The Blue Zones

This is something I seen on Oprah originally but have looked into it a little further since then. The Blue zones are zones around the world where large numbers of people live to be centenarians. Centenarians are people who live to be 100 years and over.

So the 4 hot spots are:
1. Nicoya Peninsula, Coasta Rica
2. Sardinia, Italy
3. Loma Linda, CA- The home of the 7th day Adventist church
4. Okinawa, Japan
There are also other blue zones as well. This is the most recently updated list.

These places all have alot in common.

• Plant based diets...... Some do take in small abouts of meats and cheese but only as a side and very infrequently. Most of them also grow their own fruits & veggies. Which means no pesticides, herbicides, & insecticides. Legumes & beans are of huge benefit! And nuts are as well. Also make sure you eat a variety of color. Different colors mean different vitamins and minerals. Remember unsaturated fatty acids lower your LDLs..... Plus a glass of wine or two a day is good for you.... The alcohol & antioxidants help your arteries. But don't over do it.
  
• Also they all exercise.... not what you and I call exercise on a piece of equipment but they walk long distances daily, they tend there gardens daily, they live like we did 50 years ago. They do almost everything from scratch... So moderate intensity exercise through all ages.
  
• Being Spiritual- They have found their happiness. Their reason for living. They also find time to relax and find time for themselves.
• Family. They all have tight family and friend bonds. Family is more important then anything and they put it above all other.
  
• Being socially involved through all ages.
  
• Not putting extra chemicals into their bodies.. like smoking..

For more information on THE BLUE ZONES click this link. Or check out the book The Blue Zones. There are other informational pages as well.

The Oprah BLUE ZONE LINK