Blue zones rules for longevity. We must live by the sea, mother! The best places on Earth according to National Geographic

There are “blue zones” on Earth, whose inhabitants are distinguished by enviable longevity - the island of Sardinia in Italy, the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, Okinawa Prefecture in Japan and the Loma Linda community in California. A group of scientists made several expeditions to these regions in order to uncover the secrets of health and high life expectancy.

© Paul Calver

"Blue Zones. 9 rules for longevity from people who live the longest

natural movement

The oldest people on earth don't run marathons or triathlons, and don't pose as sports stars on Saturday mornings. On the contrary, they engage in low-intensity physical activity, which is an integral part of their daily routine. Long-lived men in Sardinia's Blue Zone worked most of their lives as shepherds and had to walk many miles a day. Residents of Okinawan work every day in the garden. Adventists walk a lot. This is the type of physical activity that longevity experts recommend for a long and healthy life. According to Dr. Robert Cain, "the available evidence suggests that moderate exercise is very beneficial."

The ideal regimen, which you should discuss with your doctor, includes a combination of aerobics and balance and muscle strengthening exercises. Dr. Robert Butler recommends training major muscle groups at least twice a week. Balance is also of great importance, as falls are a common cause of injury and death among the elderly (in the US, one in three people over 65 suffer a fall-related fracture each year). Even standing on one leg (for example, when brushing your teeth) is a small step towards improving your balance.

Sports also help to maintain balance by strengthening all muscle groups, increasing flexibility, beneficial effects on joints and reducing pain in the lower back. In addition, yoga serves as a means of communication and spiritual enrichment, like religion.

In all cultures of longevity, regular low-intensity physical activity fulfills all the requirements described above and at the same time does not put stress on the knees and hips. Here is what Dr. Kane says about it: “You must act not like a sprinter, but like a mile-long runner. You can’t say: this year I will train like crazy, but next year I will have a rest, because I have already worked out my own.” The main goal is to get in the habit of exercising for 30 minutes (ideally within an hour) at least five times a week. It is possible, but still undesirable to break this half hour or hour into several visits.

Cut calories by 20 percent

If you are ever lucky enough to meet elderly Okinawans for dinner, you will surely hear how they pronounce an old Confucian saying before eating: hara hachi bu. This is a reminder that you should not eat your fill, but should stop eating when the stomach is 80 percent full. Even today, their daily caloric intake does not exceed 1900 kcal (the rather meager diet of the Sardinians is also about 2000 kcal per day).

Dr. Craig Wilcox argues that this tradition is a kind of painless option for restricting consumption. And this method is really effective: it increases the lifespan of experimental animals and improves heart function in humans. To some extent, the benefit of calorie restriction is due to the less damage done to cells by free radicals. But there is another plus: weight loss. A 10 percent reduction in body weight is known to help lower blood pressure and cholesterol, which in turn reduces the risk of heart disease. But how can this be achieved? We do not live in the Japanese archipelago and are not surrounded by age-old cultural norms.

Diet is the traditional remedy for growing waistlines. But none of the centenarians known to us has ever been on a diet and none of them suffered from obesity. “Today, there is no diet that suits all people,” says Dr. Bob Jeffery of the University of Minnesota. “As a rule, the diet is followed for about six months, and then 90 percent of people simply run out of fuse.” Even with the most effective programs, only a small number of participants get long-term results.

The secret to proper nutrition is following the habits of the world's longest-lived people. Dr. Brian Wansink, author of Mindless Eating, has done perhaps the most groundbreaking study on the causes of our eating habits. As the elderly Okinawans subconsciously know, the amount of food eaten depends not so much on the feeling of satiety, but on the environment. We overeat because of circumstances - friends, family, plates, dish names, numbers, labels, lights, colors, candles, smells, shapes, distractions, sideboards and containers.

In one experiment, Wansink had a group of participants watch a video and handed each of them either a 500-gram or 250-gram bag of M&M's. After watching the video, he asked both groups to return the uneaten candy. Those who received the 500-gram bags ate an average of 171 candies, those who received the 250-gram bags only 71. We tend to eat more if we take a larger package. Wansink ran similar experiments using 47 different products and got the same results every time. He also noted the influence that dishes have on the volume of food eaten. At least three-quarters of the food eaten is served on plates, bowls or glasses. Wansink's experiments showed that people drink 25 to 30 percent more from short, wide glasses than from tall, narrow ones, and eat 31 percent more from a one-liter bowl than from a half-liter bowl.

The amount of food you eat is just one of the factors. The other is the number of calories. A typical fast food meal, consisting of a large hamburger, a large fried potato, and a glass of fizzy drink, contains approximately 1,500 calories. Craig and Bradley Wilcox calculated that Okinawan food contains five times fewer calories on average. In other words, a hamburger and chips and a full bowl of Okinawan fried tofu with green peas are the same volume, but Okinawan food is five times less caloric.

Plants are everything

Most residents of Nicoya, Sardinia, or Okinawan have never tasted processed foods, sugary sodas, or pickled snacks. For most of their lives, they ate small portions of unprocessed food. They refused meat, or rather, they simply did not have the opportunity to eat it, except in rare cases. Traditionally, the inhabitants of these places eat what they grow in their own garden, supplementing with the main products: durum wheat (Sardinia), sweet potato (Okinawa) or maize (Nicoya). Particularly consistent Adventists in general completely refuse meat.

Scientists analyzed six different studies that included thousands of vegetarians and found that those who reduced meat consumption to a minimum lived longer. Some people worry that plant foods don't provide enough protein and iron. But the bottom line, as Dr. Leslie Little says, is that people over 19 need only 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight, or an average of 50-80 grams of protein daily.

Legumes, grains, and vegetables form the basis of all longevity food crops. Sardinian shepherds take bread made from semolina flour with them to pasture. Among the inhabitants of Nicoya, not a single meal is complete without corn tortillas. And whole grains are an essential component of the Adventist diet. These foods are a source of fiber, antioxidants, anti-cancer agents (insoluble fiber), cholesterol-lowering and anti-clotting agents, and all essential minerals. Legumes are an integral part of the cuisine of all the Blue Zones. A diet rich in legumes can help reduce heart attacks and bowel cancer. Legumes contain flavonoids and fiber (reducing the risk of heart attacks); it is an excellent source of proteins.

Tofu (soybean curd), a staple in the Okinawan diet, is often compared to bread in France or potatoes in Eastern Europe. True, you cannot live on bread or potatoes alone, and tofu is an almost ideal product: it has few calories, a lot of protein and minerals, no cholesterol, but all the amino acids necessary for the human body are present. In addition, it is environmentally friendly. An excellent source of protein without the harmful side effects of meat, tofu contains phytoestrogens that have beneficial effects on the heart in women. In addition, phytoestrogens significantly reduce cholesterol levels and help strengthen blood vessels.

All of the above does not indicate that centenarians never eat meat at all. A festive meal in Sardinia necessarily includes meat dishes. Okinawans slaughter a pig for the Lunar New Year. The inhabitants of Nicoya also fatten the piglet. However, meat is eaten infrequently: only a few times a month. Most concerns are related to red and processed meats such as ham. Drs. Robert Cain and Robert Butler argue that when planning a diet, it is very important to correctly distribute calories between complex carbohydrates, fats and proteins, while minimizing trans fats, saturated fats and salt.

Eat more nuts

Nuts are probably the most striking element of all "longevity foods". According to a study targeting Seventh-day Adventists, those who ate nuts at least five times a week were twice as likely to develop heart disease as those who ate nuts less frequently. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration included nuts on the first health declaration. In 2003, the FDA issued a "declaration of health" stating: "Scientific evidence suggests, but does not prove, that a daily intake of 42 grams of nuts, low in saturated fat and cholesterol, can prevent the risk of heart disease."

Studies show that nuts protect the heart by lowering blood cholesterol levels. In a large population study conducted by the Harvard Medical School, it was found that people who consumed nuts were less likely to suffer from coronary heart disease compared to those who rarely or not eat them at all. The Adventist Health Study (AHS) found that people who eat 56g of nuts five times a week live an average of two years longer than those who don't eat nuts.

One explanation suggests that nuts are rich in monounsaturated fats and soluble fiber, which lower LDL cholesterol levels, he says. They are also a good source of vitamin E and other heart-healthy substances. The best are almonds, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts, walnuts and pine nuts. Brazil nuts, cashews, and Australian nuts contain slightly more saturated fats and are less desirable. But nevertheless, all nuts are useful.

A glass of red wine a day won't hurt

Epidemiological studies suggest that a glass of beer, wine, or other alcoholic beverage per day provides some health benefits. However, the secrets of the "blue zones" indicate that consistency and moderation are decisive factors. In Okinawa, it's a daily glass of sake with friends. In Sardinia, a glass of red wine with every meal and every meeting with friends.

A glass or two of wine a day reduces the risk of heart disease, but excessive alcohol consumption increases the risk of breast cancer. Alcohol does relieve stress and reduce the harmful effects of chronic inflammation. Moreover, a glass of wine that complements the meal allows you to eat less.

Additional benefits of red wine include its ability to cleanse the arteries due to the polyphenols contained in it, which fight atherosclerosis. For an added antioxidant effect, choose Sardinian Cannonau. At the same time, one should not forget about the toxic effects of alcohol on the liver, brain and other internal organs if you exceed daily portions. In this case, the risk of abuse will greatly outweigh any useful property. A friend recently asked if it was possible to abstain all week and drink fourteen glasses at once on Saturday night. The answer is no.

Religion helps you live longer

Healthy centenarians have faith. Sardinians and Nicoyans are predominantly Catholic. Okinawans belong to a mixed religion that honors ancestors. The long-livers of Loma Linda are Seventh-day Adventists. All of them belong to one or another religious community. Faith in God is one of the good habits that increases the chances of a long healthy life. Religious affiliation doesn't matter: you can be Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, Jewish or Hindu.

Studies show that attending church services - even once a month - has a positive effect on life expectancy. The subject of a recent study published in the Journal of Heath and Social Behavior was 3,617 people. The study lasted seven years and found that people who attended the service at least once a month, the risk of death was reduced by about a third. The parishioners had a longer average life expectancy, on which faith had the same impact as moderate physical activity.

The Adventist Health Study found similar results. Over the course of 12 years, 34 thousand people participated in it. It turned out that those who often attend church, the risk of death at any age is reduced by 20 percent. People who do not forget about the spiritual aspect suffer less from cardiovascular diseases, depression, stress, commit suicide less often, and their immune system functions much better.

Belonging to a religious community contributes to the establishment of extensive social ties. People who attend church have higher self-esteem and a higher sense of self-worth because religion stimulates positive expectations, which in turn improves health. When people's behavior matches their role exactly, their self-esteem rises. To a certain extent, belonging to a particular religion allows you to get rid of the stresses of everyday life, transferring them to a higher power. They follow clearly defined rules of conduct and through this they gain peace of mind, knowing that they are living the “right” way. If everything is good today, then you deserve it. If it's bad, it's not up to you.

Family comes first

The longest living people we've met in the Blue Zones have always put family first. Their whole life was built around marriage and children, family duty, rituals and spiritual intimacy. This statement especially applies to Sardinia, where residents are still passionately devoted to the family and family values. I once asked a vineyard owner if it would not be easier to send his infirm mother to a nursing home. He pointed his finger at me indignantly: “I can’t even think about such a thing. This is a disgrace to my family."

Tonino Tola, a Sardinian shepherd, loved to work, but admitted: "Everything I do is for the sake of the family." On the Nicoya Peninsula, all family members live nearby. So, all 99 inhabitants of one village were descendants of one 85-year-old man. They still used to gather for meals at the family restaurant, and his grandchildren and great-grandchildren visited their grandfather daily to help with the cleaning or just play checkers with him.

Loyalty to the Okinawan family goes beyond earthly life. Okinawans over seventy start their day by praising the memory of their ancestors. There are often tables near the graves so that family members can organize a Sunday meal with deceased relatives.

photo: www.bluezones.com

How does this contribute to longevity?

By the time the centenarians turn 100 years old, their attachment to the family bears fruit: children respond with gratitude for love and care. They visit their parents constantly, and in three of the four Blue Zones, the younger generation is happy to host their elders.

Research shows that older people who live with children experience less illness and stress, eat healthier foods, and are less likely to have serious accidents. The MacArthur Healthy Aging Study, which followed 1,189 people aged 70 to 79 over seven years, found that people who live close to children have clearer minds and better social skills.

We spend most of our lives investing in some way, he says. Here you make investments when you go to school and get an education in a certain field. Then you invest in children when they are young, and then they invest in you when you are old. Recoil? Older people who live with families tend to stay sane longer than those who live alone or in a nursing home.

In America, the opposite trend is observed. In many families where there are working parents and busy children, spending time together becomes a rarity, since everyone is busy with their own affairs. Joint meals and rest disappear from our lives, become a rarity.

How to counteract this trend?

Gail Hartmann, a graduate psychologist, believes that a way out will be found when all generations of the family are willing to spend time together. “In strong families, it is customary to eat at a common table at least once a day, go on vacation together and spend time together. You don't have to stop your normal life. Children can prepare homework and parents can prepare dinner, but such a family will be distinguished by strong bonds and a sense of unity. published

10.07.2017

Blue zones in practice. How to become long-lived

Blue Zones in Practice book for those who want to live as long as possible and feel great at any age. In this book, the author shares the findings of his extensive research and offers practical advice on what needs to be changed to restore health and ensure a better quality of life. The book Blue Zones in Practice is a continuation of the book The Rules of Longevity.

Dan Buettner - About the Author

Dan Buettner - well-known journalist, traveler and supporter of a healthy lifestyle. Dan Buettner has been studying the diet and lifestyle habits of centenarians in different regions of the world for a long time.

Blue Zones in Practice - Book Review

In his first book, Rules for Longevity, Dan Buettner talked about five blue zones- places where the largest number of centenarians is recorded. In this part of the book, the author will analyze five "blue zones" in terms of nutrition. You will learn about the cooking and eating habits of the centenarians of each zone, as well as the results of research conducted over the past century on their diet and gastronomic preferences.

blue zones

● Ikaria (Greece).

An island in the Aegean Sea, about 13 kilometers off the coast of Turkey, that has one of the world's lowest rates of middle-age mortality and the lowest rate of dementia.

● Okinawa (Japan). The largest island of the subtropical archipelago with the largest number of long-lived women in the world.

● Province of Ogliastra (Sardinia). The mountainous area of the Italian island, which boasts the highest concentration of men who lived to be a hundred years old or more.

● Loma Linda (California). City with the largest number of Seventh-day Adventists in the local population; its inhabitants live ten years longer than the average American, while maintaining excellent health.

● Nicoya Peninsula (Central America). The region in Costa Rica with the lowest mid-life mortality rate and the second highest concentration of male centenarians.

9 rules for longevity

1. Natural movement.

The longest-lived people on the planet don't do strength training, don't run marathons, and don't go to sports clubs. They simply live in an environment that forces them to constantly move: they work in the garden and in the garden, and they do not have mechanical devices for doing housework and yard work. Every trip to work, a friend's house, or church is an excuse to walk.

2. Purpose of life.

The inhabitants of Okinawan call it ikigai ("ikigai"), and the inhabitants of the Nicoya Peninsula - plan de vida ("plan of life"); in both cases it is translated as "why I get up in the morning". In all the Blue Zones, people understand what they live for, and this applies not only to work. According to research, a firm belief that life has meaning increases life expectancy by about seven years.

3. Decreased pace of life.

Even the inhabitants of the "blue zones" are subject to stress, which leads to chronic inflammatory processes, one of the causes of all serious age-related diseases. Centenarians have their own ways of relieving stress: Okinawans, for example, remember their ancestors for a few minutes every day, Seventh-day Adventists pray, Ikaria residents take a nap, and Sardinians have a happy hour.

4. The 80 percent rule.

The proverb "hara hachi bu" (hara hachi bu - a principle expressed by Confucius 2500 years ago) is said by Okinawans before eating. Its essence is that you need to get up from the table with a slight feeling of hunger, that is, 80 percent full. The remaining 20 percent (the line between not feeling hungry and full) determines whether you lose or gain weight. The inhabitants of the "blue zones" prefer to eat light meals in the afternoon or early evening and do not eat anything else for the rest of the day.

5. The predominance of plant foods in the diet.

Various legumes, including fava beans, black beans, soybeans, and lentils, are the cornerstone of most centenarians' diets. Meat (mainly pork) they eat on average five times a month in portions from 80 to 120 grams, that is, about the size of a deck of playing cards.

6. Consumption of wine.

Inhabitants of all Blue Zones (and even some Seventh-day Adventists) regularly but moderately drink alcohol. People who drink in small doses live longer than teetotalers. The secret is to drink one or two glasses of wine a day with friends and/or with food. And yet, you should not abstain from alcohol for a whole week, and then drink 14 glasses at once on Saturday. It won't do any good.

7. Good social circle.

Centenarians were born into (or chose to) a social environment that supports a healthy lifestyle. Okinawans, for example, form moai, groups of five who always stick together. According to research, smoking, overeating, happiness, and even loneliness are contagious. But the social connections of centenarians contribute to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

8. Belonging to a community.

All but five of the 263 centenarians we interviewed belonged to one religious community or another. It doesn't matter what denomination it is. Studies show that attending church services four times a month increases life expectancy by 4 to 14 years.

9. Close ones above all.

Successful centenarians living in the Blue Zones put the family at the forefront. Parents and grandparents live with or nearby, and this reduces the incidence and mortality of their children. Such people are faithful to their other half (thanks to which life expectancy is increased by three years), and also spend a lot of time and love for their children, who respond to them with the same care when the time comes.

The best mediterranean diet

Like other Blue Zones, Ikaria is far from civilization, so its inhabitants stick to their traditions, and this allows them to escape the influence of modern Western eating habits. The traditional cuisine of the island of Ikaria, like the cuisines of most other areas of the Mediterranean region, includes a lot of vegetables and olive oil, slightly less dairy and meat products, and a moderate amount of alcohol.

Older Icarians' diets are dominated by vegetables, legumes and fruits, accounting for 64 percent of their daily food intake (dairy and beverages excluded).

Icarians consume slightly more legumes (especially chickpeas, lentils and cowpeas), potatoes, coffee, herbal teas and wild greens compared to other Mediterranean cultures. Perhaps due to the rough seas surrounding the island, its inhabitants have always eaten fish only occasionally, only when the fishermen had the opportunity to go to sea.

Icarian products for longevity

Icarian dishes include include the following products: Olive oil. Wild greens. Potato. Chees Feta. Vigna, or cowpeas. Chickpea (grain legume). Lemon. Mediterranean herbs. Coffee. Honey.

The Diet of the World's Longest Living Women: Okinawa

Okinawa, a kind of Japanese Hawaii, is a group of exotic islands with a warm climate, palm trees and white sand beaches. For a thousand years, this Pacific archipelago has maintained a reputation as a region with a very high concentration of centenarians. Okinawans who are 65 years of age or older have the highest life expectancy in the world, with an average of 80 years for men and 88 years for women. It is believed that men in Okinawa have every chance of living up to 84 years, and women - up to 90 years. Among the inhabitants of Okinawan, there are the most long-livers in the world: approximately 6.5 out of 10 thousand people reach the age of 100 years or more.

Until 1940, Okinawans also consumed fish at least three times a week, along with seven servings of vegetables and one or two servings of cereals a day. They also ate two servings of flavonoid-rich soy, mostly in the form of tofu. The diet of Okinawans was not very rich in fruits, and eggs were consumed only a few times a week. Dairy and meat products accounted for only three percent of the daily calorie intake. Not influenced by Buddhism, Okinawans of the 20th century did not recognize the ban on the consumption of meat, but still ate it relatively rarely.

In the post-war period, Okinawans ate more greens and yellow, orange, and red vegetables than the rest of the Japanese. In addition, they consumed more meat (mostly pork), but less fish, salt, and much less sugar.

Longevity Products from Okinawa Island

Okinawans have always instilled in their children the need to eat every day what is grown on their land or extracted from the sea, namely: Chinese bitter gourd, tofu, sweet potatoes, garlic, turmeric, brown rice, green tea, shiitake mushroom, seaweed ( kombu and wakame).

Sardinia: The Diet of the Longest Living Men in the World.

Sardinia is an island, the inhabitants of the mountainous regions are separated from the sea by two days of travel there and back, so they rarely make such trips.

Wine accounted for 110 calories, or about two small glasses of wine a day. In total, the Sardinians consumed about 2,700 calories per day - about the same as the Americans; however, high physical activity justifies the consumption of such a large number of calories.

Over the years, the Sardinian diet has gradually changed. When roads and electricity were laid on the island in the 1960s, it came under the influence of a number of other Italian traditions, such as a taste for pasta and sweets, and a wider variety of fruits, which occurred against the backdrop of an increase in general prosperity, thanks to which the Sardinians could afford these products.

The islanders began using frozen vegetables and noodles to make minestrone soup. Olive oil, which had always been consumed in this Blue Zone, was increasingly being replaced with animal fat as a staple for cooking. Meat, always associated with abundance, has also become more popular.

Sardinian products for longevity

Goat's and sheep's milk, flat bread (carta di musica, or music paper), barley ground into flour or added to soups, sourdough bread (modizzosa), fennel, fava beans and chickpeas, tomatoes, almonds, milk thistle, cannonau wine.

Loma Linda: American Blue Zone Diet (Seventh Day Adventist)

In support of their diet of grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables, Seventh-day Adventists quote from Genesis chapter 1, verse 29: “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed that is all the earth, and every tree that bears fruit of the tree, yielding seed; this shall be food for you." The Adventist diet is balanced, containing nuts, fruits, and legumes, and is low in sugar, salt, and refined grains. This diet excludes the consumption of any foods (such as pork and shellfish) that are called "unclean" in the Bible. The only drink allowed is water; her biblical followers drink at least six glasses a day.

The chart shows data on the average share of daily food intake for different Seventh-day Adventist groups that took part in the Second Adventist Health Study. The data was collected from 513 white and 414 black participants in the study. To display more accurate averages for the entire population, the data obtained were weighted in proportion to the size of each group.

Adventist Foods That Promote Longevity

Avocado, salmon, nuts, legumes, water, oatmeal, whole grain bread, soy milk.

Nicoya Peninsula: the best longevity diet ever

The day for the villagers begins before sunrise, when women wake up and prepare coffee. The family gathers at dawn for a cup of heavily sweetened black coffee or coffee with milk and a cold corn tortilla. The time from dawn to eight o'clock in the morning is allotted for household and ancillary chores. At eight - a full breakfast with eggs and legumes. During periods of active work in the fields, men take with them corn tortillas and gallo pinto (rice and beans fried in pork fat). On particularly hot days, work ends at noon or two in the afternoon. Workers return home from the fields or from the forest and wait about an hour for lunch. The afternoon meal often begins with soup with a few pieces of meat, bacon, boiled vegetable banana, taro or cassava, and sometimes greens. The soup is followed by rice and beans, usually topped with scrambled eggs. On occasion, vegetables may also be on the table: pipian or ayote gourd (nutmeg gourd), calabash (common gourd), cabbage, pinuela (wild plant belonging to the same species as pineapple) or some other wild plant. Meat is served on the table from time to time even in the poorest families; in addition, there must be cottage cheese on the table - kuahada. No meal is complete without corn tortillas, followed by the men sipping very sweet black coffee made from local berries or crushed okra seeds. Dinner is simpler, since the second half of the day is usually spent in idleness and the feeling of hunger is not so strong. Rice and beans, corn tortillas and sometimes eggs are served in the late afternoon.

The diet of the people of Nicoya is based on the three "sisters" of Mesoamerican agriculture: beans, corn, and squash. The Mesoamericans, who lived in what is now Guatemala and Mexico, grew legumes, pumpkins and corn in fields called milpa for over five thousand years, an amazing agrarian system in which all crops benefit each other. Pumpkins form a canopy to retain moisture, and beans climb tall corn stalks. Bean plants fix nitrogen in the soil, which fertilizes it.

Products of the Nicoya Peninsula that contribute to longevity

Nixtamalized corn, pumpkin, papaya, yams, black beans, bananas, pejibaya (peach palm).

Creating your own Blue Zone

Eating rituals: how to eat to live to a hundred years

Eat breakfast like a king

You know the saying, "Breakfast like a king, dine like a prince, and dine like a pauper"? In other words, the first meal should be the most plentiful, and there should be only three times a day.

● Make breakfast your highest calorie meal of the day. It should include proteins, complex carbohydrates and vegetable fats.
● Eat breakfast early in the morning or before noon, whichever suits your daily routine.
● Expand your breakfast basket to include more than just oatmeal and scrambled eggs. The inhabitants of the Nicoya Peninsula eat beans and corn tortillas for breakfast; the inhabitants of Okinawa - miso soup, and the Icarians - bread and a plate of spicy beans.

cook at home

Prepare meals at home, and associate restaurant visits with special occasions. In most Blue Zones, eating out is considered a celebratory occasion, a rare entertainment usually associated with a wedding or other significant occasion.

● Try to always have breakfast at home.
● Prepare dinner the night before.
● Prepare dinner ingredients in the morning. Leisurely cooking is a great way to use your morning resolve to plan dinner in accordance with the principles of the Blue Zones.
● On Sunday, spend the afternoon preparing food for the next week - for example, freeze some food for later use.

hara hati boo

Translated from Japanese, this means: before you start eating, set a goal to stop eating when you are 80 percent full.

Follow these guidelines:
● Before eating, say "hara hati bu" or, if you are religious, say a prayer. You can find your own way of doing this - for example, be quiet for a while, and then say or think what you see fit, paying tribute to the food on your table.
● Wear a blue bracelet. In this way, you will join thousands of other people who have joined in the creation of "blue zones" in cities scattered across the continent. Through the Blue Zones project, we gave thousands of blue bracelets to people to remind them to calm down before eating. Wear this bracelet (or your equivalent bracelet) for at least six weeks to reinforce this habit. According to studies, sticking to a certain behavior for a month and a half, you will increase the likelihood that it will become a habit. Only what is done long enough has a positive effect on life expectancy.
● Arrange prepared meals on plates at the food preparation table. People eat 29 percent more when they have a family-style meal. It is important to arrange the food on plates in advance, hide the leftovers and only then put the plates on the dining table.

Prolonged abstinence from food

Try to go without food from time to time. Such abstinence does not mean that you need to eat and drink nothing for several days. You Can Benefit From Intermittent Fasting By Eating Only Eight Hours A Day

● If you belong to a religious community, observe yearly or weekly fasts with other members. This is easier than abstaining from food alone, since such fasting is often based on social support and moral guidelines.
● Find a "fasting buddy". It is much easier to abstain from food in the company of friends.
● Limit food intake to 500 calories every other day to get used to regular fasting and lose weight without harm to health. During the fasting period, drink six glasses of water a day.
● Try to eat just two meals a day with a hearty brunch, and eat the second meal at about five o'clock in the afternoon.
Important! Consult your doctor before fasting. Do not practice fasting for more than one day at a time.

Eat with friends and family

Turning your meal into a shared meal helps you enjoy it and digest it better, especially if you share it with friends and family members.

● Never eat standing up.
● Never eat while driving.
● If you eat alone, just eat. Don't read, watch TV, or stare at your phone or computer - because of this, you eat too fast, mindlessly devouring your food.
● Make a rule in your house for all family members to have dinner together at a certain time.

Turn your meal into a celebration and enjoy your meal

None of the blue zone eating rituals should make you feel like you are limiting yourself or giving up something. Don't deprive yourself of the fun. Enjoy good food and have a holiday from time to time, allowing yourself to eat what you want.

● Choose one day of the week and designate it as a holiday day for you to indulge in your favorite meals. It could be Sunday, or Saturday, or Monday to cheer up the start of the week, or Friday to celebrate the end of another work week.
● Try to get the maximum pleasure from food during family celebrations and holidays. Find that priceless balance that suits you best.

Choosing foods that promote longevity

Carbohydrates

Vegetables and herbs: 1/2 cup daily
Fruits: 2-3 times a day
Nuts: 60 grams per day
Whole grains: daily
Less: Potatoes: 2 times a week maximum
Sweets: maximum 2 times a week
Chips: once a week
Sugary soft drinks: once a week
Fats
More: Olive oil: 4 tablespoons per day
Nuts: 60 grams per day
Less: Meat: less than twice a week
Trans fats: do not eat
Squirrels
More: Legumes: 1 cup a day

Tofu: 1/2 cup a day
Greens: 1 glass a day
Less: Meat: less than twice a week
Fish: no more than twice a week
Dairy

Principles of nutrition in the "blue zones"

- the predominance of plant foods. Make sure your diet is 95 percent plant-based

- Limit your meat intake. Eat meat no more than twice a week

— fish is an excellent product. Eat 100 grams of fish per day

Minimize cow's milk and dairy products such as cheese, sour cream and butter

- eat eggs occasionally - no more than three pieces a week

- a daily portion of legumes. Eat at least half a cup of boiled beans a day

- Consume no more than seven teaspoons of sugar per day

- snack on nuts, eating two handfuls a day

- Replace yeast bread with sourdough bread or whole wheat bread.

- Consume only whole foods, that is, those whose composition you know exactly.

Conclusion

The summary of the book Blue Zones in practice outlines tips for achieving longevity. The book also contains recipes for many dishes prepared by the inhabitants of the Blue Zones. book unconditional a storehouse of useful information on longevity. This book will serve as an excellent tool for leading a healthy lifestyle.

There are “blue zones” on Earth, whose inhabitants are distinguished by enviable longevity…

natural movement

Yoga classes also help to maintain balance by strengthening all muscle groups, increasing flexibility, beneficial effects on joints and reducing pain in the lower back. In addition, yoga serves as a means of communication and spiritual enrichment, like religion.

Cut calories by 20 percent

Plants are everything

Eat more nuts

A glass of red wine a day won't hurt

Religion helps you live longer

Family comes first

How does this contribute to longevity? By the time the centenarians turn 100 years old, their attachment to the family bears fruit: children respond with gratitude for love and care. They visit their parents constantly, and in three of the four Blue Zones, the younger generation is happy to host their elders. Research shows that older people who live with children experience less illness and stress, eat healthier foods, and are less likely to have serious accidents. The MacArthur Healthy Aging Study, which followed 1,189 people aged 70 to 79 over seven years, found that people who live close to children have clearer minds and better social skills.

"The family is the highest rung in the social hierarchy," says Dr. Butler. “Parents give you a sense of reality, teach you a healthy lifestyle, help you find purpose, and in case of illness or problems, family support becomes extremely important.” We spend most of our lives investing in some way, he says. Here you make investments when you go to school and get an education in a certain field. Then you invest in children when they are young, and then they invest in you when you are old. Recoil? Older people who live with families tend to stay sane longer than those who live alone or in a nursing home.

How to counteract this trend? Gail Hartmann, a graduate psychologist, believes that a way out will be found when all generations of the family are willing to spend time together. “In strong families, it is customary to eat at a common table at least once a day, go on vacation together and spend time together. You don't have to stop your normal life. Children can prepare homework and parents can prepare dinner, but such a family will be distinguished by strong bonds and a sense of unity.

Scientific research is being carried out in many parts of the world to identify factors and habitats that contribute to increasing the life expectancy of people on our planet. Most recently, a famous American traveler discovered the "blue zones" of longevity...

On our planet, there are only a few "blue zones of longevity", where the population continues an active life even at the age of one hundred. All these zones, as scientists have found out, are located in mountainous areas. The strongest of these are the zones found in the following places in the world: Sardinia (Italy), Okinawa (Japan), Southern California (USA), a peninsula on the Pacific coast (Costa Rica). In Russia, such zones are located mainly in the Caucasus and Altai.

For the first time the concept of "blue zones of longevity" was introduced by Dan Buettner , which explored the places with the highest life expectancy of people. He began to call these places "blue zones". In the process of research, the scientist met and communicated with people who lived longer than others on our planet. It was found that the inhabitants of these "blue zones" were much less susceptible to serious diseases and much more likely than other people to live to the age of 100.

Experts have identified seven main factors that contribute to the increase in life expectancy of people in these areas and in fact are the secret of eternal youth:

1) Breath and mountain air . Oxford University professor Federico Formenti considers this factor to be the main recipe for longevity. In his opinion, the reason is that the mountain air is discharged and in order to compensate for the reduced amount of oxygen that enters the blood, the process of producing red blood cells - red blood cells that deliver oxygen to the muscles - is activated. People living in the mountains gradually adapt to reduced oxygen levels. As a result, the body's endurance increases and, as a result, life expectancy increases. It is especially useful, in his opinion, to alternate being in the mountains with life in the valley. It is no coincidence that famous athletes prefer to train high in the mountains from time to time.

2) Sunshine Vitamin . Scientists from the University of the American State of Colorado, together with researchers at the Harvard School of Global Health, came to the conclusion that the reason for the longevity of the highlanders is not only the mountain air, but also increased solar activity in the mountains. Because of this, vitamin D is synthesized in large quantities in the body. This has a very beneficial effect on the condition of the heart, and also prevents the appearance of cancer cells.

3) Healing mountain water . The unique composition of the purest mountain waters, enriched with special minerals, is a real "health elixir", which contributes to a significant increase in people's life expectancy.

4) Constant activity . It is known that the highlanders lead an active lifestyle and regularly make ascents and descents from mountain plateaus for a long time, which maintains their vitality at a very high level. The “secret” to their longevity lies in high physical activity. It is connected not only with the need to move around uneven terrain, but also with their occupation - most mountaineers are engaged in agriculture or animal husbandry.

5) Highlander Diet , the site says. An important feature of their food is that the highlanders never prepare it for future use. They have a lot of raw and uncooked vegetables and fruits in their diet. Instead of regular bread, they prefer to eat healthy, yeast-free flatbread. The very way of cooking they have is significantly different from that to which we are accustomed. Highlanders boil their food, not fry it.

6) Healing herbs . American scientists were amazed when they found out that the action of mountain phytoncides and various herbal cocktails (tinctures) increases life expectancy by 24%.

7) Simple Truths . The highlanders always tried to live by certain rules and avoided unnecessary stress and worries over trifles.

Recently, a unique health resort "Lago-Naki" in which all these seven factors are used for recovery. In addition, for a more effective effect, ancient methods of oriental medicine and other cutting-edge technologies are used.

Andrew Gross

Dear friends!

Perhaps you have already read some of my books, even bought them, but still do not know my name. The thing is, I co-authored five New York Times bestselling novels with James Patterson. The most recent are The Bodyguard and Judge and Jury. I also helped create his incredibly popular crime series, The Women's Detective Club.

It is with great pride that I present to you my first novel, The Blue Zone, about a young woman who is forced to go in search of her father, who has disappeared from the witness protection program. She has to penetrate the secrets of this program in order to find her father and learn about his dark past.

I have learned a lot from James Patterson over the years, but I have no intention of imitating him. I want to write a compelling story about people in a difficult situation. The Blue Zone is just such a story, and I hope readers will agree with me. I'm sure you'll have an interesting read.

Best wishes,

Andrew Gross

“The instructions for the witness protection program and the agency of federal marshals, which oversees the witness protection program, define three stages of the agency's involvement in the process.

Red zone - when the subject is in custody, in prison or in court.

Green Zone - where the subject, along with his family, is provided with a new biography and a new residence and resides there under a name known only to his witness protection agent.

The blue zone is the most dangerous situation when there is a suspicion that a new biography of a witness may be or has already been disclosed. When he or she is in an unknown location and has no contact with the lead agent, or has left a program-defined safe location. When there is no official data, a person is alive or dead.

It took Dr. Emil Varga only a few minutes to get to the old man's bedroom. He slept soundly and dreamed of the woman he had been chasing after while studying at the university, a hundred years ago. But when he heard the alarming knock of the maid on the door, he immediately put on a woolen dressing gown over his nightgown and grabbed his suitcase.

"Please, doctor," said the maid, hurrying ahead of him, "please hurry."

Varga knew the way. He had lived on this hacienda for several weeks. In fact, this stubborn, unyielding old man who had resisted death for so long had been his only patient lately. Sometimes Varga thought about a glass of cognac at night, which hastened the end of his long and successful career.

Has it really ended?

The doctor paused a moment at the bedroom door. The room was dark and smelled bad; narrow arched windows prevented the first light of dawn from entering. The scent told him everything he needed to know. This and the old man's chest, which for the first time in weeks did not make any sounds. The mouth was open, the head tilted slightly to the side. Yellow saliva accumulated on the lips.

Varga slowly walked over to the huge mahogany bed and placed his suitcase on the table. He no longer needed any equipment. In life, his patient was a real bull. Varga thought about how many acts of violence he had committed. But now the sharp cheekbones were tightly wrapped in thin skin. There was something in this, in the doctor's opinion, deeply undeserved. How could someone who caused so much fear and grief in their lives look so frail and withered now?

- Is he really dead?

The Doctor nodded.

He finally let go of life. For eighty years he held her by the balls.

Bobby's wife, Marguerite, who was pregnant with the old man's third grandchild, stood at the door and began to cry. The son cautiously crept to the bed, as if he were approaching a sleeping lion, which at any moment could jump up and rush at him. He knelt down and touched the old man's face, his withered cheeks. Then he took his father's hand, which even now was rough and calloused like a laborer's, and kissed his knuckles.

"Todas apuestas se terminaron, papa," he whispered, looking into his father's dead eyes.

Then Bobby stood up and nodded.

“Thank you, Doctor, for all you have done. I'll make sure my brothers know about it.

No, rather, a question was read in those eyes. For many years, the old man held everything in his hands only thanks to his willpower.

What will happen now?

Bobby took his wife's hand and they left the room together. Varga went to the window. He opened the blinds, letting the morning light into the bedroom. The dawn has already washed the valley.

The old man owned everything for miles around, far beyond the gates: meadows, pastures, glittering mountains three thousand meters high. Near the stables were two SUVs. A couple of bodyguards with automatic pistols leaned against the fence, drinking coffee, still not knowing anything about what had happened.

“Well, yes,” muttered Varga, “tell your brothers everything.” He turned back to the dead old man. “You see,” the doctor sighed, “you are dangerous even dead, you old bastard.

The floodgates opened. The current will be strong. Blood is never washed away with blood.

Only here.

Above the bed hung a framed portrait of the Madonna and Child, which Varga knew had been given to the old man by the church at Bunaventure, where the old man was born. The doctor was not a religious person, but he crossed himself anyway, then lifted the damp sheet and covered the deceased's face with it.

- Wherever you are now, old man, I hope you have found peace ... Because here now it will be a real hell.

I don't know if this is a dream or reality.

I get off the bus on Second Avenue. It's only a couple of blocks from here to where I live. I