Does your town have a lot of healthy old people? You might live in a ‘blue zone’
If your city has a lot of people who thrive well into their nineties and even over a hundred, you could be living in a “blue zone.”
‘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.
A docuseries on Netflix titled Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones delves into five places with ‘blue zone’ status: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California.
Loma Linda, California, was chosen because it is home to the highest concentration of Seven-day Adventists – a community that lives ten years longer than their North American counterparts.
People living in the blue zones tend to exercise naturally, which means building exercise into your daily life, rather than a one-off visit to the gym or running a marathon
A docuseries on Netflix titled Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones delves into five places with “blue zone” status: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California
Those who live in the Blue Zone share nine specific lifestyle habits that sustainability expert Dan Buettner, the man behind the Netflix show, calls the Power 9.
These are: natural movement, or incorporating exercise 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.
Marta Fainberg, 100, had never heard of the concept of a blue zone, but lives just a two-hour drive from the small community of Loma Linda, California.
She said Business insider she did cycling and roller skating when she was younger. Now she stays fit by walking at least 1,500 steps a day around her house or in her backyard.
Having a purpose in life, or a reason to get up in the morning, could be worth up to seven years of extra life expectancy, Buettner claims.
Blue Zoners’ relaxing routines help combat stress, which is known to cause chronic inflammation and is linked to every major age-related disease.
Seven-day Adventists in California pray while other blue zone groups around the world take naps.
Sardinians take part in a happy hour, where they gather with friends and family at the end of the day to catch up over a glass of wine.
An important driver for a long life in the blue zones is nutrition. People in these areas adhere to the 80 percent rule, where they stop eating when they are 80 percent full. This prevents overeating and therefore obesity.
They also prefer plant-based foods and eat meat only five times a month.
Growing up, Ms. Fainberg ate primarily a “traditional” Eastern European diet of meat and potatoes, because her parents had immigrated to the U.S. from Poland and Russia.
At the age of 11, a teacher told her that she was 5 kilos overweight. She decided to go on a diet and stopped eating bread and potatoes, and received no additional help.
Throughout her life, she changed her diet depending on the health problems she encountered.
In her 30s, she developed water retention, which caused her ankles and feet to swell. She also inherited high blood pressure from her parents.
Limiting her salt intake largely reduced the swelling.
Nowadays, when she buys packaged food, she checks to see if it contains less than 400 milligrams of sodium.
She stopped eating red meat in the 1970s and later became completely vegetarian. Instead, she got her protein from eggs and low-sodium cheese.
Studies have repeatedly shown that regularly eating red meat and processed meat can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke and certain cancers, especially colorectal cancer.
Too much salt, on the other hand, can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.
People in the blue zones also put their loved ones first, have some sort of belief system, and form social circles that support their healthy behavior patterns.
Mr. Buettner testifies that maintaining healthy relationships with family, friends, and people of faith can extend lifespan, and a strong sense of purpose in life leads to longevity.