What Are The Blue Zones? A Lesson in Non-Diet Living
Today, we're exploring a fascinating topic: the Blue Zones. These unique regions around the globe are not just known for longevity but also for holistic wellness. If you're tired of diet culture and looking for sustainable ways to embrace health, this blog post is for you.
What Are Blue Zones?
The term "Blue Zones" refers to geographic areas where people tend to live longer, healthier lives. These zones include places like Okinawa in Japan, Sardinia in Italy, Loma Linda in California, Ikaria in Greece and Nicoya in Costa Rica. The residents often surpass 100 years of age, enjoying vibrant lives filled with joy and purpose.
The Common Threads
It's tempting to think that some "superfood" is the secret sauce to their longevity. But the Blue Zones teach us that wellness is about more than just food—it's a lifestyle. The common elements often include:
Connect
Community and meaningful relationships are vital, avoiding loneliness is crucial for longevity. Did you know that feeling lonely over 40 (as 1 in 3 Americans say they are), it can potentially take 8 years off your life expectancy? These communities put family first, the younger generations often take care of their elders in their own home as a sign of respect, they value their knowledge and make them part of their home life. Blue zone populations find their tribe outside of the home and use them as a support network during good and bad times.
Move Naturally
Not necessarily gym workouts, but natural movement incorporated into daily life. People who do daily tasks by hand, take in a daily walk or do a low-impact outdoor activity (like gardening) are moving naturally in their day to day life. Fun fact, in Sardinia, the steeper the village, the higher the life expectancy. A steep climb up and down the village daily works both the muscles and the cardiovascular system without ever stepping foot in the gym.
Outlook
It really is all about mindset. A strong sense of why they wake up in the morning was super important for longevity in these population groups, whether that be a hobby, family, work or faith. Loma Linda in California has a strong faith group that prioritises health and wellness as part of their faith, knowing how to unwind with a daily nap or a favourite activity was a strong indicator of life expectancy.
Eat Wisely
Blue Zone populations are natural intuitive eaters - they mostly live seasonally, eating only the food that is available to them as part of their natural habitat. They also pickle or dry surplus to enjoy during the off-season. They have a 95 - 100% plant based diet, only eating meat and fish very rarely, often as a celebratory food or a way to flavour dishes. They eat in moderation, mostly stopping when they are 80% full - a skill the have honed over their lives. And guess what? They even enjoy a glass of natural wine at dinnertime, surrounded by family and friends.
Non-Diet Living: Lessons from the Blue Zones
As you can see from the common threads, a long life for the blue zone populations isn’t gained from spending hours in the gym alone or worrying about caloric intake or macros. They are spending their life eating nourishing whole foods with their friends and family around them, having meaningful relationships, getting movement done in their day to day life and waking up every day with a purpose.
Their purpose is what gets them up in the morning - this purpose-filled life gives them clear roles of responsibility and feelings of being needed and valued. This goes to show that an approach to health that focuses on the whole person, both their body and mind is the way to forge strong healthy habits that will keep us going well into our 100s!
Takeaways: The Blue Zones and You
The Blue Zones exemplify that wellness can be approached holistically, without dieting. It's a reminder that embracing health can be a joyful, fulfilling journey when we step away from societal norms and listen to our own bodies.
If you are keen to take lessons from Blue Zone populations that you can apply to your day-to-day life to improve your overall health outcomes, I would recommend;
Exploring intuitive eating. Especially the early principle of removing guilt from your food choices and allowing all foods and drinks. The later stage of gentle nutrition will become very important, here you can ensure you are getting lots of fresh fruit and veggies into your diet.
Finding ways to move outside the gym. Find gentle ways to move such as a walk after dinner or gardening - these small changes will have big benefits for your cardiovascular and muscular systems, both of which will keep you fit into later life.
Finding your tribe. Find people you love and stick with them, this doesn’t have to be romantic love - it can be a group of friends who support you through thick and thin. It can be challenging to make new friends as we get older so perhaps joining a local group could help? Come as you are, be yourself, be confident and chat to people, you might end up finding a new bestie!
Identifying your passion. Knowing why you are getting up in the morning. I often help clients to identify their values using some coaching tools, they can then use these non-negotiable life values to help build their passions. For example, a client that values family, movement and giving back to others could sign up to a 5km fun run with their family to align these values.
Conclusion
So, lovely readers, let the Blue Zones inspire you to think beyond calorie counting and short-lived diet plans. Your path to wellness is uniquely yours—embrace it wholeheartedly!
If you would like to read more about the Blue Zones - https://www.bluezones.com/
If you would like more information about their food guidelines (trigger warning - this does discuss specific dietary changes and swaps but does not discuss calories) - https://www.bluezones.com/recipes/food-guidelines/