Blue Zone residents live longer

#MiddleburyCT #Seniors #Longevity

In several parts of the world, large populations regularly live into their 90s and even pass 100 years. Those parts of the world where seniors live longer, healthier lives are called Blue Zones. They were discovered when a National Geographic project looked for the secrets to longevity. They were able to identify five locations: Loma Linda, California; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Sardinia, Italy; Ikaria, Greece; and Okinawa, Japan.

Fascinated scientists began to study these over-100 people and concluded that they had nine commonalities. They are:

• The Blue Zoners move and exercise naturally, working in gardens and going about their lives with frequent walks, not engaging in heavy-lifting gym visits.
• They have a purpose to each day.
• They do what they must to avoid stress. Some pray, some have happy hour, some take naps, but they intentionally do something.
• They follow Confucius’ rule to stop eating when they’re 80% full, and don’t eat late at night.
• Their diets are semi-vegetarian and they stick mostly with beans and lentils, fruits and vegetables, olive oil and whole grains.
• They drink modest amounts of wine, perhaps 1 to 2 cups per day, if at all.
• They belong to a faith-based community of some kind.
• They put loved ones first and often live with or near family members.
• The people around them are engaged in similar healthy behaviors.

To read the study about the Blue Zones, go online to www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, select PubMed from the dropdown menu and put “Blue Zones” in the search box. Look for the authors Buettner D, Skemp S. The heading includes “Lessons from the World’s Longest Lived.” There is hope for all of us to extend our lives if we incorporate some of what those in the Blue Zones have to teach us.

© 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.