If you are reading this, chances are you have heard about blue zones in some way, and are curious about how you can apply lifestyle changes to improve your well-being. In today’s post, I will look at the blue-zone eating and lifestyle behaviors of people in these communities. I’ll focus on similarities in behaviors that can be applied to the daily lives of those not in blue zones. Before reading more, I advise you to consider that many factors affect our health, and yes lifestyle choices that work for one person, living in one place may not work for another.
So what are blue zones? Blue zones are places or communities where more people live to 100. Heart disease, dementia, cancer, and diabetes are less common in blue zones. Blue zones include Loma Linda, California; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Sardinia, Italy; Ikaria, Greece; and Okinawa, Japan. People in these zones are living longer but that does not mean that any one thing they are doing is why they are living longer. There are similarities and differences between each culture and environment in these blue zones. The common themes will help us see how aspects of blue zones can be applied to our lives. Common themes involve eating habits and lifestyle choices people make.
What eating habits and lifestyle choices do blue zoners have in common?
Fresh and Local Foods
Background
People in these communities eat fresh foods. They are either growing food themselves or purchasing locally grown foods. In Ikaria for example, an elderly couple featured on an episode of the Wonder List with Bill Weir grows food and raises animals on their property. The land on their property is not flat and you can see them traverse stairs to harvest food. Then in Dan Buettner’s docu-series, we learn that Okinawans garden for at least 1-2 hours daily. The key takeaways from these examples are to eat fresh produce when possible and be physically active in some way. Although fresher foods are better when you can get them, I’d like to acknowledge that some fresh foods may be less accessible to others. These blue zones are located in parts of the world, where the climate allows for year-round gardening and farming. You may live in a place where frozen and canned foods are common or you may experience another barrier that limits your access to fresh produce. For some, frozen or prepared meals are accessible as they are easy to make. For others, canned food may be the most nourishing and accessible food.
Also, I want to highlight places that make food more accessible to all. In my city, some great non-profit organizations cater to their communities by providing services for them such as food distributions and nutrition classes. I can write a separate post on these organizations because they are doing amazing work to ensure people within their communities can access fresh foods and the other services they offer. One example, I recently discovered was Mixteca in Brooklyn, which is listed as a food pantry in NYC. It distributes fresh fruits and vegetables to households in need. Many food pantries and programs distributing foods try to adopt a model where fresh foods are distributed. At least that is what I have seen in recent years. If you do not need such services but are still looking for ways to eat more locally grown or fresh foods, I will discuss this below.
Application
There are several ways you can eat fresh:
Local Farmer’s Markets: Farmers and vendors bring fresh foods or foods made with ingredients from a local farm (For example a jam made with berries from a farm in the region/area you live in). Some farmer’s markets accept payment from benefit cards such as those issued by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides monthly assistance for purchasing foods for eligible households in the United States.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) groups. Generally, you sign up to pick up a share of fresh foods such as vegetables, fruits, and eggs every week or two weeks. In some cases, CSAs offer programs where those who can afford to pay more for their shares receive them at a higher price so that low-income shareholders can receive them at a lower cost.
Food CO-OPs: These are similar to supermarkets except you pay a membership fee to join and fulfill requirements such as working for the co-op. These requirements help keep prices lower for members.
Meal-kit delivery services. If you are just learning to cook there are meal-kit delivery services such as HelloFresh that have recipes that are easy to follow.
Meal Delivery Services. If you do not cook or cannot cook for yourself there are cooked meals out there too! HelloFresh’s, Factor is a company that has dietitian-curated meals.
2. Balanced Diets with a focus on plants
Background
Except for the 7-day Adventists, in Loma Linda, California who lead a vegetarian lifestyle, the other communities follow plant-focused eating patterns that include meat and dairy. In Ikaria, the lamb is not excluded. It is eaten less often than in different parts of Greece. Dietary patterns in Okinawa, Japan evolved to include more meat and dairy but still include bitter melons, tofu, garlic, brown rice, green tea, and shitake mushrooms. In Sardinia, Italy some staples, are plant-based proteins-legumes (nuts) such as almonds, and pulses such as fava beans or chickpeas. Dairy such as goat’s milk and cheese is also eaten in Sardinia. One key takeaway for me is plant-focused eating patterns. Most of the eating patterns don’t exclude meat and dairy products but include greater amounts of plants and whole grains.
Application
Chances are you are already trying to eat more plant-based foods or include plant-based foods in your diet. There’s more than one way to add plant-based foods to your diet. You can be flexible and do not have to stick to a diet that excludes dairy or meat. You can honor your culture and eat foods you like to eat that are plant-based.
Some ways for you to try to add more plant-based foods to your diet:
Swap meat for plant-based proteins such as nuts, peas, and soy. You may see soy in the form of tofu, which is made from soybean curd.
You can also mix meat and plant-based proteins in one meal. For example, plov can have a choice of meat and chickpeas instead of meat only.
Swap in some plant-based dairy products. Most plant-based milks will likely have less protein in them however they’ll likely be fortified (the process of adding a nutrient such as calcium to a food). Hint soy milk has the most protein in it.
Plant-based Fats/oils: You probably already have some plant-based oils at home- olive oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, and avocado oil. You can add avocados to salads or sandwiches. Unsweetened coconut flakes can be added to foods as well.
Concluding Thoughts
There is no one-size-fits-all approach. You can incorporate the eating habits of blue zoners in ways that work best for your life. Changing eating habits may not prevent all health conditions and in some cases, you will still need to see medical professionals to manage your health. You may need to make lifestyle changes and continue to use medications. Don’t skip out on seeing qualified health professionals if you need to see them. No suggestions in this post should replace seeing a doctor for a medical condition. Also, a dietitian can help you apply lifestyle choices mentioned in this post. The dietitian is qualified to ensure you are meeting your nutritional needs and goals for a healthier lifestyle. You can request an appointment with a dietitian on Rise and Thrive Nutrition today!
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