Presentation: 9 ways to live better, longer, happier

Happy New Year, everyone. I hope 2010 is a healthy and meaningful one for you all. The new year is a time of new beginnings and promises to ourselves to be better in our personal and professional lives (It's also a time to visit the local shrine here in Japan). So the first presentation I point to this year is one that has a message that is important no matter who you are or what kind of work you're engaged in. In this TEDx talk below, National Geographic writer and explorer Dan Buettner shares what the world's longest-lived peoples have in common. Buettner condensed the findings into nine easy-to-remember lifestyle habits. The presentation is good in terms of content and delivery; Buettner is an engaging figure. Visually, the presentation would be even better if he ditched that typical PowerPoint template in favor of slides with a dark background that fit the feel of his other visuals. However, except for that I really like the way he effortlessly mixes in high quality images and video to augment his narrative. You are starting to see more and more people now mix in full-screen video clips (with the audio removed) with other images while they tell their stories or share their evidence.

Dan Buettner: How to live to be 100+

  
I'm not crazy about the typical PowerPoint template used in a few of the slides, but most of the time the screen was filled with full-screen images (Left) or video clips (Right) that were a good complement to the talk.

In Sum
What are the common denominators running through the different cultures they studied? If you do not have time to watch the video, I summarized them below in my own words. You can go to the Blue Zones website to get all the details.

Move Naturally
(1) You don't need a formal, rigorous exercise plan. We're talking here a change in lifestyle that is fundamentally active. We're designed to move. We've not meant to drive 100 meters in a car to pick up chips at the local store. Walk, do yard work, whatever. Do exercises/activities that you enjoy.

Have Right Outlook
(2) Slow down. When you're constantly in a hurry and stressed out, this has a negative impact on your health. Limiting negative stress is one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself.
(3) Have a clear purpose. The Japanese call it "ikigai" 生き甲斐 (lit: life + value, be worth while). You must have a passion, a calling, a purpose. There's got to be a reason to get out of bed every day.

Eat Wisely
(4) Drink a little (wine) everyday.
(5) Eat mainly plant-based foods. Small amounts of meat and fish are OK.
(6) Hara Hachi Bu: Eat until 80% full. Do not eat eat until you're stuffed. (I've talked about this many time before in the context of presentation.)

Be Connected with others
(7) Put family, loved ones first.
(8) Belong to a community. Many in his study belonged to faith-based communities.
(9) Belong to the right tribe. That is, hang out with people with healthy habits, physical and emotional ones.

How to live a long, healthy life in one slide
Even nine recommendations can be hard to remember, so I simplified the advice down to five in this Keynote slide that capture the essence of the tips from Dan Buettner's good TEDx talk.


(Click on image of slide for a larger size.)

Comments

[Simon Raybould]

Hmmm..... I'd be slightly more impressed if there weren't a few boobs in it. For example, when talking about body cell replacement he suggests the errors build up 'exponentially'. They don't. They build up 'cumulatively'.

To build up exponentially the number of cells in error would have to change (increase) in a very specific sequence.

Simon

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Presentation: 9 ways to live better, longer, happier

[Joe Oviedo]

This talks or subjects kind of make me wish for a simpler life. Sometimes I feel stuck in this goal-achieving-sales-results-entrepreneurial life I been leading. All thos places and people that he talks about I sense them like magical. My greatest example for longevity was my grandfather.. he lived that way, he lived til 87, walking, lots of friends in his home town, a huge garden, physical activity, very rigorous diet, and he counted the days for spending time with us, his grandchildren. :)

[Reg Bull]

I really loved this. I went to a program called Tignum and it was amazing the overlap here. They talk about the total integration of mindset, nutrition, movement, and recovery from a performance perspective, a sustainability (longevity) perspective and a health perspective. The five things mentioned here are encapsulated in the very pragmatic tools and techniques they teach in each one of these. In fact, I think they are extremely tangible and pragmatic.

Interesting enough, they even apply their strategies to being a better presenter, negotiator, leader, entrepreneur and of all the presentation training I have ever attended the Tignum program was by far the best. They addressed it from the personal preparation perspective which I think is totally overlooked.

I'm a big fan because they changed my life. Thanks Guy for pointing me to this TED and for your blogs.

[Peter "Grow Taller" Davis]

Great video I am a fan of TED talks but never seen this one. It is weird as I am very interested in this kind of material. One of the best TED talks, in my opinion was the one given by Tony Robbins.

[Ole]

Excellent. Not that we haven't heard these 'tips 'n tricks' before. But they can never be repeated to much.
The difficult part - which they do not approach is; why are we so reluctant to do so? Whats missing in our motivation?

[Presentations Training]

I'm with Simon (blogging version)on this guy. How can he say Oprah and Dr. Oz tell us anything? That's her show doctor. If you are going to make statements about one range to another range, then make them from different ends of the spectrum.

[andres]

I know you (and I guess your readers as well)are great fans of good storytelling I just saw this amazing video from Henry Rollins and just thought of this blog.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M95h-TKSjpE

Sorry if this is not the appropriate channel

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[Portrait Artist]

Informative article. But in circumstances that hinders us to live that long I would keep a family caricature hanging on our wall that can be preserved and passed on to my future generation. That, for sure can possibly last a hundred plus years.

[Roger]

Thanks for sharing the TED video.
ikigai part benefits me a lot.

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I think that the presentation is good in terms of content and delivery; Buettner is an engaging figure. Visually, the presentation would be even better if he ditched that typical PowerPoint template in favor of slides with a dark background that fit the feel of his other visuals.

[Leejackson]

Really helpful explanation of what is important in life and the slide is great - thanks Garr.

P.S. Garr i am a father of two and I cheekily wondered if your simple. clean "Zen" lifestyle may be affected with the imminent arrival of loads of kid related paraphernalia :)

Best wishes,

Lee

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hey don't. They build up 'cumulatively'.