Longevity expert shares a simple habit you can implement in the new year that will lead to a much healthier lifestyle – and he insists it's much more effective than dieting in the long run

A longevity expert has shared the simple habit you can implement in the new year that can lead to a much healthier lifestyle – and he insists it's much more effective than dieting in the long run.

Dan Buettner, 63, of Saint Paul, Minnesota, has spent more than two decades researching the “blue zones” – areas around the world where people have the longest life expectancies – and he recently spoke with Business insider about some of the simple steps you can take that can add years to your life in the long run.

The author and public speaker, who has released nine books on the subject, explained that many people don't stick to their resolutions for more than a few weeks, especially when it comes to starting a new diet.

That's why he suggested that instead of trying to change the way you eat all at once, you should start by choosing one day a week to prepare three “plant-based” meals.

He pointed that out Home-cooked dishes are much healthier than the things you eat when you order in or eat out.

Dan – host of the Netflix show Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones – also explained that having one day a week preset as cooking day will help make it a long-term routine.

“Instead of resolving, 'I'm going to diet to lose weight,' which never works, cook healthy food with your family (one day a week) in January,” he recommended.

The New York Times bestselling author added that the new habit will hopefully lead to you cooking more often, but that even if it doesn't, you'll still have learned a new skill.

'At the end of the month you will have achieved three things: the skills to prepare 12 meals; you know you have the hardware to cook those because you cooked them; and you will have the experience of tasting them,” he continued.

“As long as you can get four or five meals that you like that are wholesome and plant-based, you're on your way to eating a hundred.”

Ultimately, the expert told the publication that the key to “longevity” is to remember that there is “no short-term solution.”

He concluded, “You should think about things that you will have in your life for a long time, a good recipe and a good friend.”

Dan also spoke about the topic in a video shared ahead of the new year to his Instagram, where he often posts tips and tricks to live longer to his 515,000 followers.

'I want to talk to you about New Year's resolutions.

“In just a few days, as 2024 begins, about 90 million Americans will make New Year's resolutions, and by February 1, 80 percent of them will fail,” he said in the video.

'So instead of making a New Year's resolution this year, learn to cook at home. Get a plant-based cookbook.

'Make it a challenge, try to cook ten new recipes in January, or until you find a few you like.

'Because the most important ingredient when it comes to eating for a long life is taste.

“Once you know how to make a handful of delicious plant-based recipes, my job is done, I'll see you when you're a hundred.”

In the caption, the 63-year-old added: “Every time you eat out, you consume about 300 more calories than if you just used your stove and sat at the kitchen table with your family.”

Some of Dan's other advice for living a long life includes “exercising naturally” and finding a physical activity you're passionate about.

In his most recent book, he wrote that intense gym sessions “don't work for a significant percentage of the population” because they tend to “run out of gas” or stop when “the going gets tough.”

Instead, he said people living in blue zones “just live their lives and move naturally.”

“I make it a point to live in walkable communities so that every time I go to work, to the grocery store or to get coffee,” he said.

“I live in Miami Beach and I can't use a car for weeks. I love cycling. I also like paddle boarding and pickleball.”

He advised you to surround yourself with like-minded people and avoid people who “just want to sit at the bar.”

Dan also emphasized the importance of sleep, explaining that people in the blue zones go to bed shortly after sunset and wake up at dawn, giving them eight full hours of sleep.

Furthermore, in his tome he advised against “restricting” certain foods, adding, “If you tell people to limit a certain food for the rest of their lives, only a handful of them will stick with it.”

'In blue zones they might slaughter a pig and eat a ton of it, but only once a month. Every now and then, if I feel like something, I just eat it.'