Most folks have heard something about the “Blue Zones,” those small, temperate climate geographic areas around the globe, blessed with an abundance of centenarians. Places historically with a higher percentage of healthy residents over 100 years old. Most studies include temperate climate areas like Okinawa (an island community now part of Japan), Nuoro in Sardinia Italy, Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, Icaria in Greece, and a Seventh-day Adventist community in Loma Linda, California.

What is it about their climate, eating and lifestyle? Can we learn from and adapt some of their practices to our modern lives?

Historically, many of these people led simple, communal-oriented lives, and ate whole foods they prepare from scratch at home or in neighborly groups, free of the ultra-processed, convenience foods and ingredients that surround us here. Often their diets were plant-based, with only occasional (not daily) meat consumption. They ate what they or their village grew. They did things together. The temperate climate in these areas furnished more opportunity to be outdoors, to grow things, to enjoy their natural settings, while avoiding ills more likely in harsher climes.

Their lives were filled with physical activities, walking, gardening, food preparation and chores that were done manually. They didn’t go to gyms … didn’t need to. They relied on natural physical movement in work and play. Some of them lived on steep hillsides. Walking there was aerobic. Much of their protein came from plants, rather than meat.

Each day they arose to physical lives with known daily purpose — whether that be family care or religious celebration — as opposed to commuting to factories or offices and fighting rush-hour traffic — multitasking, things which can add stressors to one’s day. They lived more communal oriented lives, sharing with family, friends and neighbors over meals, a glass of wine, saki or other beverages, talking about family or daily activities. It appears we are really herd animals at our core.

Dan Buettner, a health advocate and geographic venturer, has spoken and written about these communities, and even helped televise mini-histories on Netflix. What is fascinating, and a bit depressing, is to focus on some of the details as they changed over time. Okinawans, for example, historically lived in isolation from greater Japan, and had a diet framed around a local root crop tuber (called Imo) as well as tofu and other seasonal veggies and fermented foods, rather than a diet based on meat or fish. Island matriarchs found creative ways to use what they had. Tasty peasant food. In the last 20 or 30 years, however, Okinawans, especially the younger generation, have begun eating more “modern” processed foods. They now suffer from diseases at a younger age and will likely lose that longevity status over time.

Similarly, Sardinians relied on a plant-based diet, rich in legumes (fava beans), vegetables and whole grains and nuts, with only limited meat and processed foods. Their hilly shepherd lifestyle provided cheeses and breads from local grains. They ate pork (not beef with its higher cholesterol), and their Italian culture relied heavily on olive oil for cooking and dressings. We don’t need a lot of money to make a big pot of a veggie staple like minestrone. (Curious?  See Dan’s adapted recipe for minestrone soup borrowed from the oldest family in Sardinia here. The picture above is the result of my pot of minestrone last week from this recipe!

Another example, the Seventh-day Adventists in Loma Linda, California, led religious oriented lives — with a sense of purpose outside themselves. They are not meat eaters. Apparently, community and their religion help them enjoy a calmer, purpose-driven lifestyle.

What can we learn from all this? We can’t go back in time, or all become farmers or shepherds. But we can recognize that a simpler lifestyle has value. Be mindful of what we eat. We are surrounded with ready-to-eat food, so, perhaps, time-restricted-eating can save us from “commercially triggered hunger” cravings. Belonging to something outside yourself can give your life meaning and reduce stress. (Calm that crazy re-run loop spinning in your head?) Perhaps your family can grow a small garden, which gets you outdoors, bending and weeding, and communing with nature rather than too much time in front of the television or computer, (except when reading the good media articles, of course).

Some of those communities follow an 80% rule when eating — stop before you are full. Dinner might be more about sharing time together as a family or other group. Cut out snacking. Try intermittent fasting. Find ways to relax … maybe a 10 or 15 minute walk after mealtime. Moderate drinking — one glass shared with friends during a chat is better than excess … a social ritual, not a binge. Manage stress with prayer, social connections, a short nap, or even meditation or yoga-like movement. Get away from sugar, colas and overly-refined foodstuffs.

You get it: write your own guidelines for better living.

Be well young grasshoppers…

Nick Della Volpe is a lawyer, a gardener and a former member of Knoxville City Council.

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