If you could live for a hundred years, would you want to? Imagine the changes you would see in a lifetime. In five places around the world, people are reaching their 100-year milestone. These areas have been called the blue zones. Only 20% of genes dictate how long we might live, and the other 80% comes from lifestyle. Residents in the blue zones have discovered the fountain of life that slows the aging process. Research has broken down their activities into nine denominators (Buettner and Skemp, 2016).
1. Moving Naturally. The centenarians are not gym rats. They live a lifestyle of natural work in their homes and gardens, benefiting their health.
2. Purpose. Blue zone centenarians start their mornings with purpose.
3. Downshift. Residents of blue zones take time daily to nap, reflect, play and even have a happy hour.
4. 80% Rule. Blue zone citizens have their last meal in the later part of the afternoon. They also stop eating when they feel 80% full, allowing time to feel the cessation of hunger.
5. Plants. Their diets are rich in beans and lentils. Meat tends to make it into their diet only five times each month. These portions, which generally are pork, are only about three to four oz.
6. Wine. They drink regularly, about one to two glasses of wine per day.
7. Belong. Most centenarians are members of a faith-based organization that offers social and community ties.
8. Loved Ones First. The residents in blue zones put their families as their top priorities.
9. The right Tribe. The community they are raised in honors health.
(Buettner and Skemp, 2016)
Americans could do well to adopt the practices of the blue zone. With obesity becoming a pandemic in the United States, a healthy lifestyle of diet and exercise could greatly benefit us. 90% of dieters give up within seven months of dieting. In the blue zones, candy is less rampant. Candy is not used as a reward in schools for children. This impacts children in their early years, mentally and physically (Buettner and Skemp, 2016).
The elderly of the Ikaria mountainous in the Eastern Aegean Sea have strong muscles, good functionality, and low depression. The credit goes to their healthy lifestyle (Legrand, 2021). Weeks (2015) emphasizes the importance of focusing on community health and making changes. They believe in creating a blue zone lifestyle for the health movement.
With the nine denominators of blue zone health, what do you already follow, and what could you improve on? Perhaps living until 100 is not your goal; however, wouldn’t you want to meet your maximum health capabilities? If the fountain of life is living healthier, isn’t it worth taking a drink of the waters of health?
References:
- Buettner, D & Skemp, S. (2016). Blue zones: Lessons From the world’s longest lived. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 10(5), 318–321. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827616637066
- Legrand, R., Nuemi, G., Poulain, M., & Manckoundia, P. (2021). Description of lifestyle, including social life, diet and physical activity, of people ≥90 years living in Ikaria, a longevity blue zone. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(12), 6602–. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18126602
- Weeks, J.(2015). The blue zone intersection: What role for integrative health in community health? … plus more. Integrative Medicine (Encinitas, Calif.), 14(5), 22–25
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