Living in a blue zone

One of the most interesting things I learned when reading Dr James Rouse’s book Think Eat Move Thrive recently was the concept of a ‘Blue Zone’.

I highlighted the following passage on my Kindle as I was reading:

Blue Zones are communities where common elements of lifestyle, diet, and outlook have led to an amazing length and quality of life.

This prompted me to carry out a little more research on the subject of Blue Zones.

According to Wikipedia, a Blue Zone is “a concept used to identify a demographic and/or geographic area of the world where people live measurably longer lives.”

Blue Zones were first identified by Gianni Pes and Michel Poulain in their study published in 

They identified Sardinia’s Nuoro province as the region with the highest concentration of male centenarians.

Further Blue Zones were then identified in Okinawa (Japan); Sardinia (Italy); Nicoya (Costa Rica); Icaria (Greece);and among the Seventh-day Adventists in Loma Linda, California.

According to the research, people living in these Blue Zones share similar characteristics, which could contribute to their longevity:

• Family – put ahead of other concerns

• Less smoking

• Semi-vegetarianism – except for the Sardinian diet, the majority of food consumed is derived from plants

• Constant moderate physical activity – an inseparable part of life

• Social engagement – people of all ages are socially active and integrated into their communities

• Legumes – commonly consumed

Other common factors include empowered women, sunshine, gardening and a healthy social circle.

This additional reading got me thinking; is it possible to create your own Blue Zone?

According to Dan Buettener, author of the book The Blue Zones, there are nine shared traits of the world’s longest-lived people. They are as follows:

1 – Move naturally. The world’s longest-lived people don’t pump iron or run marathons. Instead, their environments nudge them into moving without thinking about it.

2 – Purpose. Why do you wake up in the morning? Knowing your sense of purpose is worth up to seven years of extra life expectancy.

3 – Down Shift. Stress leads to chronic inflammation, associated with every major age-related disease. The world’s longest-lived people have routines to shed that stress.

4 – 80% Rule. “Hara hachi bu” – the Okinawans say this mantra before meals as a reminder to stop eating when their stomachs are 80 percent full.

5 – Plant Slant. The cornerstone of most centenarian diets? Beans. They typically eat meat—mostly pork—only five times per month.

6 – Wine @ 5. Moderate drinkers outlive non-drinkers, especially if they share those drinks with friends.

7 – Belong. Attending faith-based services four times per month – no matter the denomination – adds up to 14 years of life expectancy.

8 – Loved Ones First. Centenarians put their families first. They keep aging parents and grandparents nearby, commit to a life partner and invest in their children.

9 – Right Tribe. They world’s longest lived people chose or were born into social circles that support healthy behaviors.

Our conversations with Baby Boomer clients who are entering retirement suggest health and longevity is an important priority.

Understanding and implementing the common traits of people living in Blue Zones seems to be a good way to improve the quality and length of your life throughout retirement.

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