Yesterday after the long trek from the Ag quad to my apartment in Collegetown, I swapped my books for sneakers and headed to Noyes for a spinning class. After the long haul there, I stood in front of the desk taking deep breaths and praying for composure after being told that my ID doesn’t swipe and I am not allowed into the gym because Cornell is slow cashing their checks. Awesome. Good news everyone, the thousands of dollars we pay apparently still doesn’t guarantee we’ll be allowed into the gym.

      Don’t you wish sometimes the leaps we take to stay healthy and active could be translated into an easier task? That every once and a while we could just kick off our shoes and sit on the porch and share a bottle of wine with friends instead of pounding on the treadmill day after day? 

      Instead of the industrialized, populated, and hectic life I lead, focused on technology and moving quickly, I would be surrounded by family and friends in the Italian countryside with a glass of red wine in hand. Spinning to Taylor Swift would be the last thing on my mind.

      Inside the cliff-lined shores of Sardinia, you will find communities bearing some of the country’s most treasured individuals: centenarians. Dr. Gianni Pes claims that in one Sardinian village, he found seven centenarians out of 2,500 people. When compared to the American ratio of one centenarian per 5000 people, the statistic is staggering. What is it that allows this population to live such full, vivacious, long-lasting lives? Dan Buettner explores this question in The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who’ve Lived the Longest through interviews with a number of them that claim to live a typical Sardinian life and he revealed some similar factors in their of mentality, diet, and ways of life.

      The “longevity elixirs” that Buettner has identified in the Sardinian diet are only one of the many aspects of Sardinian life that may responsible for their old age and vivacious energy later in life. The local Cannonau grapes produce greater red pigmenting than most red wines from the harsh Sardinian sun. Due to their thick skin and dark coloring, the grapes must macerate longer in order to achieve a favorable flavor. The process of Sardinian wine making enhances the level of heart-healthy flavonoids to a level that is two to three times that of other wines. In analysis of goat’s milk Buettner claims. “When compared to cow’s milk, goat’s milk delvers a powerful nutritional punch: One glass contains 13 percent more calcium, 25 percent more vitamin B6, 47 percent more vitamin A, 134 percent more potassium, and 3 times more niacin.” This being said, goat’s milk has been recognized as a protective food against atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s, and diseases associated with deteriorating bone mass and iron deficiencies. Lastly, when it comes to mastic oil, its nutritional benefits stem from its antibacterial and anti-mutagenic properties.

      While these so called elixirs are beneficial and unique to the average Sardinian’s diet, Buettner identified other factors that have to potential to contribute to a long, healthy life that Sardinians use on a daily basis. He claims that having a sense of humor, putting family first, respecting and caring for elders, taking walks, and laughing with friends all contribute to a stress-free atmosphere that is conducive to achieving centenarian status.

      In The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who’ve Lived the Longest, Buettner continues to explore longevity in the regions of Okinawa, Japan; Loma Linda, California; and the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica. In the next month or so, I will be following Buettner and his revelations through Chop, Dice, Simmer, and Slice and finding unique dietary suggestions for living longer for us Cornellians. Next week: Okinawa, Japan!