How the healthiest people in the world live longer: Beauty Chef founder Carla Oates lists five rules people in ‘Blue Zones’ follow

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A leading Australian beauty founder has broken down the five rules those who live the longest follow – and her own life and diet secrets at 51.

Carla Oates, the founder of The Beauty Chefshared her key insights, inspired by Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zonesa film in which journalist Dan Buettner visits the five places in the world with the most centenarians (those aged 100 or older).

The zones include Okinawa, Japan, Sardinia, Italy, Nicoya, Costa Rica, Ikaria, Greece and Loma Linda, California. Those who live in each of these areas share a number of behaviors that are thought to contribute to their above-average lifespans.

These include a plant-based diet, regular physical activity, mindful alcohol consumption, ideal sleep habits and active social lives/communities.

‘Although moving to a remote island sounds quite dreamy, the key to good health and longevity lies in lifestyle habits. Here are the top five common traits you can easily try out no matter where you live,” said Carla.

Embrace a plant-based diet

Whole grains and beans dominate meals in the Blue Zones, combined with seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Across all five zones, plant-based foods make up an average of 95 percent of their diet. Pork, chicken and lamb are also consumed in small quantities in some areas.

As a result, these diets are packed with fiber and prebiotics that promote greater gut health and microbiome diversity.

The Beauty Chef founder shares her daily routine at the age of 51

Eating pattern

Carla’s diet is plant-based and protein-rich; she makes sure she gets three vegetarian meals every week.

‘I always start the day with Glow inner beauty essentialstirred into a glass of filtered water or blended into a delicious smoothie,” Carla told FEMAIL.

The $69 purchase is the brand’s best-seller and hero product.

Now that she is over 50, she also enjoys it Glow timeless.

Carla’s smoothies usually contain papaya, banana, blueberries, coconut milk and chia seeds.

At lunch, Carla looks for a ‘good salad mix’ with lots of ‘leafy greens, seeds and nuts’ with a protein source such as fish, tempeh, chicken or legumes.

Dinner consists of more vegetables with protein in the form of a slow-cooked curry, stew, soup or roast.

Body

Carla takes care of her body through regular moderate exercise such as walking and Pilates.

‘I try to walk most mornings. I describe walking as a natural storage system for my brain. It provides mental clarity, gives me energy and helps me be well prepared for the day,” said Carla.

She also likes to ‘have fun’ and ‘laugh as much as possible’.

“It helps de-stress the body – which is good for gut health and skin health – and it gives you a glow that no amount of cosmetics can duplicate,” she said.

Skin

‘When I get home from my morning walk, the first thing I do is stir Glow inner beauty essential, Collagen inner beauty boost and Omega Elixir in water,” she said.

She cleans with Sodashi’s Calm Clay Cleanserand uses one Probiotic skin refiner.

She uses the one from The Beauty Chef Glow FACE oil in her skin and neck and likes to use The Beauty Chef’s Flora Fix balm on her lips and eyes.

In the evening she will do the same and also add a moisturizer – Supernatural cream from Emma Lewisham is her favorite – for her regimen.

One of her favorite oils is the Sunday Riley CEO Glow Vitamin C + Turmeric Facial Oil which is currently for sale Amazon.

Exercise often, daily

Buettner’s team noted that people within the Blue Zones were urged to exercise about every 20 minutes. These movements were not necessarily exercises, but natural, everyday movements of such things as gardening, kneading bread, operating tools, dancing and walking.

Outside the Blue Zones, physical activity has been shown to improve mortality. A study of more than 60,000 people found that those who exercised 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week had a 20 percent lower mortality rate than those who did not.

Wine is often the drink of choice and is consumed with friends over food, rather than being consumed in excess in the Blue Zones

Drink consciously

With the exception of Adventists in California, people in the Blue Zones drink moderately: a maximum of one drink per day for women and two for men.

Wine is often the drink of choice and is consumed with friends with food rather than consuming too much.

Sardinians are best known for their robust regional red wine called Cannonau, which contains two to three times as many flavonoids (a source of antioxidants) as other wines.

Staying socially connected was another commonality shared between all Blue Zones. In Ikaria, Sardinia and Nicoya, people often stop to chat with neighbors as they pass by and often connect with friends during the daily happy hours

Prioritize sleep

About one in three Australian adults are not getting the minimum recommended amount of seven hours of sleep per night.

Meanwhile, people in the Blue Zones rise with the sun and sleep with the night, regularly reaching seven to nine hours. In Ikaria and Sardinia, daytime napping is also common and there is some evidence that a short nap can promote brain health.

Make time for community

Staying socially connected was another commonality shared between all Blue Zones. In Ikaria, Sardinia and Nicoya, people often stop to chat with neighbors as they pass by and often connect with friends during the daily happy hours.

About half of Okinawans also belong to a “moai”: a group of individuals who meet weekly or more often to share hobbies and interests and support each other.

Since research has linked loneliness and social isolation to a variety of health and mental conditions, there are plenty of positives to staying connected.