BLUE ZONES
There are five known Blue Zones:
- Icaria
(Greece): Icaria is an island in Greece where people
eat a mediterranean diet rich in olive
oil, red wine and homegrown vegetables.
- Ogliastra,
Sardinia (Italy): The Ogliastra region of
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): Okinawa 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.
- Nicoya
Peninsula (Costa Rica): The Nicoyan diet is
based around beans and corn tortillas. The people of this area 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, California (USA): The Seventh-day Adventists are a very religious
group of people, who are strict vegetarians and live in tight-knit
communities.
Genetics probably only account for 20–30% of longevity. Therefore, environmental influence is playing a huge role.
The following diet and lifestyle factors are common to people who live in Blue Zones:
1. They eat a 95% plant-based diet; a lot of vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts. They eat meat around five times a month. A number of studies, including one with over half a million people, have shown that avoiding meat can significantly reduce the risk of death from heart disease, cancer and a number of other diseases.
There are some other dietary factors that define each of the Blue Zones. For example, fish is often eaten in Icaria and Sardinia.
2. They Fast and Follow the 80% Rule.
Other habits common to the Blue Zones are a reduced calorie intake and fasting. Long-term calorie restriction may help longevity. Eating fewer calories may be contributing to the longer lives in some of the Blue Zones. Okinawans tend to follow the 80% rule, which they call “hara hachi bu.” This means that they stop eating when they feel 80% full, rather than 100% full.
Therefore, by eating slowly and only until you feel 80% full, you may eat fewer calories and feel full longer.
In addition to consistently reducing overall calorie intake, periodic fasting appears to be beneficial for health, it can significantly reduce risk factors for certain diseases and prolong healthy life.
3. Alcohol consumption:
People in 2 Blue Zones drink one to two glasses of red wine per day, which may help prevent heart disease and reduce the risk of death. There is a lot of discussion about alcohol. It may depend on the type of alcohol. Red wine may be the best type of alcohol, given that it contains a number of antioxidants from grapes. People in the other 3 zones drink less or no alcohol at all.
4. Exercise is built into daily life:
Aside from diet,exercise is another extremely important factor in aging. In the Blue Zones, people don’t exercise purposefully by going to the gym. Instead, it is built into their daily lives through gardening, walking, cooking and other daily chores.
A study of men in the Sardinian Blue Zone found that their longer life was associated with raising farm animals, living on steeper slopes in the mountains and walking longer distances to work.
Moderate physical exercise that is built into daily life, such as walking and climbing stairs, may help prolong life.
5. Enough Sleep
People in Blue Zones get sufficient sleep. Seven hours of sleep at night and naps of no more than 30 minutes during the day may help reduce the risk of heart disease and death.
Other lifestyle factors Associated with Longevity:
- Being
religious or spiritual: Blue Zones are typically
religious communities. A number of studies have shown that being religious
is associated with a lower risk of death. This may be due to social
support and reduced rates of depression.
- Having
a life purpose: People in Blue Zones
tend to have a life purpose, known as “ikigai” in Okinawa or “plan de
vida” in Nicoya. This is associated with a reduced risk of death, possibly
through psychological well-being.
- Older
and younger people living together: In
many Blue Zones, grandparents often live with their families. Studies have
shown that grandparents who look after their grandchildren have a lower
risk of death.
- A
healthy social network: Your social network,
called “moai” in Okinawa, can affect your health. For example, if your
friends are obese, you have a greater risk of being obese, possibly
through social acceptance of weight gain.
By incorporating this into your lifestyle, it may be possible for you to add a few years to your life.
