By Lynne Adkins

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Want to live a long healthy life? An author suggests there are nine lessons to follow.

Dan Buettner’s The Blue Zones is about five areas in the world where there are high concentrations of people living past 100; one is in Loma Linda, California.

He found they had similar lifestyles; they ate mostly plant based diets, had strong faith and hung around the right people.

“[People] nudge us into activity as a form of recreation, so instead of hanging out with people whose idea of fun is sitting on the couch and watching TV, it’s those people who bowl, bike or walk, just walking clubs because that’s an ongoing nudge that will last for decades,” says Buettner.

In addition, each person had a reason to get up each day and all set aside time to wind down, with a nap, meditation or yoga.