Elizabeth Lopez, a psychologist who emphasizes human strengths and how we can use positive traits to improve quality of life, joined a group of international scientists to study an usually large group of centenarians in Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula. The purpose was to determine if the area is a true “Blue Zone,” a study which identifies localities that have a higher percentage of centenarians than other places in the world. A section of the Nicoya Peninsula was determined to be a true Blue Zone, second only to the Italian island of Sardinia.
The fascinating interviews that Dr. Lopez conducts studies people who have led positive, useful lives, sometimes not under ideal conditions. Most of the people lived ordinary lives, worked hard, ate simple foods, loved their family and friends, and their favorite activity, dancing.
Among the traits common in all nine interviews was having a purpose in life, feeling needed, being deeply religious, and having a strong support system among family and friends. Learning the particulars in How to Live to 100 from the centenarians themselves make for a fascinating read and a positive learning experience. Of particular interest to me was the general feeling of striving for what’s good for the group, be it family or community, and not for oneself.
In her interviews, Dr. Lopez has done an outstanding job of gleaning activities, recipes, and habits that create zest for life, and how those practices produce a healthy, calm body. I highly recommend this enlightening book. The wisdom it shares provides guidelines to personal longevity by learning how to make life-enhancing changes. You might even live to 100.