What Would You Change If Sag Harbor Became a Blue Zone?

I recently read an article by Dr. David Luu, founder of the longevity-focused club JoinHearty.com right here in the middle of the Hamptons. In it, he suggested that Sag Harbor has the potential to become one of the world's next Blue Zones - places designated as having among the highest life expectancy and wellness in the world. This inspiring vision got me thinking: what would it take for Sag Harbor to truly achieve this remarkable status? And what changes would we need to make in our community and lifestyles to get there?

As a brief background, Blue Zones are regions identified by researchers where residents tend to live active lives past the age of 100 at much higher rates than other parts of the world. The original Blue Zones included places like Okinawa, Japan, Sardinia, Italy, and Loma Linda, California. More have been added as researchers uncover new "longevity hotspots." Netflix just aired a documentary series on this - called "Live to 100 - Secrets of the Blue Zones" - absolutely worth the time watching - as it will get you thinking about what we do differently and what we should and could change. . 

To become a Blue Zone, a community needs certain characteristics that promote health and longevity among its population. These include an abundance of healthy and natural foods, a physically active lifestyle integrated into daily routines, social engagement and purpose among older residents, and more. Residents of Blue Zones don't even think about longevity - they just naturally do the right things day-to-day and end up living well past average life expectancy.

If Sag Harbor earned a Blue Zone designation, I have no doubt our small town would transform. More people walking and biking. Neighbors chatting on front porches. Backyards overflowing with fresh vegetables. Far more options to buy healthy food year round. Fitness classes held at the park. And most importantly, more vibrant, active residents well into their 80s, 90s and beyond.

For my community of mompreneurs called Hamptons BossMoms, the prospect of turning Sag Harbor into a Blue Zone is truly exciting. As part of our mission to support health and wellness for career-driven moms and female founders, we believe this goal is absolutely attainable if we each commit to making wiser daily choices.

We don't need to wait for an official Blue Zone declaration to start taking action either! Here are a few ideas for changes we could make individually and as a community:

- Walk or bike rather than drive for short trips
- Incorporate more plant-based whole foods into meals
- Turn off screens and spend time outdoors in nature each day
- Have morning coffee or happy hour with a friend instead of alone
- Take up a new physically engaging hobby like tennis or swimming
- Volunteer time to help older neighbors get engaged in the community

These are just a few starting points for making Sag Harbor a model of longevity. I truly believe that together, we can create an environment and lifestyle here that allows people to thrive into old age.

I invite you to join Hamptons BossMoms this Tuesday 10/17 for a special event focused on this topic. Dr. David Luu will be speaking more about his Blue Zone vision for Sag Harbor at The Hearty Lounge. I hope you'll come ready to share your ideas for how we can make this dream a reality.
The Beyond Balance series is a HBM members event - if you would like to join our community to attend events like the one or come to our monthly member business chat This Is How She Does It to learn more about local businesses - I invite you to become a member. Just follow the link in the bio and sign up. We would love to see you tomorrow and if you can't make it in person - we we will be offering a recording in the membership portal as well. 

Let's work together to make Sag Harbor the healthiest, happiest community around!