Deep dive into trending topics on personal and business effectiveness. To view online, click here.

Living to 100 is not an easy feat for anyone, but in some parts of the world making it to this milestone is reportedly more common than in others. Further, the people in these places are not just surviving to be centenarians, but they’re thriving, living in good health, fitness, and wellbeing much longer

What’s the secret to their good fortune? They live in what researchers call a ‘Blue Zone’.

Blue Zones are five regions in the world where life expectancy is reported to be higher than elsewhere, with more people living beyond 80 years of age than is typical. Healthline reports that people in these locations have lower rates of chronic diseases, and it’s believed that factors such as diet, exercise, connection, and environment are key to this success (see the ‘Power 9’ list below).

Why are they called Blue Zones?

The term Blue Zone was coined by researcher and author Dan Buettner, who along with his colleagues, set out to find the locations where people lived longer than others. They built on the demographic work of Gianni Pes and Michael Poulain, who discovered that Sardinia in Italy had the highest concentration of male centenarians. The name Blue Zones simply refers to the fact that when the researchers all got together to discuss the locations, they used a blue pen to circle them on a map.

Five Blue Zones have been identified by Buettner and his peers. These are:

• Ikaria, Greece: This Aegean Island features low rates of middle-age mortality and dementia.

• Barbagia, Sardinia, Italy: This mountainous region is reportedly home to the most male centenarians in the world.

• Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica: This has low middle-age mortality, and the second highest concentration of male centenarians.

• Loma Linda, California: A community of Seventh Day Adventists located in Loma Linda typically live 10 years longer than in the rest of the US.

• Okinawa, Japan: In this island chain, females over 70 live the longest in the world.

What is the Power 9 list?

Buettner and his peers developed nine reasons why people in the Blue Zones live longer and healthier lives, and dubbed this the ‘Power 9’. These traits are:

1. Moving naturally, and incidentally throughout the day, such as doing gardening, rather than working out in gyms.

2. Having a sense of purpose, which could add as much as seven years to life expectancy.

3. Downshifting, or in Australia we might call this ‘stressing less’. The residents of the Blue Zones love to nap and take things at a slower pace, leading to fewer health issues.

4. The 80% rule, in which residents of Blue Zones stop eating when they are almost full, which helps keep their weight in check. They have just a small meal in the evening and no late-night snacks ahead of an overnight fast.

5. Plant slanting, which means focusing on a diet of beans and greens, and only having meat about once a week.

6. Wine, in small amounts, each day (a maximum of 1-2 glasses) and no bingeing sessions.*

7. Belonging, and enjoying a sense of community. For many, this sense of connection is faith based, and includes all types of religions.

8. Putting loved ones first, which means they focus on family before other matters, and they keep aging parents nearby or living at home.

9. Right tribe, which means being born into a community where people in general focus on healthy behaviours, so everyone is emulating the good traits of each other.

Image source: Blue Zones

Writing for The New York Times Magazine, Buettner tells a story about a man, who in his mid-60s, was diagnosed with lung cancer in the US. Rather than going through chemotherapy, he went back to his family home in Ikaria, Greece, to live out his days. However, in Ikaria, he started to feel better. He worked in his garden and ate home-grown vegetables. He cared for the family vineyard, took naps regularly, and played dominoes late into the night. In fact, he found his lung cancer recovered, and he went on to live to around 100. Buettner sees a connection between the man’s recovery and Ikaria’s fresh sea air, water, herbal ‘mountain tea’ and local honey. In Ikaria, the diet also focuses on a large portion of greens and grains, a low intake of saturated fats including meat, while having plenty of olive oil, beans and goat milk.

Blue Cities

While it’s clearly not practical for everyone to move to a Blue Zone, there’s an increasing focus on bringing Blue Zone elements into established cities around the world. Dan Burden writes that the composition of buildings, parks, streets, bridges and neighbourhoods all impact the physical and mental wellbeing of residents. “Improving built environments is an important part of the solution to today’s public health crisis,” he says.

To capture the essence of a Blue Zone, urban planners need to consider: ‘walkability’, which means that streets and neighbourhoods are safe and suitable for walking; ‘liveability’, which means there is integrated transport, safety, and social interaction; and ‘green design’, which means there are plenty of trees and green spaces for people to enjoy.

A Blue Zone diet

Image source: Everyday Health

The Blue Zones way of eating has been channelled into the Blue Zones diet, to help everyone build more of the benefits into their lives. Everyday Health reports that the Blue Zones diet is simple as all the products are easily found in grocery stores and farmers markets, and there is no time-consuming measuring or calorie counting. As mentioned in the Power 9, the goal of Blue Zones eating is to eat based on how hungry you feel, then to stop when you feel 80 percent full.

Some features of the Blue Zones diet, include:

🥕  Fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes make up the largest percentage of the diet.

🍖  “Retreat from meat”, with meat just for occasional consumption.

🐟  Just small amounts of fish, up to three times per week.

🧈  Reduced dairy, but perhaps some goat or sheep milk yogurt as an occasional replacement.

🍳  Going easy on eggs, having them just two to four times a weeks.

🧆  Eating half a cup of cooked beans each day, such as black beans or soybeans.

🥜  Two handfuls of nuts each day, such as almonds.

🍞  Sourdough bread or 100 percent whole wheat bread, avoiding beached white bread.

🍵  Reduced processed sugar and unsweetened beverages (water and tea).

🍷  Very moderate amounts of red wine.**

The BBC suggests adding fermented foods (such as kimchi) and herbal tea (particularly green tea, as are custom in Okinawa). GQ reports that Dan Buettner personally ensures he has all his food for the day finished by about 8pm, allowing time for an overnight fast before waking up to a fresh coffee.

In summary

The Blue Zones fundamentals of taking naps, eating well, exercising each day, and connecting with your community sound like sensible moves to make. What can you be inspired by from the Blue Zones to do for yourself, and for those around you, to improve wellbeing overall?

* &** Note: This is not an endorsement of alcohol by Netwealth. Always refer to the latest Australian Government guidelines regarding alcohol consumption.