At 95 years old, Ruth Chang still cooks for herself every single day, tends to her garden and continues many of the simple rituals that have shaped her life for decades.

There are no expensive supplements, complicated wellness protocols or trendy biohacking gadgets behind the Honolulu woman's impressive longevity, her routine instead revolving around ordinary habits such as eating plenty of vegetables, keeping portions modest and staying close to family.

According to world-renowned longevity expert Dan Buettner, there may be plenty the rest of us can learn from the way she lives.

Dan, a National Geographic Fellow, bestselling author and the researcher behind the famous 'Blue Zones', has spent decades travelling the world studying populations where people routinely live long, healthy lives.

But a recent encounter with Ruth at her home in suburban Honolulu gave him a fascinating glimpse into the small daily habits that may help support healthy ageing.

'I cook every day. Once you stop, you lose it,' Ruth told him.

Ruth is Chinese American and has spent her life in Hawaii, where research has previously found remarkably high life expectancy among Chinese American women.

While there is no single secret to living a long life, Dan identified eight simple habits in Ruth's everyday routine that he believes could offer valuable lessons for anyone hoping to live a longer, healthier life.

Know when to put down your fork 

One of the first things Dan noticed was Ruth's modest portion sizes, with the 95-year-old eating slowly, savouring her food and stopping before she feels completely full.

Dan likened the approach to eating until around 80 per cent full, a principle he has also encountered in Okinawa, Japan, one of the original Blue Zones.

Rather than obsessively counting calories, the idea is to eat enough to feel satisfied without reaching the point where you feel stuffed.

It also fits with Dan's broader advice to avoid constantly grazing between meals, having previously suggested that people ditch habitual snacking, and give their digestive system time to rest.

The importance of vegetables in a balanced diet 

Ruth also fills much of her plate with vegetables, tofu and leafy greens, while meat is treated more as a flavouring or garnish than the centrepiece of every meal.

The lunch she prepared for Dan included garlic tofu with minced mushrooms and a vegetable noodle stir-fry inspired by food from her childhood in China.

Dan said the meal had a fifth of the calories of a hamburger and considerably more nutritional value.

It's an approach that reflects one of the most consistent patterns he has encountered during his longevity research, with many traditional diets in long-living communities centred around plant foods.

For Ruth, however, there is no complicated diet plan involved. Instead, she continues to cook and eat the types of meals that have been part of her life for decades.

She still tends to her garden 

At 95, Ruth continues to grow ingredients she can use in the kitchen, alongside flowers that she tends to because she enjoys their beauty.

Dan believes gardening naturally combines several behaviours commonly seen among long-living populations, including gentle physical movement, spending time outdoors and remaining connected to the changing seasons.

It also reflects his belief that staying active doesn't necessarily require punishing workouts, as movement can instead be woven naturally into everyday life through walking, gardening, cooking and household tasks.

Family remains at the heart of her life 

Food in Ruth's home is about much more than nutrition, with meals made to be shared and family sitting at the centre of daily life.

Even the order in which people are served carries meaning, with the eldest traditionally receiving their food first as a small but significant expression of respect.

Dan included the ritual among his longevity lessons because it reflects the importance of strong family and social connections, something he has repeatedly observed in long-living populations.

Cooking gives Ruth a reason to bring people together, turning an ordinary daily task into something that also provides purpose, connection and companionship.

She refuses to stop learning 

Perhaps one of the most striking things about Ruth's lifestyle has little to do with what's on her plate.

She remains curious, continues learning and still experiments in the kitchen rather than assuming that getting older means she should stop doing the things she has always enjoyed.

Cooking itself also requires planning, remembering recipes, chopping, stirring and moving around the kitchen, keeping both the mind and body engaged in the process.

How small daily rituals matter 

Not every one of Ruth's habits fits neatly into conventional health advice, with Dan also noting her simple household rule that shoes always come off at the door.

He described it as creating a cleaner, calmer and more intentional home, although removing your shoes is obviously not itself a secret to living into your nineties.

Instead, it highlights how small rituals can bring structure and intention to everyday life.

Following Ruth's routine certainly cannot guarantee anybody will live to 95, as longevity is influenced by a complex combination of genetics, environment, healthcare, socioeconomic circumstances and lifestyle.

However, many of her everyday behaviours echo patterns Dan says he has observed repeatedly during decades spent studying some of the world's longest-living populations.