An author named Dan Buettner introduced the world to the idea of “Blue Zones.” He identified five Blue Zones, where people often live to 100 years old.
That’s impressive! But why is the average lifespan in Blue Zones so much longer? What makes life in these regions so great? Well, it turns out that people in these Blue Zones have five traits in common.
What are Blue Zones?
According to Buettner, Blue Zones are areas of the world where people live some of the longest, healthiest, and happiest lives. These zones are Loma Linda, California; Ikaria, Greece; Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; and Nicoya, Costa Rica.
People in these regions seem to defy their real ages. By adopting Blue Zone life practices, you too could lead a happier and healthier life.
The Blue Zone Diet
Buettner estimates that diet alone accounts for about 50% of the Blue Zone longevity equation. The Blue Zone diet is very similar to the healthy and popular Mediterranean diet that you may already be familiar with.
Despite the fact that Blue Zones are world-wide and represent a wide variety of cuisines—Japanese, Greek, Italian, Costa Rican—they share many similarities. Carbohydrates and fiber are key in Blue Zone diets.
Food to Avoid, Food to Enjoy
People in Blue Zone regions tend not to eat much meat. High-fiber foods like beans, green vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and herbs account for the majority of Blue Zone Diets.
Nuts and seeds, beans, cruciferous veggies like broccoli and cabbage, whole grains like oats and barley, bread, root vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes, and fruit are all good choices. These foods should not be bland, either: herbs and spices are integral parts of Blue Zone diets and can actually help improve the overall nutritional profile of your diet.
Regular Movement – Not “Exercise”
For those of us that may be exercise-averse, this could be a good thing to hear: people in Blue Zones tend not to deliberately exercise. Going to the gym or running each morning are not a part of their routines.
Instead, people in Blue Zones move throughout the day during their regular tasks. “They don’t exercise,” Buettner explains. “They’re walking, or they’re in their garden, or they’re doing things by hand.”
Energetic Bursts of Movement
According to research, small energetic bursts of movement throughout the day can actually do a lot for a person’s overall fitness. For example, in one 2019 study published by Canadian Science Publishing, scientists found that walking up and down stairs just a few times a day can improve your wellbeing.
Martin Gibala, a researcher on the study, said that the results are “a reminder to people that small bouts of activity can be effective.” Additionally, it’s important to note that a little movement is better than none at all and that just small bursts of movement, according to Gibala, can “add up over time.”
Adding Movement Into Your Life
Dan Buettner has made his home into a personalized Blue Zone and encourages others to as well. Small changes can encourage someone to move throughout the day. Buettner says to be “mindful of how to engineer little bursts of physical activity.”
Buettner has set up his home so that he has to move throughout the day. “I don’t have a garage-door opener—I open it by hand,” he explains. “To the extent that I can, I use hand-operated tools.” He continues, “I put the TV room on the third floor so every time if I want a snack, I’d go up and down stairs.” Additionally, he shovels in the winter, and keeps a garden (that he has to dig, weed, and water) in the summer. Small activities that require movement can make a big difference.
A Life Purpose
In Japan, there is a term—ikigai—which translates to “reason to live.” In Costa Rica some might describe a similar concept: “plan de vida” or life plan. In Blue Zones, residents use the idea of life purpose to get up and go each day.
According to some studies, a sense of purpose is associated with fewer strokes and less frequent heart attacks among people with heart disease. By feeling like you are a part of something and that you have a reason for being on this Earth, you can actually feel better and be more healthy.
The Importance of Friendship
People with a healthy social group are more likely to be happy and live longer, more fulfilled lives. In Loma Linda, California, people often gather to share home-cooked potluck meals. Additionally, many in Loma Linda are Seventh-day Adventists, so they have a religious group to feel a part of, too.
In Japan’s Blue Zone, there is a social phenomenon called “moai.” According to Buettner, “Parents [in Okinawa, Japan] cluster their children in groups of five, and send them through life together… They support each other, and share life’s fortunes and woes.”
The Healthy Choice Should be the Easy Choice
Buettner wants people to succeed in their goal of becoming healthier and living a long and happy life. He suggests making “the healthy choice the easy choice.”
Slowly, small lifestyle changes can have large impacts. By adding necessary movement in your home, you are making an easy and healthy choice. By buying and eating some nuts instead of chips, you are making an easy and healthy choice. Another way to make the healthy choice the easy choice is to align your community’s lifestyle with Blue Zone lifestyles. This may seem extremely daunting, but Blue Zone projects are helping to spread this idea.
Blue Zone Projects
Across the United States, Buettner has created seventy-five Blue Zone projects. These “projects” are a number of cities and towns that create policies that change the entire environment that people live in.
In these projects, Buettner has helped create healthier communities overall. City policies favor fruits and vegetables over junk food. Many residents quit smoking. Movement groups (like walking clubs) are formed to encourage people to increase their physical activity and lose weight.
A Longer and Happier Life
By eating a healthy diet, moving regularly throughout your day, finding a life purpose, enjoying time with a community, and making easy, healthy choices, you can live a well-rounded and healthy life just like someone in one of the Blue Zones.
Dan Buetter says that these Blue Zone life changes can make people “biologically younger.” Aging can be exciting and no longer frightening to many. In fact, he claims that “at every decade, you have more energy.” By adopting a Blue Zone lifestyle, you too could lead a long, happy, and healthy life.
