The Psychology of the Blue Zones
What do these five geographic areas, these so called Blue Zones, have in common and how can they help us live long -- and not just live a long time, but a healthy long time.
August 6, 2023 Written by Dr Rudy Wietfeldt 0 Comments
Live long and prosper was Spock's Vulcan salute. Peace and long life was the expected response.
Cue 1960's Star Trek music....
Peace, long life, and prospering...these are the voyages of The Blue Zones whose five geographic areas share the highest concentration of centenarians in the galaxy.
The Blue Zones are specific regions in the world where residents have a significantly higher life expectancy and a higher prevalence of those who live to be 100+ years old compared to the global average. What's more, folks in the Blue Zones not only live longer, they live healthier!
Healthy, according to the World Health Organization, does not simply imply an absence of disease: it means the complete package of biopsychosocialspiritual health. (Check back to an earlier blog post on Psychology.Quest for an introduction to this model of health.)
The concept of the Blue Zones was first introduced by Michel Poulain and Giovanni Mario Pes in March, 2000, when they noticed extraordinary longevity in Sardinia, Italy. (Curiously, they are only called the "blue" zones because blue was the color of the stickers available to pin the areas of supreme longevity on the world map!) The concept of the Blue Zones was popularized by journalist and National Geographic Fellow Dan Buettner.
The recognized Blue Zones include:
1. Ogliastra region, Sardinia, Italy. This area has a high number of male centenarians, which is relatively rare compared to the other Blue Zones. The diet in Ogliastra includes locally-sourced, plant-based foods, and the emphasized values of Faith, family bonds, and traditions. Sardinians are overwhelmingly Roman Catholic Christians and overwhelmingly still attend weekly Sunday Mass.
2. Ikaria, Greece. An island in the Aegean Sea, Ikaria was discovered to be a Blue Zone by Buettner and his team through demographic analysis. The people of Ikaria have a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and olive oil. They also maintain a strong sense of community and social connections. Ikarians have traditionally been Greek Orthodox Christians and do a significant amount of fasting.
3. Okinawa, Japan. The Okinawa prefecture in Japan has one of the largest concentrations of centenarians in the world. The Okinawan's diet is low in calories and includes a variety of nutrient-rich foods, like vegetables, tofu, and seaweed. Okinawans have traditionally followed Ryukyuan religious practices, characterized by worshipping ancestors and respecting relationships between the living, dead, and the gods and spirits of the natural world.
4. Nicola Peninsula, Costa Rica. The Nicola Peninsula was identified as a Blue Zone due to its high concentration of centenarians and its relatively low rates of age-related diseases. The individuals in this region have a strong sense of purpose, of faith, and they typically engage in physical labor with walking as the main form of transportation. Roman Catholic Christianity is practiced by the vast majority in the Nicola Peninsula.
5. Loma Linda, California, USA. Loma Linda is unique among the Blue Zones as a community of Seventh-day Adventist Christians. The Adventist lifestyle emphasizes a plant-based diet, regular physical exercise, and rest on the Sabbath, as well as other faith-based practices.
Although there are obvious geographic and cultural differences between the Blue Zones, researchers have come to learn that the following seem to contribute to good health in longevity:
1. Diet: A plant-rich diet filled with fresh vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, and nuts. Fish-based meals are also plentiful but animal products, particularly red meats, are consumed in moderation.
2. Movement: The individuals in Blue Zones tend to engage in regular physical activity as a way of life, often through simple activities such as walking and gardening.
3. Faith and Purpose: Having a sense of connection to God and God's purpose for one's life is an essential aspect of well-being in these regions. It also impacts Stress Reduction practices.
4. Mental Health and Stress Reduction: Blue Zone residents typically have lower net stress levels due to a combination of factors. These include faith in God and God's providence over their lives, social supports and social connections, significant leisure activities and cultural practices.
5. Drinking alcohol in moderation: Many in the Blue Zone will regularly have a glass or two of wine, typically as part of meals with family and friends.
6. Eating until you feel about 80% full: what the Okinawans call "Hara hachi bu." Many in the Western World self-regulate emotionally by eating until they feel too full, perhaps 120%, leading to the epidemic of obesity.
7. Close connection with your community: Having community connection provides a sense of well being and social networking, thereby limiting loneliness and isolation. Saint Mother Teresa had said: "The greatest disease in the West today is not TB or leprosy; it is being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for. We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair and hopelessness is love...The poverty in the West is a different kind of poverty - it is a poverty not only of loneliness but also of spirituality. There's a hunger for love, as there is a hunger for God."
8. Putting family (whether biological or chosen) first to support healthy connections and healthy behaviors: As a microcosm of community, your tribe - the five people you spend the most time with - are said to have the greatest influence on you. Choose your tribe well.
As you read about these five Blue Zones, it can be overwhelming to consider how to incorporate the eight principles into your life. Fear not. Future blog posts will bring more attention to specifically how to boost the various aspects of your health.
To start, consider what I call the "one and one" exercise. Start by adding one positive principle to your life every day. Perhaps this is going for a walk every day for at least 15 minutes. Perhaps it is having an apple a day. Start small, but commit to doing it every day.
Secondly, consider one negative habit you have that you think is limiting your health and happiness. Perhaps it is too much time on social media. Try to limit that one thing you know is hurting yourself. Again, start small, but do it every day.
You can do it! You will do it!
Don't start tomorrow, do it today! Then do it tomorrow...then continue.
In this way, you'll be able to look longer and deeper into your own eyes in the morning mirror as you brush your teeth. Doing what you say you're going to do is infectious, especially when it is congruent with what you inherently know is true.
To this end, enjoy the journey and the daily gains. In this way you truly will Live long and prosper.
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