• The mountainous Barbagia region of Sardinia, an island off the coast of Italy.
• The Japanese island of Okinawa.
• A community of Seventh-day Adventists in Loma Linda, Calif., about 60 miles east of Los Angeles.
• The Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica.

After conducting extensive research and verifying birth and death records, Buettner wrote the book "The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest." He insists to AP, "We have the numerical data that shows that these places are living longer. It's not just anecdotal."

You don't necessarily have to move to Sardinia or Costa Rica or become a Seventh Day Adventist to benefit. Instead, live like they do from the comfort of your own home. "Picking half a dozen things off of this à la carte menu, and sticking to it, is probably worth eight to 10 (extra) years for the average American," Buettner explained to AP. "And you'll look younger and feel younger on the way." (For the record, Buettner is 48 and hopes to live to be 100.) "If someone tells you they have a pill or hormone (that extends life), you're about to lose money," he warns.

• Smaller food portions
• A healthy diet that includes nuts and tofu
• Low-meat or no-meat diet
• Active lifestyle
• Low-intensity physical activity
• Moderate drinking
• Close family relationships
• Well developed sense of purpose
• Strong support network
• Spirituality
• Regular attendance at religious services
• Exposure to the sun for vitamin D