Episode 21 - Blue Zone Habits
On this episode, we discuss the habits of centenarians from Dan Buettner’s book called “The Blue Zone Solution”, or those who live to 100 or longer as well as "blue zones", places around the world where people live the longest. We can learn a lot from healthy people! We've attached a link below to a super interesting article about consistent food themes for those that live to be 100. We encourage you to read the article and self reflect upon the things you do and don't do. Broadly, some consistent themes for people that live to be 100 and/or in blue zones are:
1. Ensure that your diet is 90% to 100% plant-based. - Beans, greens, sweet potatoes, whole grains, fruits, nuts and seeds dominate Blue Zone meals all year long. Olive oil is also a staple.
2. Retreat from meat. On average, Blue Zone residents eat about two ounces or less of meat about five times per month (usually as a celebratory food, a small side, or as a way to flavor dishes).
3. Go easy on fish. in most Blue Zones, people ate small amounts of fish, fewer than three ounces up to three times weekly.
4. Eat a daily dose of beans. Beans reign supreme in Blue Zones and are the cornerstone of every longevity diet in the world. Most centenarians eat at least four times as many beans as Americans do on average — at least a half cup per day. And so should you. Why? Beans are packed with more nutrients per gram than any other food on Earth
5. Slash sugar. Blue Zone communities eat sugar intentionally, not by habit or accident. They consume about the same amount of naturally occurring sugars as North Americans do, but only about a fifth as much added sugar — no more than seven teaspoons a day.
6. Snack on nuts. Eat two handfuls of nuts per day (preferably raw, without oil). A handful weighs about two ounces, the average amount that Blue Zone centenarians consume
7. Sour on bread. If you can, strive to eat only sourdough or 100% whole wheat bread. Most commercially available breads start with bleached white flour, which metabolizes quickly into sugar and spikes insulin levels.
8. Drink mostly water. With very few exceptions, people in Blue Zones drink only coffee, tea, water and wine. If possible, strive to avoid soft drinks, including diet soda.
9. Go whole. We found that most centenarians traditionally eat whole foods. These are foods made from single ingredient — raw, cooked, ground or fermented — and are not highly processed. They eat raw fruits and vegetables