Apart from the seven wonders of the world, people from around the globe are obsessed with the five Blue Zones, where the residents statistically live the longest.
The five Blue Zone regions - Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Ikaria, Greece; the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica; and Loma Linda in California - do not have lot in common. So what is the secret behind their long and healthy lives? How are the residents of these regions, despite striking cultural differences, walking into their 90s and in some cases, even going beyond, often without any serious health hazard? Below are some of their lifestyle secrets that you may borrow to live longer.
Start a plant-based diet.
Limit your consumption of animal protein and start favoring green veggies, yams, beans, fruits, nuts, seeds, and sweet potatoes. Do not forget to add Whole grains to your diet too. Residents of the Blue Zones eat a wide variety of garden vegetables during their growing season and the surplus is used for pickling and enjoying them later during the off-season.
Go low on dairy and big on tea.
When it comes to beverages, the people living in the Blue Zones go low on dairy and heavy on tea and water. They prefer drinking herbal tea almost all day long. In Okinawa, people often drink green tea, while in Ikaria, they usually prepare their tea with rosemary, mint, or oregano.
Loneliness can shave off years from your life.
Apart from a healthy diet, the people of these regions are engaged in social activities, and community, and they possess a strong sense of one’s purpose in life. The residents of Blue Zones are not waking up directionless in the morning. Most people are driven by life’s purpose and meaning. They are spending quality time with friends and family and keeping themselves engaged, and there is no room for existential stress in life.
Slash your sugar consumption
Remember to consume no more than seven teaspoons of sugar every day. Centenarians from the Blue zones generally consume sweets only during special occasions and celebrations. Their foods contain no added sugar, and they usually sweeten their tea with honey.
Walk everyday
Three of the five Blue Zones (Ikaria, Sardinia, and Okinawa) are located in steep and very narrow regions that did not always have access to proper modern-day roads. This aspect of being situated away in remote hilltop isolation did not just protect these regions from the corrosive impacts of globalization but also forced its residents to form close-knit social connections with each other and mandated plenty of up and downhill walking into their everyday routines that keep them fit.
Ultimately, we can conclude that the secrets of the Blue Zone are no secret after all.
