The Blue Zones: What We Can Learn from the World’s Longest-Lived People

"Blue Zones" are geographic areas with lower rates of chronic diseases and longer life expectancy. This is possible because of their diet, fasting, exercise, along with other factors. This term was first used by author Dan Buettner, who studied the areas of the world where people lived exceptionally long lives. He called them the "Blue zones", because when Buettner and his colleagues were searching for these areas, they drew it with a blue circles around them on the map.

Buettner in his book described these "Blue Zones" in five regions:

• Icaria (Greece)
• Ogliastra, Sardania (Italy)
• Okinawa (Japan)
• Nicoya Peninsula (Costa Rica)
• The Seventh-day Adventists in Loma Linda, California (USA)

What can be learned from the Blue Zones?

The study that Buettner and Sam Skemp published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, which is also found on the online portal of National Library of Medicine, under the National Center for Biotechnology Information, mentions lessons learned from these zones:

Moving Naturally: The study mentions that 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.

Purpose: Ikigai, do we, by now, not know about it? The concept reached its peak of fame by a book, which Okinawans mean the "purpose", whereas the Nicoyans call it plan de vida. The study mentions, 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."

Downshift: Everyone experiences stress, even the people in blue zones too. 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.

80% Rule: Hara Hachi bu - is an Okinawan mantra, founded 2500-year ago by Confucianism. It is said before the meal to remind people to stop eating when they are stomach are 80% full. The study mentions that the "20% gap between not being hungry and feeling full could be the difference between losing weight or gaining it." The study also found that the 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.

Plant slant: The people of blue zones mostly eat a plant-based diet and meat is only eaten on an average of 5 times per month. Serving sizes are 3 to 4 oz, about the size of a deck of cards.

Wine @ 5: The study mentions: "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."

Belong: All but 5 of the 263 centenarians interviewed belonged to some faith-based community. The study mentions that there is research that backs up that attending faith-based services 4 times per month adds 4 to 14 years of life expectancy.

Loved ones first: All these people put their family first. It means to love their ageing parents, grand parents and committing to one life partner, which can add up to 3 years of life expectancy.

Right Tribe: The world's longest lived people chose or were born into social circles that supported healthy behaviors. Okinawans created moais, which is a group of 5 friends that committed to each other for life. Framingham Studies showed that habits like smoking, obesity, happiness and loneliness are all contagious. This is why social networking among each other, shapes a healthy behavior.