5 daily habits of people who live longer | Dan Buettner

ZOE Science & Nutrition

ZOE

Nutrition, Science, Health & Fitness, Education

4.6 • 5.6K Ratings

🗓️ 15 January 2026

⏱️ 60 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Would you like to stay healthy until you're 100? For most of us, the answer is, of course, yes. But why do some people live longer, and is it achievable? In this episode, best-selling author and longevity expert Dan Buettner, explores what decades of studying the people who live the longest reveal about health and lifespan. Instead of chasing hacks, the science suggests that a longer life is shaped by everyday food, social habits, and the places people live. We’ll look at practical habits seen across the world’s blue zones, rare global hotspots where celebrating your 100th birthday is common. Rather than relying on willpower, Dan explains why changing your routine and environment may be easier and more effective. By the end of the episode, you’ll have some simple tips to help you start your day like you live in a Blue Zone - and increase your chances of living healthily to 100. Unwrap the truth about your food 👉 ⁠Get the ZOE app 🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30+ *Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system Follow ZOE on Instagram. Timecodes 00:00 Intro 01:24 What people who reach 100 actually eat 03:28 Why genes only explain 20% of longevity 07:20 What all Blue Zones diets secretly have in common 08:10 The high-carb pattern that shocks most people 09:20 Why grains and beans work together 10:50 The protein food that beats beef 11:55 Why plant protein comes with an extra benefit 12:15 Why fiber is the closest thing to a super nutrient 13:00 Why ‘fiber is sexy’ but ignored 15:05 A bathtub of meat vs how centenarians eat 15:50 You don’t have to be rich to eat well 17:25 Why deliciousness matters more than discipline 18:30 How many extra years diet can add 20:20 Why chasing longevity usually fails 22:40 What breakfast looks like at age 100 24:20 Why eating earlier helps your metabolism 25:45 The blood sugar crash that drives overeating 28:15 When ‘healthy’ yogurt has more sugar than Coke 31:15 How breakfast rules were shaped by food companies 33:30 The fasting window most people can manage 34:40 The overlooked habit: Blue Zones don’t snack 38:15 Why grumpy people don’t make it to 100 42:00 Why environment beats willpower 55:50 The five forces shaping long life 📚Books by our ZOE Scientists The Food For Life Cookbook Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector Free resources from ZOE ⁠Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks Better Breakfast Guide Mentioned in today's episode Recipe: Sardinia Minestrone The Blue Zones Kitchen One Pot Meals: 100 Recipes to Live to 100 by Dan Buettner The ZOE BIG IF Study, MDPI (2024) ZOE’s PREDICT studies: What we’ve learned Breaking Bread: the Functions of Social Eating, Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology (2017) Consuming media, consuming food: investigating concurrent TV viewing and eating using a 7-d time use diary survey, PHN (2021) Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here. Episode transcripts are available here.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Zoe, Science and Nutrition, where world-leading scientists explain how their research can improve your health.
0:10.6	Would you like to stay healthy until you're 100? For most of us, the answer is of course, yes. But is it achievable? Do you need to
0:24.4	become a biohacker or take 43 expensive supplements every morning? Perhaps a meat-only diet or a
0:30.7	weekly celery juice cleanse will do the trick. While there's a lot of conflicting information
0:35.6	on social media, it's worth noting that
0:37.9	longevity influencers are never anywhere near 100 years old.
0:42.8	So does anyone have any real answers?
0:45.9	The answer is yes.
0:48.7	Today I'm joined by Dan Butner, a National Geographic Fellow, best-selling author and founder
0:53.7	of the Blue Zones Project.
0:55.0	He has spent decades studying regions where people routinely live beyond 100
1:00.0	without a biohacking influencer in sight.
1:03.0	So how do they do it?
1:05.0	We're also joined by Professor Sarah Berry, a world leader in large-scale human nutritional studies, a professor in nutrition at King's
1:12.3	College London and chief scientist at Zoe.
1:15.7	In this episode, we'll learn about the morning routines of genuine centenarians, the name
1:21.0	for people who actually have lived for more than 100 years.
1:24.6	And by the end of the episode, you'll have some simple tips to help you start your day
1:28.6	like you live in a blues zone and increase your chances of living healthily to 100.
1:36.6	Dan, thank you for joining me today. It's a total delight. It's wonderful to have you back. And Sarah,
1:42.6	thank you for being here. Pleasure.
1:50.8	So, Dan, hopefully you remember, we always like to kick this show off with a rapid-fire Q&A with questions from our listeners.
	...

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