Blue Zones
Blue zones are so important for distinguishing the secrets of a long and healthy life. While we are not promised a certain number of days on this earth… we are responsible to be stewards of our bodies that God has given us! In this blog I will describe the Blue Zones and the secrets that make these people live past their 100th birthday!
A blue zone is an area where there is a high amount of centenarians. A centenarian is a person living into their old age and well into their 100’s. They have been called blue zones because they have the highest amount of centenarians per population in the world. Epidemiological data, statistics, birth certificates, and other factors go into the study of these areas. Their secrets to living a healthy life have been studied by Dan Buettner in length. Studying these zones can lend valuable information to us in America for why they live such long and healthy lives. There are 5 places where these blue zones exist: Loma Linda, CA, USA; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Sardinia, Italy; Ikaria, Greece; and Okinawa, Japan.
While the characteristics of these centenarians daily lives are all commonly the same, they also have to have very good genetics and genes to not develop certain chronic diseases. However, the daily activities and lifestyles of these people play a very large part in their long lives.
These 9 common characteristics come from extensive studies from Dan Buettner and have been soured from this website: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6125071/
The 9:
Move naturally. “The world’s longest-lived people do not pump iron, run marathons, or join gyms. Instead, they live in environments that constantly nudge them into moving without thinking about it. They grow gardens and do not have mechanical conveniences for house and yard work.” (PMC)
Purpose. “The Okinawans call it Ikigai and the Nicoyans call it plan de vida; for both, it translates to “why I wake up in the morning.” Knowing your sense of purpose is worth up to 7 years of extra life expectancy.” (PMC)
Downshift. “Even people in the Blue Zones experience stress. Stress leads to chronic inflammation, associated with every major age-related disease. What the world’s longest-lived people have that others do not are routines to shed that stress. Okinawans take a few moments each day to remember their ancestors; Adventists pray; Ikarians take a nap; and Sardinians do happy hour.” (PMC)
80% Rule. “The Okinawan 2500-year old Confucian mantra said before meals reminds them to stop eating when their stomachs are 80% full. The 20% gap between not being hungry and feeling full could be the difference between losing weight or gaining it. People in the Blue Zones eat their smallest meal in the late afternoon or early evening, and then, they do not eat any more the rest of the day.” (PMC)
Plant slant. “Beans, including fava, black, soy, and lentils, are the cornerstone of most centenarian diets. Meat—mostly pork—is eaten on average only 5 times per month. Serving sizes are 3 to 4 oz, about the size of a deck of cards.” (PMC)
Wine @ 5. “People in all Blue Zones (except Adventists) drink alcohol moderately and regularly. Moderate drinkers outlive nondrinkers. The trick is to drink 1 to 2 glasses per day (preferably Sardinian Cannonau wine), with friends and/or with food. And no, you cannot save up all week and have 14 drinks on Saturday.” (PMC)
Belong. “All but 5 of the 263 centenarians interviewed belonged to some faith-based community. Denomination does not seem to matter. Research shows that attending faith-based services 4 times per month will add 4 to 14 years of life expectancy.” (PMC)
Loved ones first. “Successful centenarians in the Blue Zones put their families first. This means keeping aging parents and grandparents nearby or in the home (it lowers disease and mortality rates of children in the home too.). They commit to a life partner (which can add up to 3 years of life expectancy) and invest in their children with time and love. (They’ll be more likely to care for aging parents when the time comes.)” (PMC)
Right tribe. “The world’s longest lived people chose—or were born into—social circles that supported healthy behaviors, Okinawans created moais—groups of 5 friends that committed to each other for life. Research from the Framingham Studies shows that smoking, obesity, happiness, and even loneliness are contagious. So the social networks of long-lived people have favorably shaped their health behaviors.” (PMC)
In America, we are so focused on diets and health fads that are not sustainable. We are fed marketing and branding messages that say certain foods are “heart healthy” or “good for your cholesterol” but are actually processed with very harmful ingredients. Additionally, the western diet is very protein and meat heavy, which is the exact opposite of these Blue Zone diets. I want us to be on guard, educating ourselves on a healthful diet of whole foods and an exercise and movement rhythm that lends us relaxation and tranquillity.
Overall, I believe that Americans need to start implementing these practices into their daily lives. These characteristics of Blue Zones are not innately ground breaking, however, they are small, consistent lifestyle changes that make your life so much healthier. I believe that health is not found in diets or gym memberships, but in the overall whole food lifestyle that lends a lot of time to eating healthily and well, exercise and time outdoors, time with loved ones, a positive view of life, little stress, and Jesus at the center. Now go out there and live intentional, whole lives worthy of your calling!
This summary was sourced from my nutrition degree and this scholarly article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6125071/
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