Have you ever heard of the “Blue Zones”? They’re the 5 places on earth that have the highest number of people who live to be 100 or over.
To count as a Blue Zone, the population needs to not only live a long life, they also have to be healthy while they outlive us all.
We all try to do the right thing and live a healthy lifestyle, but the people in the Blue Zones are doing it a lot better.
It’s more than just what they eat. Scientists say people living in these areas do a lot of small things that add up to a big difference.
? Get plenty of exercise
? Take time to relax and enjoy life
? They have strong social circles that also live and eat healthily
? There's a strong sense of community
? Have a commitment to family
All of these are important, but the food that they eat is the key.
All 3 have things in common when it comes to diet:
1. They eat their smallest meal of the day late in the afternoon or early evening.
2. They eat mostly plants, and especially beans, and very little meat.
3. They stop eating when their stomachs are 80% full.
Let’s look at the 5 top cities in each of the Blue Zones to see what they are eating.
Top 5 Blue Zone Cities & What They Eat
1. Okinawa, Japan
This area has the highest ratio of people who live to be 100 in the world!
People have a rule about eating something from the land and something from the sea every day. Top foods are bitter melon, garlic, brown rice, green tea, shitake mushrooms and seaweed.
This area is known as “The Island Where People Forget to Die.”
Their top foods are feta cheese, lemons, herbs, goat’s milk, honey and lots of beans. They also eat wild greens and very little meat.
3. Loma Linda, California
Most people are surprised to hear that the United States has a Blue Zone city, but it does.
TweetThere's a Seventh-day Adventist community that stays away from smoking and follows a “biblical diet.” This means lots of grains, fruits, nuts and vegetables, and no refined sugar.
Studies have found that those among the group who have one serving of fish a day live longer than the ones who are vegans.
4. Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica
Costa Rica holds a special place in my heart and I can personally vouch for how easy it is to get fresh, healing foods in this tropical paradise.
This area relies on three staple foods for their diet: beans, corn and squash.
Along with that, they eat lots of papayas, yams, bananas and a fruit called a peach palm that's high in vitamins A and C.
5. Sardinia, Italy
Another Mediterranean Blue Zone, Sardinia has the highest ratio of 100+-year-old men to women.
The people say that they live longer because they drink wine and make love, and that may be true.
As to their diet, they eat lots of goat’s milk and sheep’s cheese, as well as flatbread and barley. They also eat lots of beans, including fava beans and chickpeas.
Yours in health and happiness,
Danette
P.S. Help your friends live longer by sharing this article with them and I welcome your comments below. Have you visited any of these Blue Zone cities and noticed how healthy and happy their people are?
