diet and exercise is very dubious.

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