Secrets of the Blue Zones
By Steve Sharp
“Live to 100. Secrets of the Blue Zones” is Dan Buettner’s Netflix series which explores communities which have significant populations of people who age gracefully and reach their century.
The Blue Zones regions are where a higher than usual number of people live much longer than the average. The researchers studying the subject put blue dots on maps and looked for concentrations of blue ink. There are five Blue Zone areas in the world:
Okinawa, Japan
Icaria, Greece
Sardinia, Italy
Nicoya, Costa Rica
Loma Linda, USA.
At a time when life expectancy has dipped and diet related disease is a leading cause of death, it's no wonder that Dan Buettner's decades long exploration of centenarians who thrive in the longest-lived communities on Earth is attracting lots of attention.
With the exception of Loma Linda, which is a community of Seventh Day Adventists whose active and modest way of life is prescribed by their beliefs, the zones are rural or coastal villages.
For most of us, it's not feasible to swap places with these island dwellers, many of whom maintain a centuries old, eat from the land existence in remote corners of the globe. But we can learn from their simple habits and customs.
“People in Blue Zones are not thinking about their health or a diet or an exercise programme. They're not doing anything except living their lives.” Buettner says.
The series is beautifully shot and very thought provoking. Not so much that living to 100 is necessarily a desirable target, but living an active, healthy, fulfilling later life certainly is.
There are, unsurprisingly, common features of behaviour between these otherwise unconnected zones.
They are very physically active, often for several hours a day. Gardening, walking, even horse riding! And in the evening perhaps dancing.
They eat very simply with a largely meat free diet, comprising whole plant-based foods. They add beans, herbs, and nuts, and cooking their own meals is a daily ritual.
They are very social and avoid loneliness. Community and family are very important to them. Any excuse for a gathering or celebration is welcomed.
They are calm and seem to be free from stress.
They have a sense of purpose, and the jobs and routines that keep them active provide satisfaction. They volunteer to help others as a way of life.
Typically, they are active all morning, prepare lunch, then have a nap before going again in the evening.
My parents lived to 96 and 99 respectively so the genes are in my favour, but I began to compare their lifestyle with the Blue Zone dwellers.
They both worked in the NHS so were very active during their working lives, and my dad cycled there and back. No sedentary office jobs.
They remained incredibly active until very late in life, and were very busy socially, ballroom dancing two or three nights a week well into their nineties. They were always helping friends, neighbours, and family, with mum at the ready to exercise her nursing skills.
Their diet was simple, but with a little more meat and fish than the blue zoners.
All in all, pretty good for a couple enjoying later life in suburban Yorkshire.
They were also better off in retirement. Mortgage paid off and two superannuated pensions made their latter years comfortable.
And therein lies a message. If you are planning to live to 100, or anywhere near, then make sure you have enough pension to enjoy it.
A final piece of good news from the Blue Zones:
A lady in Icaria was explaining the various herbs she used to make tea, sweetened with raw honey and when asked what her favourite drink was, she shot a wicked smile.
“Wine!”
Steve