There are some parts of the world called blue zones. Dan Buettner and a team of researchers, including a team from National Geographic, searched around the world for these blue zones, what they called the Blue Zones Study. Blue Zones are longevity hotspots. Individuals living in these particular Blue Zones live to be over 100 years old. The overall life expectancy for Americans is approximately 77 years. A woman's life expectancy tends to be about five years longer than that of a man. There are four hot spots and they all have something in common and something different from the others. Buettner and his team have been studying the Blue Zones and their similarities and differences for weeks. The first Blue Zone is Okinawa, Japan. Okinawans have groups called moai. The Moai are a group of lifelong friends. They also have Ikigai which is their life purpose. People living in Okinawa have herb gardens. They can garden all year round thanks to the mild temperatures. This means they practice taking care of their gardens. They have to walk everywhere because they don't have a car. They go to friends' houses, to church and then they have to go home, so they have to walk home. If they had enough money, they could get a bicycle, but cycling is also physical exercise. They were able to exercise without running on a treadmill or swimming in a pool. They eat a plant-based diet, which means they get all the vitamins and nutrients they need to be healthy and live longer. Another blue zone is Sardinia, Italy. A Sardinian shepherd can travel more than five miles every day looking after his animals. Such exercise improves mood and helps muscle and bone metabolism. They drink at least one glass of red wine and...... middle of paper......healthy. Working makes them feel like they are contributing to their community, which makes them feel good. All of these communities share a couple of things. All four Blue Zones have a group like the moai of Okinawa: lasting friendships are hard to find elsewhere. They all focus on building strong relationships with family and friends, creating a close-knit community. They have plant-based diets. They too have their differences. Adventists focus on God more than other groups. Nicoyans drink cleaner water, different from the other three Blue Zones. Sardinians use meat as an accent in their meals rather than as the main course, while other groups do not eat much meat. Okinawans have their own herb gardens and can garden all year round. In other places it is not possible to garden all year round due to weather conditions.