a bowl of fun

Secrets of the Blue Zones.

Posted on October 22, 2009 by admin

I was able to catch an episode of Oprah wherein they discussed the ‘blue zones’. It is said that there are only four hotspots (or blue zones) around the world.

In four hot spots around the globe, people live to 100 in great numbers. But it’s not only about longevity—they live with strength, vitality and happiness. Residents of the blue zones regularly exercise, tend their gardens, are active members of their communities, eat delicious food and even have sex!
{source}

I truly learned a lot from that episode. I was amazed by the people over a hundred years old and still living actively.

Dan Buettner, author of The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest, also shared these practices of people who live the longest.

*Move naturally. Think about walking, gardening and playing with your kids to ensure daily activity. “Set up your environment so you are always bumping into the opportunity to move [around],” Dan says.

*Focus on having the right outlook. Know your sense of purpose, and schedule in times when you can downshift.

*Forget diets. Diets rarely work after six months, Dan says. Instead, he says the key to staying slim and living longer is eating wisely. He recommends a plant-based diet that minimizes (not eliminates) meat, eating fewer calories and consuming a glass or two of wine per day.

*Connect the right way. Investing in your family is huge, Dan says. “In all Blue Zones in the world, people put their loved ones first, and we think that is associated with more good years of life.”

*Reconnect with religion. People who go to church live two to three years longer than people who don’t, Dan says.

*Create your own culture of longevity. Pick out friends who have healthy lifestyles and put more energy into those friendships.