In the Aegean Sea, which lies between Greece and Turkey, there is a Greek island known for its wild mountainous landscape, its hot springs, its wine, the rather relaxed lifestyle of its people — and the fact that people there have unusually long lives. The island is called Ikaria, and one-third of the people there live past the age of 90. Ikaria is a "blue zone," one of five places around the world — like Okinawa in Japan, or Sardinia in Italy — that have been identified by researcher Dan Buettner as places where people live unusually long, healthy lives. On Ikaria, there are low rates of health problems like cancer and heart disease, and dementia is very rare. This may be partly because of the Ikarian diet. This is similar to the Mediterranean diet, which contains a lot of fruit and vegetables — as well as beans, nuts and healthy olive oil — but is low in meat and dairy. On Ikaria, they eat even less meat, and less fish too — usually eating meat just five times a month, and fish only twice a week. Instead, they eat a lot more beans, vegetables and herbs. Beans in particular seem to be important. Researchers have found that in blue zones, people who eat a cup of beans every day live the longest. Beans are healthy because they provide protein, iron and vitamins, and also contain fiber, which is good for your digestion and helps lower cholesterol. On the Blue Zones website, Buettner writes that Ikarians also drink herbal teas daily, made from things like oregano, dandelion, sage and rosemary. He believes these teas may also have a positive impact on their health. The landscape of Ikaria may have some health benefits too. Because it's mountainous, Buettner says, "Just about every trip to the store or a friend's house to eat includes a trip uphill." So this provides people with plenty of exercise!