Blue Zones!
Content Courtesy of the Forever Young Podcast with Christiana Egi and Cherrie-Marie Chiu.
In certain parts of the world, people live longer and healthier than average. Blue Zones are regions of the world characterized by a high proportion of people living much longer than average. This means that most people in these regions are likely to live up to a hundred years old! Most people think that the Blue Zones are just about eating well and while eating has a lot to do with it there is so much more.
A lot of what we discuss on our blog and the Forever Young podcast has to do with giving people ideas, behavior, and techniques on how to live a healthier and longer life. There are a number of topics we have discussed in previous blogs that will give you some helpful tips. They include lifestyle changes, gut health, brain health, exercise, stress management, and so on. There is a great deal we can learn from the Blue Zones' inhabitants, so relax with a tall glass of water or tea and read on! You can also listen to the full podcast episode about Blue Zones below:
‘Blue Zone’ is a non-scientific term given to geographic regions that are home to some of the world’s oldest people. The term was first used by the author Dan Buettner, who was studying areas of the world in which people live exceptionally long lives. They are called Blue Zones because when Buettner and his colleagues were searching for these areas, they drew blue circles around them on a map.
In his book called The Blue Zones, Buettner described five known Blue Zones which are known as Icaria (Greece), Ogliastra Sardinia (Italy), Okinawa (Japan), Nicoya Peninsula (Costa Rica), and the Seventh-day Adventists (USA).
The five blue zones identified in the world.
There are different regions such as Europe, Latin America and Asia, that researchers have identified as having the highest concentration of centenarians in the world. Greece is known to have the lowest rates of dementia and in Okinawa, Japan, females have a life expectancy of over the age of 70! Although these are the only areas discussed in Buettner’s book, there may be unidentified areas in the world that could also be Blue Zones.
These blue zone inhabitants have a number of common things that they do that make them consider themselves the healthiest people on earth. They move their bodies a lot, they have social circles that reinforce healthy behaviors, they take time to de-stress. They are also part of communities, often religious ones, and they're committed to their families. Here are some characteristics common in lifestyles of people living in Blue Zones:
People living in Blue Zones move their bodies naturally. Exercise isn't something they do in a gym or at a class or on a mat, but their environment constantly nudges them to move without thinking about it. They tend to their own gardens in their backyards, and they do not have mechanical conveniences for house and yard work which encourages them to stay active naturally.
De-stressing is something Blue Zone inhabitants take very seriously. Even people living in Blue Zones can get stressed out, but the difference is that they know what to do to relieve their stress. Especially since the pandemic, a lot of people have been learning how important de-stressing is. There are lots of ways we can de-stress that do not involve napping or eating. Try going out for a walk instead of reading a book for pleasure. We all need to learn to stop and smell the roses.
Bluezone inhabitants stop eating when they're 80% full. So there's that 20% gap between being full 80% full and being full, and a lot of times that 20% gap can be the difference between losing and gaining weight. Blue Zone inhabitants also eat the smallest meal of their day in the late afternoon or early evening, and they don't eat after that. I mean, how could they not have ice cream at 10 o'clock at night?
Bluezone inhabitants eat mainly vegetables, and beans. So in fact, beans like fava black beans, soy beans and lentils are the cornerstone of most centenarian diets. Meat, mostly pork is only eaten on average, five times a month, and the serving size is like a deck of cards. Do you think you could do this? All of us are capable of anything if we put our minds to it. It is simply a matter of willpower.
People in Blue Zones live with a sense of purpose. It's what gets them up in the morning. Gratitude for life gives you purpose to enjoy every day. Lend a helping hand to those who may need it.
They are also a part of a faith-based community. What's amazing about this is that research shows that attending faith-based services four times a month will add four to 14 years of life expectancy (because we know stress is the number one killer). Isn't that incredible? Faith-based services can provide you with a sense of direction and strengthen your resolve to keep going no matter what life throws at you.
Family is also an important component of successful centenarians in Blue Zones. This means keeping aging parents and grandparents nearby, or even in their home. They also commit to a life partner, which can actually add up to three years to your life expectancy. They invest in their children with time and love.
Everything and everyone needs a sense of belonging, we need to feel that unconditional love. Most of all, we also need to know that we have someone that we can lean on when we are not strong. Family does not only mean blood relatives but there's also some friendship that is stronger than blood. Communities like Alexis Lodge provide a sense of belonging and prove that family doesn't always mean blood relatives. Centenarians choose or are actually born into social circles that support their healthy behaviors.
The blue zone is all about lifestyle choice. Right?
That was the whole reason we created the Forever Young Podcast, to promote healthy living and to get people thinking about their own choices and how to incorporate new habits into their own lives. Regardless of where you live, you can try to incorporate some of these tips from centenarians. We can create our own Blue Zones by encouraging healthy eating, moving more purposefully, managing and relieving stress. Surround yourself with communities that inspire and support healthy behavior, like our community at Alexis Lodge! You can follow us on Instagram or Twitter to stay up to date and also gain more inspiration to incorporate a healthy lifestyle into your routine!
The Forever Young podcast is created and produced by Christiana and Cherrie Marie Chiu. Produced and engineered by Elisse Hill. The podcast represents our opinions and those of our guests. The content should not be taken as medical advice. It is for informational purposes only. Please consult your health care professional for any medical questions. If you like our show, please tell your friends and leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts. New episodes are available every other Wednesday. Have questions? Email us at ourforeveryoungpodcast@gmail.com.
