"I feel like I'm 100 years old"

The term centenarian refers to someone who has reached the age of 100. Over the last century the probability of living to this age has increased, mostly due to modern medicine and dramatically improved living conditions. However, according to the WHO the average life expectancy is 73.3 years with women living just over that at 75.9 and men just under at 70.8. So how can it be that in some parts of the world there are greater numbers of centenarians? Is it diet and exercise that give them longevity? Is it lower stress and greater satisfaction with their jobs? Or is it faith and community? These are the questions that researchers have been asking.

I recently watched a documentary on "blue zones". Areas where people live longer on average than their surrounding communities. My conclusion was there are three major factors that contribute to increasing our life expectancy. Today I want to share those with you.

Eat well - this may sound simple and a bit obvious but let's break it down. Those who live to 100 often have less processed foods in their history. They have either grown their own food or obtained it from a local source. They eat less meat. This one will be hard to swallow (no pun intended) for some of us who enjoy a good steak or a BBQ sandwich. But let's face it, we don't need as much meat protein as we think. A good deal of your daily protein can be from legumes, eggs or other non-animal sources. They also eat "whole foods". Whole foods refer to anything that comes straight from the source to your mouth without processing with preservatives or added sugars. Think vegetables and fruits.

Move your body- According to the CDC the average American sits between 6.5 to 8 hours per day. You don't see this in blue zones. They are moving their bodies naturally for work and leisure. The people of Icaria, Greece walk most of the time. They walk up steep inclines to get from one part of the village to the other to visit with friends or attend religious services. They are traditionally sheep herders which requires them to walk long distances as well. Now, I'm not suggesting we all become sheep herders but I believe we can take note of the importance of movement. Maybe you park just a little further from the entrance to a store or you take the stairs instead of the elevator. Maybe you set a goal of getting up from your chair every 30-60 minutes and taking a 2-3 minute walk. It's amazing what a short walk will do for your brain and for your body. Don't believe me - try it!

Be in community - this one is especially important because our current culture in America wants us to believe we are more connected than ever. But are we? According to a survey 1 in 4 adults in America feels lonely. How can this be with our ever increasing "connectivity"? This is because being in community is more than just hitting the like button on someone's social media post or commenting on their new puppy. It's about being there when someone is in need. It's about cooking for your neighbor who just had a baby or lost a loved one. It's about taking the time to stop and talk to the person next to you in the dentist office. The Japanese have a term Moai which translates to "meeting for a common purpose". The church played this role for many Americans throughout history, but our country has changed and as a result fewer people attend church regularly. So how can we find that same community?

• Volunteering is a great way to build community and give to others. Take your strengths and build into someone or something.

• Start a book club with your neighbors or family members. What a great way to enhance your mind and bring people together.

• Cook together. There's nothing better than communing with a group of people over good food and conversation. It doesn't matter whether you're an excellent cook or you can barely boil an egg. Simply inviting a few people to dinner can turn into a regular activity.

• Music brings people together. Join other musicians for a jam session or teach someone you know to play.

• Find an outdoor activity that you enjoy and ask others to tag along. Walking in the woods or just in your neighborhood has health benefits beyond the physical. Some of my best conversations have been on a trail.

There are no guarantees on how long we will live. As a matter of fact, most of us would be happy to beat the odds and make it 80. The reality is, what we do today does have an affect on our tomorrow. So why not make better choices with our diets? Why not make our body a priority and move just a little bit more? And why not reach our to that friend or neighbor you've been meaning to call? Let's change the way we think about aging and create our own blue zone right where we live.