🍲I Found "Live to 100" on Netflix and It Quietly Shifted the Way I See Life

The other night, I was doing that thing we all do, scrolling through Netflix 📺 with zero intention and I stumbled across a show called Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones, and let me tell you, I hit “Play”, and two episodes later, I was fully hooked.

It’s not a flashy show but it’s rich with real-life wisdom from people who’ve cracked the code on something we’re all quietly obsessed with: how to live a long, happy life.

So, here’s the premise: The host, Dan Buettner, travels to five unique communities around the world where people routinely live into their 90s and 100s, not just surviving, but thriving. These places are called “Blue Zones,” and they include:

• Okinawa, Japan

• Sardinia, Italy

• Ikaria, Greece

• Nicoya, Costa Rica

• Loma Linda, California

At first glance, these spots have nothing in common. Different diets, different faiths, different climates. But as you watch, you start to notice overlapping patterns in how these people live and that’s where the magic is. And the really great part about this show is that you will see that it’s Not About Superfoods or Supplements.

I went in expecting the usual longevity advice: eat kale, lift weights, take your vitamins...bla bla bla... Nope. This show isn’t about trends, it’s about habits that are deeply woven into everyday life.

In Sardinia, old men climb hills every day just tending to their sheep. In Okinawa, women in their 90s dance and garden and laugh together like teenagers. In Costa Rica, people live simply, wake up early, eat beans and tortillas, and always know their neighbors’ names. Honestly? That was super refreshing.

Here are a few ideas from the show that really made me stop and think:

1. Move Naturally

No gyms, personally I don't like going to one...lol🤣 No fitness trackers. Just walking, farming, kneeling, stretching, movement but nothing complicated. One man in his late 90s said he never sat in a chair. He was always working, always doing something with his hands.

2. Eat Simply and Mostly Plants

No one’s doing keto or intermittent fasting, no complications in a nutshell. They eat beans, vegetables, whole grains, meat etc. It’s not about restriction, and guess what? They don’t count calories. They just stop eating when they’re about 80% full.

3. Strong Social Ties Matter More Than You Think

In Okinawa, people belong to small support groups called moais, formed in childhood and lasting a lifetime. These aren’t just friends, they’re emotional lifelines. Watching these people laugh and cry together as they aged reminded me how easy it is to get isolated in modern life, and how dangerous that really is.

4. Have a Reason to Wake Up

They call it ikigai in Japan and plan de vida in Costa Rica, but the meaning is the same: a reason to get out of bed that goes beyond work. Whether it’s caring for family, tending a garden, or playing music, these people have purpose. That one hit hard. How often do we actually stop and ask ourselves what lights us up?

I still have more episodes to watch but it made me want to simplify, to reconnect, to walk more and stress less. To stop obsessing over perfection and start focusing on what truly nourishes me, inside and out.

Maybe longevity isn’t about biohacking or being superhuman. Maybe it’s about being deeply, intentionally human.

Go ahead, give it a try, is a great show. You might just find yourself reaching for beans instead of protein bars🤣 or walking to the store instead of driving. And who knows? That could be the start of something big.