Wellness

How The People in The Blue Zones Live A Long And Healthy Life Without Hitting The Gym

Dancing Elephants Book Project: Exercise and Healthy Living

I heard the term “Blue Zones” for the first time around two years ago. I was watching a documentary on television about Puerto Rico and came to know that the Nicoya Peninsula in Puerto Rico is a Blue Zone.

The next time I heard the word was a couple of months later when a friend of mine suggested that I read the book “Ikigai” written by the authors — Hector Garcia and Frances Miralles.

The book intrigued my curiosity and I wanted to learn more. The more I learned, the more I found this concept fascinating because health, food, & well-being has always been a difficult chapter in my life.

What’s well-being to me?

I intend to live a healthy, or let’s say, a balanced life. I envision myself looking and feeling fit, however, the irony is, that I suffer from multiple chronic disorders that cause a lot of pain in my body.

I do not wish to bore you with a long list of my complaints and challenges, but just want to give you an idea that this chronic pain limits my working out abilities, not to mention the fact that I was never a sports lover and I hate going to a gym.

Trust me, I have tried joining a gym several times, only to drop out in a few months.

Learning about Blue Zones opened my eyes and I realized for the first time that well-being is a holistic approach that lets you focus on your mind, body, and soul and makes you look at the bigger picture — you as a whole person.

I realized that I can still live a healthy life (if not long) by changing my attitude towards life, especially without having to hit the gym.

What’s a Blue Zone?

In March 2000, Michel Poulain and Giovanni Mario Pes, who had been studying longevity in Sardinia, realized that in certain demographics, people live an exceptionally long and healthy life.

They circled the area on a map with blue ink and coined the term “Blue Zone” to identify those demographics.

Dan Buettner, the author, explorer, and national Geographic journalist, used the term as international certification and made it famous by conducting several research expeditions and publishing his results.

Together, they identified five places in the world, which are home to the world’s most centenarians.

These five places are — the islands of Okinawa in Japan, Ikaria in Greece, Sardinia in Italy, Nicoya peninsula in Costa Rica, and Loma Linda in California.

What is the secret recipe?

Ever since this discovery, researchers had been studying to figure out the magic of Blue Zones. While the reason for their longevity varies from each place to another to some extent, many of the fundamental ingredients are the same.

Move naturally and stay active

The people in the Blue Zones don’t really run marathons or pump iron in a gym, but they live a very active life.

They usually walk everywhere, to meet their friends or do their daily chores, they grow gardens, ride their bikes, and some of them still dance till their 90s.

“Most Okinawans take meals and relax on tatami mats on the floor. The fact that old people get up and down off the floor several dozen times daily builds lower body strength and balance, which help protect against dangerous falls.” — Dan Buettner.

Moving naturally is a way of life that doesn’t require a fad diet, a hefty fee for a gym membership, or a workout machine.

They move naturally, enjoy the sunshine, and reconnect with nature. Sunshine provides Vitamin D and that is essential not only for stronger bones and healthier bodies but also for boosting mental health.

Have a purpose in life

A purpose is something that gives a sense of direction to your life and something that makes you feel that you are contributing to the world in a meaningful way.

When I read about the Blue Zones, I came across the term IKIGAI. It’s a Japanese concept that loosely translates to ‘a reason for being’ or the reason you get up in the morning. The nicoyans call it plan de vida.

So many times we associate our purpose in life with just earning money or our career and that can create an existential frustration, which in turn can affect our self-worth negatively.

But you are not just your bank balance, you are so much more. So take some time and set out on finding your true purpose and work on it.

Your purpose in life could be teaching, helping others, leaving the world a better place, feeling loved, creating works of art that people can enjoy, or any other thing, but it has to be YOUR purpose in life and not borrowed from someone else.

Create a community and laugh a lot

More research showed that one of the secrets to this longevity and healthy lifestyle of the Blue Zones residents is investing in community life and laughter. A community is integral to your sense of belonging.

“Loneliness can shave eight years off your life, community and purpose are paramount” — Dan Buettner .

The Okinawan tradition of forming a moai provides secure social networks. That creates this feeling of security that there is always someone there for them.

I can attest to this because I experienced this sense of belonging when I lived in Germany and my German neighbors made my stay so special. I have been living an expat life in many countries and never have I encountered this sense of belonging elsewhere, not even in my own hometown.

Thanks to an elderly couple, my child never missed her own grandparents and actually thought of them as her own ‘Oma and Opa’. I never felt this good in life before and had a hard time relocating and I am still nostalgic about this.

So find ways and time to invest in your family, friends, loved ones, neighbors, clubs, or with people with whom you connect more and smile more. This way you will benefit from the healing power that comes with a sense of belonging.

Practice sabbath regularly

Although the idea of a sabbath feels more religious (it is indeed), it also means a day or time of rest.

Merriam Webster has the following definition of Sabbath:

1. a: the seventh day of the week observed from Friday evening to Saturday evening as a day of rest and worship by Jews and some Christians b: Sunday observed among Christians as a day of rest and worship
2. a time of rest

The people in the Blue Zones take daily or weekly breaks to slow down and rejuvenate. Slowing down and taking regular breaks help your body and brain to recharge.

“What the world’s longest-lived people have that we don’t are routines to shed that stress. Okinawans take a few moments each day to remember their ancestors, Adventists pray, Ikarians take a nap and Sardinians do happy hour.” — Blue Zones

Rely on a plant-based diet and practice “hara hachi bu”

They eat mostly a plant-based diet and eat meat in moderation. They eat a variety of food (variety is the key here) that includes lots of fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and food rich in antioxidants.

Also, they eat mostly local produce, that grows in their gardens, or buy fruits and vegetables that grow in the town.

But most importantly, the Okinawans also follow the principle of “hara hachi bu” — that is to stop eating when their stomachs are 80% full. It is an ancient Zen practice.

One easy way to start applying the concept of hara hachi bu is to skip dessert. Or to reduce portion size. The idea is to still be a little bit hungry when you finish. — Héctor García and Francesc Miralles.

Summary

I am not sure I want to be a centennial, nor am I advocating for that, but I do believe that we should all have the means to live a healthy life and it’s within our grasp.

The communities in the Blue Zones have just shown us that that’s quite possible. All you have to do is open your mind and

• be active and move whenever you can
• eat a variety of plant-based food that’s grown locally and stop eating before you’re too full
• invest in a community
• take breaks and slow down
• find your ikigai

Live a wonderful life!

References

1. Ikigai — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikigai
2. Ikigai Book — https://www.amazon.com/Ikigai-Japanese-Secret-Long-Happy/dp/0143130722
3. Dan Buettner — https://www.bluezones.com/dan-buettner/
4. Blue Zones — https://www.bluezones.com/2016//11/power-9/#sthash.4LTc0NED.dpuf.
5. Sabbath— https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Sabbath

My heartfelt thanks go to the editors: Lady Dr. Gabriella Korosi, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, and Sharing Randomly for showing this positive outlook towards the inception of this book idea, believing in me and the other writers, and for making this book project possible.

Thank you for reading.

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