How Do They Eat In Blue-Zones?
Blue Zones are areas of the world where people tend to live longer than 100 years old at 10x a higher rate than the rest of the world’s populations. These zones include:
Sardinia, Italy
Nicoya, Costa Rica
Okinawa, Japan
Ikaria, Greece
Loma Linda, California
Let's be clear- we are NOT encouraging you to start a "Blue-Zone" Diet. You know us better than that! We are here just exploring and sharing how the people of these areas are eating that are totally opposite of diet trends you've heard about.
People in these areas tend to live off the land. Maintaining their main food sources from sustainable farms and doing things their own and traditional way. Even the common foods of one of these blue-zones would not be interchangeable AND sustainable if switched with another blue zone. It’s all unique to that geographic location where the people are living.
Now, let's look at the sources/types of food that are most popular in these areas. Despite what western health care may encourage, the people in these areas are not counting calories, reading labels, or following a “diet”. They actually tend to eat food that is sourced from around them and the land that they live on.
In Sardinia, for example, they depend on cured meats and cheeses from their local dairies and farms. For the people of Nicoya, black beans and white rice are a staple to their everyday life; often cooking in traditional ways such as outside and using ash. The people of Okinawa eat about 60% vegetables used in soups with noodles and broth. In Ikaria, the top 3 foods are potatoes, seaweeds and goat milk. Lastly, Loma Linda is known for eating lots of whole grains, legumes and vegetables.
In a Netflix docuseries called “Down To Earth” by Zac Efron - he travels to Sardinia to learn about what makes people live so long there. He was so shocked to find out that so much of their diet consisted of homemade pasta and noodles. Efron was shocked because professionals he had been working with were encouraging very low carb and high protein diets for him and yet - these people seemed to be much healthier than he was!
Isn’t it interesting? That us in Western society and culture have been shoved diets and "shoulds" in our faces for years now. They say that grains are bad because of the carbs; or too much cheese, or too much meat, etc. And I am here to tell you.... FUCK THAT! Where’s the long term studies and proof of that actually being healthy? It can’t be found. The best thing for you to eat is what makes you FEEL like a million bucks- not what costs a million bucks or what millionaires eat. Consider what is the community and land offering you?
