California woman who quit her 9-to-5 job and moved to Greek ‘blue zone’ Ikaria reveals the biggest changes she has noticed since moving to the longevity mecca

By James On Nov 17, 2023

A woman who quit her job to live in Ikaria, Greece – which has one of the longest average lifespans in the world – revealed the “biggest change” she had noticed since moving.

Anna Katsas said goodbye to West Hollywood, California in 2022, en route to the Greek island, where she has family ties in the form of her 90-year-old grandmother, who was born there.

“The biggest change I have noticed after living in the blue zone Ikaria is how social, friendly and caring the people are,” Anna began, adding, “And I will give a few examples of this.”

‘So let me start by saying that Ikaria is a very safe place. And I often went for walks in… the village and I felt safe enough to say hello to everyone who passed by. And they said hello back.

Anna Katsas left West Hollywood, California, for Ikaria, Greece, in 2022

“The biggest change I have noticed after living in the blue zone Ikaria is how social, friendly and caring the people are,” said Anna

Ikaria is known as a ‘blue zone’: a place where average life expectancy is statistically higher than that of the rest of the world. The photo shows Anna’s grandmother

Anna said her 90-year-old grandmother (pictured) had neighbors come over several times a day to ‘check in on her’ – demonstrating the emphasis on community on the island

The world’s meccas for longevity: what are ‘blue zones’

‘Blue zones’ are areas of the world with lower rates of chronic disease and generally healthier residents, coinciding with longer life expectancy and a greater number of people living to be 100 years old.

There are five ‘blue zones’ around the world: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California.

Those living in the blue zone were found to share nine specific lifestyle habits: natural movement, or incorporating movement and activity into daily life; feel like they have a purpose; downshifting or finding ways to reduce stress, such as praying, taking a nap, or enjoying happy hour; the 80 percent rule that causes people to stop eating when they are 80 percent hungry to prevent weight gain; following a plant-based diet; moderate and regular alcohol intake; have a sense of faith; focused on family and relationships; and have a strong social circle that values healthy living.

‘And more often than not we would start talking. They would ask, “Who are you?” “How long will you stay?” “You look just like your father!” “Are you from this family?” “We’re cousins!”

‘And this would just happen. And then we became friends!’

‘One time I said hello to a woman. And she ended up being my cousin! And she invited me to her house for coffee and cookies that she had just baked fresh. And they were so good. And we had a deep conversation about life – about how to follow your dreams and pursue what makes you happy.

“And this all happened because I said ‘hello.’

As a second “example,” Anna provided her personal observations of the community’s consistency in showing up to check in on her grandmother.

‘When I lived with yia yia, my grandmother, in her house, people would come by several times a day to check on her. Sometimes they would bring extra crops from their garden, like fruits and vegetables, and just give them to her,” Anna explained.

‘Some people checked in for 10 minutes because they were on their way and had to be somewhere. And some stayed for hours, because they had known her all their lives.

‘And this was just a natural phenomenon. It was so refreshing to see how many people really care about other people in Ikaria.’

She adds that she believes “people are so sincere because of (Ikaria’s) history.”

In another videoAnna explained that human civilization on Ikaria dates back to the 7th century BC, where the inhabitants flourished growing honey, wine and olives.

Anna said she happened to meet and befriend one of her cousins just by saying “hello” to a stranger she passed on a walk

Located in the Aegean Sea, Ikaria was first inhabited by humans in the 7th century BC

@annakatsas

Reply to @Elise Knebusch The biggest change I noticed after living in the Blue Zone, Ikaria, was experiencing how social, kind and caring the people are. Friends and family contact each other almost every day. Strangers you walk past often become your friend just because you say, “Hello, how are you?” The Ikarians have been caring for each other for many years and I believe the history of Ikaria is part of the reason for that. In the next video I will tell more about the history of Ikaria, stay tuned! 🙂 #bluezone #ikaria #ikaria island #lifestylechange #lifespan #centenarian

♬ original sound – Anna Katsas

Unfortunately, the island’s agricultural production, together with its geographical vulnerability, made it a prime target for pirates.

The residents ultimately decided to “stay, destroy their own ports and hide,” Anna said, adding that they retreated from the coast to the mountains, and “essentially disappeared from society for hundreds of years and became self-sufficient.” ‘

In a follow-up postAnna said that, living in houses built into boulders on the mountains for camouflage, the people of Ikaria “relied on themselves and their neighbors for survival” – implying that this lifestyle laid the cultural foundation for a community that built is on unwavering mutual support from its members even millennia later.

Elsewhere, Netflix’s Live To 100: Secrets Of The Blue Zones also delved into the reasons behind the longevity of Ikaria’s residents.

“Here’s a population that lives about seven years longer than Americans, with about half the rate of cardiovascular disease,” host Dan Buettner said.

He noted that he found it “interesting” that he could find no cases of dementia among the many residents in their 60s, 70s and well into their 100s.

In addition to the nutritional benefits of staples such as herbal teas, raw honey and wine, one of the key “secrets” Dan discovered was an unyielding emphasis on interpersonal and romantic relationships, as well as “dancing and laughing.”