If youpay attention to what's on your plate , you've definitely heard of these blue zones. No, no, nothing to do with parking spaces... Even if you'll soon learn why it's good to stay there. For a long, long time.
The year 2000 was marked by the turn of the millennium, but also by the discovery of a region of the world populated by the largest concentration of centenarian men and women. At the origin of this surprise, the meeting of two men, Gianni Pes, an Italian academic, and Michel Poulain, a Belgian demographer. It was while crisscrossing small villages in Sardinia in the province of Nuoro, that they made this discovery. To immortalize and locate it, they simply colored the region concerned blue. The first blue zone was born! And a new line of research with it, since in 2002 they decided to explore the rest of the world, in search of new identical zones. Because one question was nagging at them: how had these people lived to be healthy centenarians thanks to clean living habits and, apparently, happy?
In 2017, five blue zones were identified:
- The province of Nuoro, Sardinia
- The Greek island of Ikaria in the Aegean Sea
- The Japanese island of Okinawa
- The Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica
- Loma Linda, California
1 – Nuoro, Sardinia, Italy
- Where is it? This Italian island, located south of Corsica, is home to a somewhat hidden mountainous region in the southeast of the province of Nuoro and more precisely, a village: Seulo, where the number of centenarians could only attract attention.
- The reasons for their longevity? According to researchers, these centenarians were almost all mountain dwellers and shepherds, having lived outdoors and having trekked from plains to valleys, all their lives. First clue:daily physical activity . On the plate side, their diet was by definition Mediterranean and consisted of very little meat (once a week), fruits and vegetables from their garden (notably tomatoes, eggplants, broad beans) associated with raw, simple and quality products, because they were also homemade (like unrefined bread , with seeds, cheese from grass-fed sheep) and red wine which, after analysis, showed that it was one of the richest in polyphenols. Beyond a healthy lifestyle, it is social and family ties that seem to be a source of mental health and health in general . The interviewees first cite the role of their family life, a very close-knit and cooperative family, which welcomes parents into its home when they lose their autonomy. It also seems that the notion of resilience was very present, in the background, in their life stories.
2 – Okinawa, Japan
- Where is it? Ask the country's 100,000 inhabitants where the more than 60 centenarians are and you will be taken straight to the Okinawa archipelago in southwest Japan.
- The reasons for their longevity? A diet that is certainly different from the Mediterranean diet, but which also focuses on plants , particularly green leafy vegetables, fish and seafood, and also sweet potatoes from their garden. Their diet is very similar to dietary restriction, but not in the spirit of a diet . Their credo, according to the precepts of Confucius: finish the meal while still a little hungry. Officially, they feel 80% full, which implies that you leave a little less than a third of your plate the first time and that the following times, you use a "normal" plate minus 20% on this basis. The centenarians of Okinawa are not sedentary, they have moderate physical activity which allows them to stay in shape and reduce stress . Like the Sardinians, they thrive on very rich family and social relationships. Every morning, they cultivate the happiness of getting up by setting an intention for their day, in connection with their “ikigai”, their life mission.
3 – Nicoya, Costa Rica
- Where is it? While life expectancy is good in Costa Rica (around 82 years for women, 78 for men), it is exceptionally high in the Nicoya Peninsula where 60-year-olds are around seven times more likely to be centenarians!
- The reasons for their longevity? Nicoya has a quasi-insular character due to its difficult access. The diet is almost exclusively plant-based, always local (black beans, corn, squash) but also chicken and pork, raised by them, and eggs from their hens. Another point in common with Okinawa and Sardinia: the strength of family ties, the love of work, a very positive spirit, a way of life where stress is intentionally kept at a distance, in short, here, we cultivate happiness and we have faith. And to top it all off, there is no question of a sedentary lifestyle. Centenarians have always been and still are very active. As a result, it is the region of Costa Rica where we record the fewest so-called diseases of civilization (cardiovascular diseases, obesity, cancers).
4 – Loma Linda, USA
- Where is it? Surprisingly, the 4th blue zone is located in the United States, the country of the hamburger, in Loma Linda, South Carolina, about a hundred kilometers from Los Angeles.
- The reasons for their longevity? They are clearly more linked to lifestyle than to geographical characteristics. Indeed, Loma Linda is the cradle of a community of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. So? To respect their commitments to the rules set out by their church, Adventists are vegetarians or flexitarians (consumers of very little meat). In addition, they do not consume alcohol or tobacco. In terms of social relations, another point in common with all the areas mentioned: mutual aid is very present. The inhabitants of Loma Linda who are followers of this church are also in contact with the university of their city. This university is particularly advanced in terms of medical studies and above all, the link woven between science, health and faith is very close. The number of centenarians among the followers residing in Loma Linda can be explained by the quality of their lifestyle as much as by the human relations at the heart of their daily lives.
5 – Ikaria, Greece
- Where is it? In Greece, located on the Aegean Sea.
- The reasons for their longevity? Another common thread running through all the blue zones: the diet is composed mainly of raw, healthy foods, with a large majority of vegetables from the garden, especially green vegetables, legumes, fruits, little meat, fish regularly, all washed down with olive oil and sheep's milk. This Mediterranean diet also gives pride of place to local red wine and herbal teas made from aromatic herbs from the garden. Recalling the dietary restrictions of their Okinawan comrades, the Icarians fast several times a year. The elders, when interviewed, also talk about their well-being "together", within a community where friendly social relations and mutual aid are paramount.
What do blue zones have in common?
In different regions of the world, the inhabitants of the blue zones all have common habits. It's up to you to follow them to get closer to the way of life of their inhabitants:
- They avoid a sedentary lifestyle and have natural, daily physical activity, integrated into their lifestyle.
- They most often live in the open air .
- They have an existential purpose that inspires them and gets them up in the morning, religious or spiritual.
- They don't know stress or don't let it get to them.
- They eat a mainly plant-based, raw, healthy, local and seasonal diet, practice calorie reduction, drink very little alcohol and prefer local wine.
- They maintain close and quality relationships with their family, friends and social circles. They are also very involved in social life.
Two books to go further :
"Blue Zones" by Angèle Ferreux-Maeght, chef, naturopath and specialist in well-being food and Vincent Valinducq, general practitioner and researcher, published by First. The two authors went to meet the inhabitants of the blue zones and tried to see how it was possible to draw inspiration from them.
A pioneering book since in 2010, Dan Buettner, a researcher very involved in the promotion of blue zones, shared with the greatest number the secrets of a healthy life especially for centenarians! "Blue Zones" tells the story of those who naturally live their lives as centenarians in these regions.
