They liked him before so they brought him back for more. Henry Sinopoli will speak on “Life in the Blue Zone” from 5 to 7 p.m. March 26 in the Butler YMCA Trustee's Room, 339 N. Washington St. Admission is free.

Sinopoli, a retired school district superintendent with a doctorate in applied research, will be discussing the health benefits of Blue Zone habits.

Sinopoli will outline research gathered from what have been called the “happiest and healthiest places in the world,” the so-called Blue Zones.

“Blue Zone” is a non-scientific term given to geographic regions that are home to some of the world's oldest people.

Sinopoli said, “I became interested in the Blue Zones when was doing research in proton and photon radiation therapy for cancer. The place that did that was the Loma Linda Medical Center.

“I went Loma Linda to do research and discovered Loma Linda is a Blue Zone,” said Sinopoli.

The term was first used by the author Dan Buettner, who was studying areas of the world with high concentrations of centarians.

In his book called “The Blue Zones,” Buettner described five known Blue Zones:

Icaria is an island in Greece where people eat a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil, red wine and homegrown vegetables.

Ogliastra, Sardinia, is home to some of the oldest men in the world. They live in mountainous regions where they typically work on farms and drink lots of red wine.

Okinawa, Japan, is home to the world's oldest women, who eat a lot of soy-based foods and practice tai chi, a meditative form of exercise.

The inhabitants of the Nicoya Peninsulain Costa Rica have a diet based around beans and corn tortillas. The people regularly perform physical jobs into old age and have a sense of life purpose known as “plan de Vida.”

The Seventh-day Adventists in Loma Linda, Calif., are a very religious group of people. They're strict vegetarians and live in tight-knit communities.

Sinopoli said the Seventh-Day Adventists are the ones who started the Loma Linda Medical Center and they are “extremely knowledgeable on lifestyle, diet and medicine.”

Some of the nine Blue Zone habits Sinopoli will discuss include:

Moving naturally

Understanding your life's purpose at any stage of life

Minimizing stress

Eating a diet emphasizing plant-based nutrition and

Understanding the importance of belonging and spirituality promoting loved ones and friends.

“You do not have to live in a Blue Zone to live like you are in a Blue Zone, ” Sinopoli said. “You can try to follow the lessons.

“I would like to say I do, but I do sneak a drink once in a while and I do eat a hot dog once in a while,” said Sinopoli.

Nicole Gatto, YMCA marketing communications specialist, said, “He came here back in January and did a speaking engagement, 'Living in the Blue Zone.' We had a big crowd for the first time he was here,” she said.

Sinopoli said, “The Blue Zone lessons are mostly diet and exercise. There is nothing to buy.”

“I would like to thank Julie Saeler, the YMCA's healthy living director, and Kellie Donahue, the personal training coordinator, for making this part of their community support effort,” he said.

WHAT: “Staying in the Blue Zone: A Recipe for a Healthy Lifestyle”WHEN: 6 to 8 p.m. March 26WHERE: Butler YMCA Trustees' Room, 339 N. Washington St.INFO: Free event is open to the public