The Blue Zones Discovery may not be what people are being led to believe. This study was originally one of observation not one of cause and effect. Therefore it has caused some confusion.
Communities of people who compose Blue Zones did not set out to exceed average lifespans. Instead, the study showed that Blue Zones of people lives coincidently exceeded the average not always healthy lifespan. Let me continue to clarify this situation.
The Study
A group of three men, primarily Dan Buettner conducted a study on the lifespans of people throughout the world. Where ever there were clusters of people who exceeded the average lifespan, especially centenarians, were circled in blue marker. For lack of a more original name, the name ‘Blue Zones’ was adopted. Therefore the discovery of blue zones was an exercise in observation. In conclusion, their existence became the foundation of the Blue Zones Discovery study.
What are ‘Blue Zones,’ and do they really hold the secrets to …
“For more than a decade, author Dan Buettner has been working to identify hot spots of longevity around the world. With the help of the National Geographic Society, Buettner set out to locate places that not only had high concentrations of individuals over 100 years old, but also clusters of people who had grown old without health problems like heart disease, obesity, cancer, or diabetes. His findings—along with easy steps you can take to live more like these cultures—can be found in his book, The Blue Zones Solution.”
Location of world Blue Zones
Icaria: A small Greek island in the Aegean sea
Ogliastra, Sardinia: A region of an Italian island in the Mediterranean
Okinawa: An island off the coast of Japan
Nicoya Peninsula: A peninsula in eastern Costa Rica
The Seventh-day Adventists in Loma Linda: A community in the hilly valleys of California
The Blue Zones: The World’s Healthiest Populations from fullscript.com
“For more than a decade, author Dan Buettner has been working to identify hot spots of longevity around the world. With the help of the National Geographic Society, Buettner set out to locate places that not only had high concentrations of individuals over 100 years old, but also clusters of people who had grown old without health problems like heart disease, obesity, cancer, or diabetes. His findings—along with easy steps you can take to live more like these cultures—can be found in his book, The Blue Zones Solution.”
Ogliastra, Sardinia: A region of an Italian island in the Mediterranean
Okinawa: An island off the coast of Japan
Nicoya Peninsula: A peninsula in eastern Costa Rica
The Seventh-day Adventists in Loma Linda: A community in the hilly valleys of California
“Natural movement. Individuals living in Blue Zone regions engage in everyday physical activities, such as gardening, walking, and climbing hills and mountains.
“Sense of purpose. One’s purpose in life, referred to as Ikigai in Okinawa and plan de vida in Nicoya (which translates to “why I wake up in the morning”), contributes to human longevity and overall health and well-being.”
“Stress management. Although stress is nearly impossible to avoid, chronic (long-term) stress can wreak havoc on the body. When left unaddressed, chronic stress may contribute to inflammation and certain health conditions, such as heart disease and depression.
“80% rule. People in the Blue Zones tend to avoid overeating by eating until their stomachs are about 80% full. Many individuals also eat smaller meals throughout the day and abstain from eating late in the evening.”
IN CONCLUSION
Although we may be far from having a planet full of blue zones, studying the ones that already exist can be very helpful. Even though we cannot change certain characteristics of people’s lives and environments, there is much that can be done for the future.
Therefore in studying what man in harmony with his nature can create, there is hope that the overall well being of humans on the planet can improve resulting in many more blue zones of healthier, happy people.
SOURCES & RESOURCES
What Are the Blue Zones
Blue Zones: Lessons From the World’s Longest Lived
Identification of a geographic area characterized by extreme longevity in the Sardinia island: the AKEA study
The Blue Zones: The World’s Healthiest Populations
“Blue Zones” Where the World’s Healthiest People Live
Blue Zone – Wikipedia
Why People in “Blue Zones” Live Longer Than the Rest of the World
History of Blue Zones – Blue Zones
5 Blue Zones Where People Live the Longest, Healthiest Lives …
6 Secrets to borrow from people who live the …
Dan A. Buettner
The Blue Zones: 9 Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who’ve Lived the Longest by Buettner D. Washington, DC: National Geographic Society; 2008.
The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like the World’s Healthiest People by Buettner D.. Washington, DC: National Geographic Society; 2015.