His research targeted a variety of factors, including diet. But what does Butner himself eat after learning about longevity all his life?
“I’ve spent 20 years studying the people who have lived the longest, and I know what they collectively do to live longer,” he told CNBC Make It. “But I’m not like some obsessed Silicon Valley millionaire who sacrifices the pleasures of everyday life to see if he can somehow get some closure over the course of a few years.” I’m not a normal person.”
These are the dietary decisions Buettner, who recently launched a frozen food line based on her popular Blue Zones recipes, makes every day to stay healthy as she ages.
“We know that people who live the longest consume most of their calories in about 10 or 12 hours,” Buettner says. “That’s why I usually only eat two meals a day.”
Buettner eats his first meal every day around 11 a.m. and his second meal around 7 p.m.
“Miami’s nightlife kind of forces me out,” says the Florida resident. “It’s not exactly a blue zone, so I often have breakfast around 11 o’clock.”
Buettner’s research found that people who eat one cup of beans a day tend to live about four years longer than those who don’t.
“I always get beans and try them out. [to include them in] “Both meals are the same,” he says. “I start his day with a Sardinian minestrone with three types of beans and about five types of vegetables.”
We also add red chili flakes, which are rich in capsaicin, which helps boost your metabolism. Butner adds oregano and rosemary to reduce inflammation and get more antioxidants.
Buettner admits that going out to dinner almost every night doesn’t fit into a longevity diet, but it’s part of his life and he doesn’t feel the need to change it.
“No matter where you go, it’s hard to eat really healthy food when you’re out and about,” he says. “I try to eat plant-based foods.”
When he looks at a restaurant menu, he tends to focus on the side dishes. Some of his favorite side dishes include:
- cannellini beans
- spinach
- Roasted potato
He also likes going to Indian restaurants, which have a lot of plant-based options such as tofu and chickpeas in red and green curries.
“It’s just as satisfying as eating meat, but without all the saturated fat,” Buettner says.
“I’m about 98 percent plant-based,” he says. “I don’t eat meat at all, and the people in the Blue Zones ate a little meat.”
The average American eats about 220 pounds of meat per year, but residents of Blue Zones only eat about 20 pounds per year. Buttner himself refrains from eating meat, but says it’s fine in moderation.
“I think in a longevity diet, eating meat maybe once a week isn’t too harmful,” he says.
Want to make extra money outside of your day job? Apply CNBC’s new online course “How to make passive income online” Learn about common passive income sources, tips to get started, and real success stories. Register now and get 50% off using discount code EARLYBIRD.
plus, Sign up for the CNBC Make It newsletter Get tips and tricks to succeed in work, money, and life.