The Blue Zone regions are home to some of the oldest and healthiest people in the world. Although their lifestyles differ slightly, they mostly eat a plant-based diet, exercise regularly, drink moderate amounts of alcohol, get enough sleep and have good spiritual, family and social networks.
Why do people in Blue Zones live so long?
“People living in Blue Zones are also much less likely to suffer from chronic illnesses.” That’s enviable given that 6 in 10 adults in the U.S. have at least one chronic health condition — including diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia — and 4 in 10 have two or more conditions.
Why are people in Blue Zones healthier?
In this region of Central America, residents have the world’s lowest rate of middle-age mortality and the second highest concentration of male centenarians. Their longevity secret lies partly in their strong faith communities, deep social networks, and habits of regular, low-intensity physical activity.
What is the 80% rule in blue zones?
4. 80% Rule. People in Blue Zones areas stop eating when their stomachs are 80% full and eat their smallest meal in the early evening. 5.
What are 9 common traits of blue zones?
Blue Zones uncovered 9 evidence-based common denominators among the world’s centenarians that are believed to slow this aging process.
- Move naturally. The world’s longest-lived people do not pump iron, run marathons, or join gyms.
- Purpose.
- Downshift.
- 80% Rule.
- Plant slant.
- Wine @ 5.
- Belong.
- Loved ones first.
Do Blue Zone people take naps?
The centenarians from the blue zones regions of the world sleep about 7 to 9 hours per night and take frequent naps, further decreasing their stress load and reducing the risk of heart disease by 34 percent.
Do Blue Zones drink coffee?
Coffee is a daily ritual in blue zones areas, as well. Sardinians, Ikarians, and Nicoyans start their days with a cup, lightly sweetened without cream. In addition to a daily cup of coffee, blue zones centenarians drink water, tea and wine.
Do Blue Zone people drink alcohol?
You can consume alcohol and live to a happy 100, even up to one drink daily for women, two for men. We know from blue zones centenarians that this is true: People in four original blue zones areas drink alcohol moderately and regularly. The trick is to drink one to two glasses per day with friends and/or with food.
Do blue zones drink milk?
Small amounts of sheep’s milk or goat’s milk products—especially full-fat, naturally fermented yogurt with no added sugars—a few times weekly are okay in a Blue Zones diet. Goat’s and sheep’s milk products do figure prominently in the traditional menus of both the Ikarian and Sardinian Blue Zones.
What ethnicity live the longest?
Racial gaps in life expectancy have long been recognized. The same CDC data show that nationally, Hispanic Americans have the longest life expectancy, followed by white and then Black Americans.
What do blue zones eat for breakfast?
In blue zones regions, the routine is similar. Ideally, breakfast or the first meal of the day consists of protein, complex carbohydrates (beans or veggies) and plant-based fats (nuts, seeds, oils) and a majority of the day’s calories are consumed before noon.
Do they eat pasta in blue zones?
Pasta: Pasta gets a bad rap, but centenarians from the blue zones, particularly in Ikaria and Sardinia, eat pasta frequently. Look for pasta made with just a few high-quality ingredients. Gluten-free varieties are available in many stores and are often made with quinoa and brown rice.
What do blue zones eat for lunch?
Your 7-Day Blue Zones Eating Plan
- Breakfast Oatmeal with berries and nuts.
- Lunch Sardinian-style pizza.
- Snack Handful of nuts.
- Dinner Hearty minestrone soup.
- Breakfast Sweet potato hash with veggies.
- Lunch Black bean burger with lettuce and tomato on sourdough.
- Snack A handful of mixed nuts.
- Dinner Tofu steak with mushrooms.
What do people in blue zones do differently?
The Blue Zone regions are home to some of the oldest and healthiest people in the world. Although their lifestyles differ slightly, they mostly eat a plant-based diet, exercise regularly, drink moderate amounts of alcohol, get enough sleep and have good spiritual, family and social networks.
Which Blue Zone is the healthiest?
He has discovered five places in the world – dubbed blue zones – where people live the longest, and are healthiest: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece, and Loma Linda, California.
Do blue zones get Alzheimer’s?
People from the blue zones areas have some of the lowest rates of dementia and Alzheimer’s in the world.
Do blue zones eat dessert?
Instead of sugary treats, Blue Zones residents tend to snack on foods like nuts, packed with fiber and healthy fats, or reach for nutritious fruits for some natural sweetness.
What is the average age in blue zones?
While in the US, the average life expectancy is 78 years, in the Blue Zones, living to be over 100 isn’t uncommon. The regions that make up the Blue Zones include Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Icaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California.
Do Blue Zone people drink wine?
Centenarians from the blue zones regions of the world often drink up to two glasses of wine every day as a way to “downshift” from the stressors of daily life. Sardinians, in particular, drink the garnet-red Cannonau wine.
Do Blue Zones eat cheese?
The diet is mostly plant-based. The daily food intake of people living in Blue Zones is about 95% vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes. They do not eat much meat, dairy, sugary foods or drinks, and processed food.
Do Blue Zones eat potatoes?
The Japanese sweet potato, also called imo, is a cornerstone of the traditional Okinawan diet, a cuisine synonymous with good health and longevity. Yet this blue zones star ingredient became the starch of choice in this island chain not because it’s nutrient-dense or rich in antioxidants, but mostly by necessity.