Live Longer, Live Better: Lessons for Longevity from the World's Healthiest Zones

Discover how the five cultures with the longest-living people eat and live, then enjoy 50 healthy recipes inspired by those locations—and perhaps live longer yourself.

When researchers identified a region in Sardinia as having the highest concentration of male centenarians, they later zeroed in on villages around the world with the highest longevity: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California, among the Seventh-Day Adventists.

In Live Longer, Live Better, nutritionist and chef Melissa Petitto, RD, looks at the food and lifestyle choices of the people in these regions and presents her findings in an easily digestible format. The first part of the book describes these areas of the world, what they have in common, and how their residents excel at living a healthy lifestyle that can lead to exceptional longevity. Similar characteristics of these communities include:
 

• Happiness and emotional wellness
• Family and community connections
• Natural-movement physical activity
• Disease prevention

The second part of the book provides 50 original, healthy recipeswith spectacular photography that reflect each of the locations, focusing on plant-based meals, as well as a typical day-in-the-life of a resident. Guidelines for this type of eating include reducing consumption of meat and dairy (but not altogether), cutting back on eggs and fish, slashing sugar, and increasing consumption of nuts, water, beans, and whole foods. The recipes offer ideas for rounding out meals so you can eat this way wherever you are. Some recipes include:
 

• Okinawa: Bitter Melon and Tofu Stir Fry; Okinawan Milk Tea; and Kokuto, Banana, and Dark Chocolate Muffins
• Sardinia: Sardinian Herb, Fennel, and Bean Soup; Fregola with Wild Mushrooms; and Sardinian Artichokes with Lemon and Pecorino 
• Loma Linda: California Veggie Bowl with Tahini Dressing; Quinoa and Spinach Stuffed Peppers with Cashew Cream; and No Bake Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• Ikaria: Warm Figs with Honey and Pistachio Drizzle; Ikarian Ratatouille; and Cornmeal Pie with Dried Fruit and Olive Oil
• Nicoya: Tomato Rice with Grilled Avocado and Lime; Potato, Sweet Pepper, Corn, and Tomato Hash; and Chan Seed Pineapple Aqua Fresca

Because there’s no counting calories or nutrient grams, eating this way doesn’t have to be complicated. So what are you waiting for? There’s no time like now to start living better longer!

Discover today’s top trending health and wellness topics with the Everyday Wellbeing series from Chartwell Books. From smart eating habits to personal growth advice, these engaging lifestyle guides give you the expert tips and life hacks you need to help you make good choices while practicing mindfulness and self-love. Whether you want to explore cooking with new ingredients like adaptogens and CBD, or make it a priority to incorporate self-care into your daily routine, these brightly colored take-along handbooks have the tools you need to succeed.

Other books in the series include: Macro Cooking Made Simple, CBD Handbook, Celery Juice Book, Complete Guide to Self Care, Plant-Based Cookbook, Quick and Easy Air Fryer Cookbook, Air Fryer Instant Pot Cookbook, Fabulous Food Boards!, Complete Guide to Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Complete Guide to Sleep Care, and Adaptogens.

Melissa Petitto, RD, was raised around an eclectic collection of food in Birmingham, Alabama. With two seemingly diverse cultures that center life around the kitchen, Petitto gained an early appreciation for food and its impact on a person’s life. Attending Johnson & Wales University, Melissa Petitto was afforded the opportunity of working for The Governor’s House Inn as the bed and breakfast chef and at Cooking Light magazine in the test kitchen. To enhance her skills and opportunities, she furthered her education at Emory University Hospitals with a dietetic internship. Upon passing her registered dietician’s exam, Petitto made the move to New York City to pursue her career goal of becoming a personal chef.

After twelve years in the city, Petitto recently made the move west, now calling Santa Barbara, California, home, and became the personal chef she had envisioned herself to be with an A-list clientele. In recent years, she has traveled to teach cooking classes and works at the Hilton Head Health Institute, a premier weight-loss spa, where she lectures, presents food demonstrations, and consults with individual clients in attendance in addition to traveling to York, Maine, to teach classes at the well-known Stonewall Kitchen Cooking School.

Petitto is the author of Acai Super Berry Cookbook, An Apple A Day, 30 Minute Paleo Meals, The CBD Handbook, and Red Hot Sriracha. She collaborated with Hilaria Baldwin on The Living Clearly Method. Whether cooking dinner for an individual client or a dinner party of twenty-five, Melissa Petitto exudes the passion she feels for nutritious food and its role in a family’s life.

melissapetitto.com