The Blue Zone – revisited

I am fascinated by Dan Buettner’s incredible work. You may not recognize his name instantly, but I bet you’ve heard of the “Blue Zones”.

What are Blue Zones? In 2000 – Italian scientist, Dr. Pes, and Belgian demographer, Dr. Poulain, drew concentric circles in blue ink on a map to illustrate areas in the world with high concentrations of centenarians. Pes and Poulain are Dan Buettner’s partners and collaborators.

Where are these Blue Zones? Some longevity hotspots include: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Loma Linda, California (Seventh-day Adventists); and Ikaria, Greece.

The Island Where People Forget to Die is an incredible article written by Dan Buettner for the New York Times back in 2012. I have posted the link for you to read the article in its entirety. Printed out, the article is 11 pages. Well worth your while. I keep a copy of it in my Favorite Reading File.

Stamatis Moraitis is a citizen from the Greek island of Ikaria. The NYT article is a story about Moraitis who was diagnosed by a team of doctors (in his mid-60’s) with terminal cancer when living in the USA. Because he only had months to live, he decided to go back to his homeland of Ikaria to die.

After 25 years of living on the Greek island, he went back to visit his American doctors. He wanted an explanation of how the cancer just went away. When Buettner asked him what his physician’s response was…Stamatis replied, “My doctors were all dead.”

What is Ikaria’s ‘secret sauce’ to longevity? And I mean – quality longevity without debilitating ailments or diseases. Please know, I am not advocating that anyone replicate this Greek culture here in America or follow Stamatis’ course of action. But I do find their story both intriguing and educational.

The citizens of Ikaria wake up naturally, go to bed late, and take afternoon naps. They plant vegetable gardens (eat a lot of beans) and drink ‘mountain tea’. They, also, drink wine in moderation and like their 2-3 cups of coffee. Fish is a staple. And predictably, they consume large amounts of olive oil. Walking is not deemed a planned exercise, but a means to get around the hilly terrain. They are not rushed or in a hurry. In the evenings, they visit neighbors. A community of ‘us’, not ‘me’. On Sundays, they attend church. These islanders’ ecosystem supports their ability to “forget to die.”

(I tried to summarize their lifestyle. But do read the article. I can’t do it justice in a blog. It is really that good!)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/magazine/the-island-where-people-forget-to-die.html

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Thank you for reading my thumbnail background of the Blue Zone.

Is this Challenge for everyone? Of course not. But for the interested and intrigued readers – I’d like to share my experiences. Perhaps, this challenge may motivate you to find a different 2022 lifestyle blueprint or modify some method that’s already provided a modicum of success in 2021.

January presents a natural beginning point to do the research and adopt a workable plan for a healthy, happy year.

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So here’s my take on the first 10 days of January.

I read The Blue Zone Challenge from the front cover to page 131.

I took an inventory of Blue Zone-worthy foods I already love to eat and stocked my refrigerator and pantry with the following.

From Sardinia: Flatbread, Barley, Sourdough bread, tomatoes, Almonds

From Ikaria: Potatoes, Olive oil, Black-eyed peas, Lemons, Fresh herbs, Coffee, Honey

From Okinawa: Garlic, Shitake mushrooms, Seaweeds, Green onions

From Nicoya: Maize, Squash, Bananas, Mini sweet peppers, Cilantro

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I printed copies of the Four Always, Four to Avoid and Food Guidelines posters. In fact, my OCD-ness flared up and I laminated both to display in my kitchen,

So, with this background work completed, I am beginning the 4 week challenge today! January 12!

Even though I haven’t officially begun the challenge, I have been mindful of my dietary choices.

I’ve only had red meat once this month. Living in Texas – a state which boasts as many cattle as residents – avoiding beef is quite an accomplishment. I have had pork. I read that the Okinawan diet uses pork for celebratory occasions. (Okinawans cook their pork for days and skim off the fat…. I prepared mine by removing the fat as well.)

Also, I limited eating eggs to 3 x a week. (Big deal for me.) Ate a handful of nuts every evening while watching TV. Completely stopped eating the fabulous leftover Christmas cookies and chocolate candies along with steering clear of the Blue Bell (Homemade Vanilla) ice cream cups in the freezer.

As the book states, this is not an elimination diet or exercise plan. It is about “Adding life to your years.” (page 17).

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If my travels through the Blue Zone interests you, here’s a link to purchase the book. Just a note: Every member in your family needs their own copy – since there are workbook pages to complete individually.

Stay tuned. I’m very motivated to live a healthier lifestyle this year.

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Plus, I will be posting about my KonMari 2022 which is a sequel to my KonMari 2019.

I know you’re scratching your head wondering why on earth am I repeating this one-and-done process.

Quick answer – to a complicated explanation: I am really fine-tuning my home. More on that later.

So between The Blue Zone Challenge by Dan Buettner and Marie Kondo’s the life-changing magic of tidying up (the Japanese art of decluttering and organizing)…..I am super excited about 2022. Are You? I sure hope so. And, I hope MWT brings positivity to your new year.

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It goes without saying – but I’ll say it anyway. Every person must consult their physician before embarking on a new dietary and/or exercise regimen.