TODAY

Though it can seem like it’s just luck or good genes that help some people live past 100, there are communities where breaking triple digits is just normal life. Author Dan Buettner explored five of these places around the world, and the foods they eat, in his series of books on the “blue zones.”

He believes that the secret to their successful aging and maintaining good health up to the end of their lives, is what they are eating. No matter where these people lived, Buettner found some common foods in their diets: beans, greens, grains, and nuts. Read more about blue zone foods and tips for your own health and longevity below.

Strategies like delaying breakfast or not eating after 7 p.m. have proven to be effective ways to limit time spent eating, reduce calorie consumption and, ultimately, lose weight. Whichever schedule you land on, the overall period of time to restrict eating is about 12 to 16 hours per day — which is why this plan is often referred to as intermittent fasting. It might sound hard to go that long without eating, but most of the time is spent sleeping.

Though it sounds like a new fad diet that everybody’s doing, this pattern of mindful eating has been around a long time. Studies have shown that restricting eating by time, as long as your diet remains healthy, can be beneficial for weight loss and overall health, according to nutritionist Madelyn Fernstrom, who says intermittent fasting might be better referred to as “intermittent eating.” The goal is to become more mindful about eating and develop a good relationship with food. Read about options you can try below.

Even when we know people’s names, why do we go for days without using them? By using someone’s name, you help them feel seen and acknowledged — and that’s an act of kindness. According to kindness.org’s research in collaboration with the University of Oxford, doing a kind act increases happiness, well-being, trust and compassion. And it can have the same powerful effect on those who receive the act. Try it, and put a smile on both your faces.