It’s no secret that eating healthy and exercising are good for your body. From fighting disease to boosting energy, those who practice a health-focused lifestyle reap many benefits within the blue zone area.
However, there are certain diets and lifestyles that may be more effective than others. Example: The Blue Zone. Interestingly, people who occupy the blue zone tend to live longer than people in other parts of the world. Surprisingly, they don’t often come across diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.
And look at this, blue zone dwellers don’t count calories, don’t take vitamins, don’t weigh grams of protein, or even read labels.
With that, Dan Buettner, longevity expert and author of “The Blue Zones American Kitchen” cookbook, takes a look at the long-lived lifestyles of Blue Zone centenarians and offers 100 delicious Blue Zone-inspired recipes. to help you live to be 100 years old.
Blue zone locations
After a Danish twin study revealed that only about 20% of the time we live is determined by genes, it occurred to Buettner that it might be possible to reverse engineer longevity by finding verifiable areas of greatest longevity and then using established scientific techniques to find the common denominators, as it correlates with a high life expectancy.
“Working with Michel Poulain and Dr. Gianni Pes, we found the longest living people in Sardinia, Italy; Ikaria Greece, Okinawa Japan, Nicoya, Costa Rica and among Seventh-day Adventists in Loma Linda California,” says Buettner.
So what do these inhabitants of the Blue Zone have in common? Pretty.
The staples of the blue zone
Movement over traditional exercise
People in the blue zones do not exercise as much as they move naturally. “Every time they go to work or to a friend’s house or to the grocery store, he gives them a ride,” says Buettner. And sitting on the floor instead of a chair allows for additional movements (like a squat) to be repeated throughout the day. For example, when visiting a 104-year-old woman in Okinawa, Japan (to study the Blue Zone inhabitant), Buettner observed that the woman essentially squatted about thirty times a day simply getting off the ground to complete daily tasks. .
It is no coincidence that Okinawa has low death rates from falls and hip fractures. Buettner believes that this daily movement could play a huge role in strengthening the lower body and therefore increasing longevity.
On top of that, people in the blue zone don’t spend anything in front of the screen. “Their homes have no mechanical conveniences, so they go home and do the yard work by hand, and they all have gardens that they work on year-round,” Buettner says, estimating they move every 20 minutes or so. , so they do more “exercise” than most people who attend gyms.
Incorporate these blue zone habits:
Use the stairs instead of the elevator. Bike to work (if you live close enough). Limit screen time and replace it with motion. Use bean bags (or low chairs) to encourage lower body movement. If you have a desk job, set a timer every thirty minutes and get up and walk around.
Primarily plant-based food options
About 90% of Blue Zone’s traditional dietary intake comes from whole plant-based sources and 65% from complex carbohydrates. “The 5 pillars of all longevity diets in the world are whole grains (wheat, rice, and corn), tubers (sweet potatoes, etc.), vegetables (about 60 varieties), nuts, and beans,” Butettner explains.
Limit or eat very little meat, dairy, sugary drinks and foods, and processed foods.
Her meals are whole foods grown on her land and prepared by hand every day, committing to her nutrition and health.
Movement and food choices are the only reasons people in the Blue Zones live longer, as they have low stress levels and are socially connected, giving them a sense of connection and a strong sense of purpose.
Incorporate these blue zone habits:
Introduce more fruits and vegetables into your diet. Limit processed foods, drinks, and foods high in sugar. Try ‘Meatless Monday’. Consume a handful of raw nuts a day,
Buttery Beans with Benne Seeds and Okra Recipe
Source: news.google.com