“If you want to live to a healthy 100, eat like healthy people who’ve lived to 100.” — Dan Buettner, founder of Blue Zones
Buettner has spent the last 15 years studying the healthiest and longest-lived people in the world. He’s traveled extensively to the blue zones of Ikaria, Greeca; Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Loma Linda, California; and Nicoya Costa Rica, observing and interviewing countless centenarians (and supercentenarians!) in search of the magic formula for longevity.
Buettner and his team of researchers discovered 9 common denominators among the longest-lived people in these blue zones, ranging from their level of physical activity and social connection, to their sense of belonging and purpose.
These 9 factors combine to be the special sauce of longevity but “food is the entrance ramp for better living,” according to Buettner.
That’s why he devoted his most recent book, The Blue Zones Kitchen, to the food guidelines and recipes of the blue zones. In the book, he distills his research to reveal 11 common eating habits among the longest-lived people in the world.
1. 90–100% of their diet is plant-based
People in the blue zones eat a wide variety of garden vegetables and leafy greens (especially spinach, kale, beet and turnip tops, chard, and collards). The bulk of their diet is made up of beans, greens, sweet potatoes, whole grains, fruits, nuts, seeds, and olive oil.
2. Meat plays a very minor role in their diet
They do eat meat sparingly in 4 of the 5 blue zones (all except Loma Linda, California), but meat is frequently a side dish or reserved for special occasions. Averaging out consumption across the blue zones, people eat about 2 ounces or less of meat about 5 times per month.
3. Fish is eaten in moderation
In most blue zones people eat small amounts of fish (3 ounces or less), up to 3 times per week. The most common fish eaten are small, relatively inexpensive varieties such as sardines, anchovies, and cod.
4. Dairy is limited
Cow’s milk doesn’t play a large role in any blue zones diet (except for some Adventists). Goat and sheep milk products figure prominently into the Ikarian and Sardinian blue zones diets, but most of the goat milk is consumed not as liquid but as yogurt, sour milk, or cheese.
5. They eat small amounts of eggs
People in all of the blue zones eat eggs about 2–4 times per week. They usually eat just one egg as a side dish as part of their meal. The eggs eaten in the blue zones come from chickens that range freely and don’t have added hormones or antibiotics.
6. Beans are their superfood
Beans reign supreme in the blue zones and are the cornerstone of every longevity diet in the world: black beans in Nicoya; lentils, garbanzo, and white beans in the Mediterranean; and soybeans in Okinawa. People in the blue zones eat at least 4 times as many beans as Americans do on average — at least a half cup per day.
7. Sugar is eaten intentionally, not by habit
People in the blue zones consume about the same amount of naturally-occurring sugars as Americans, but only about a fifth as much added sugar — no more than 7 teaspoons per day. They reserve sweets, cookies, and bakery items for special occasions, usually eaten as part of a meal.
8. Nuts are the most common snack
People in the blue zones eat about 2 handfuls of nuts per day. They eat almonds in Ikaria and Sardinia, pistachios in Nicoya, and all varieties of nuts in Loma Linda. The Adventist Health Study 2 found that nut eaters live 2–3 years longer on average than people who don’t eat nuts.
9. Bread is either sourdough or 100% whole grain
The bread eaten in the blue zones is either whole grain or sourdough. In Ikaria and Sardinia, breads are made from a variety of whole grains including wheat, rye, or barley. Some traditional blue zones breads are made with naturally-occurring bacteria called lactobacilli, which digest the starches and results in much lower levels of gluten. These traditional sourdough breads actually lower the glycemic load of meals.
10. They eat whole, unprocessed foods
People in the blue zones consume real, whole foods — eaten raw, cooked, ground, or fermented. A full recipe for a main dish usually contains only a half dozen or so ingredients, simply blended together. They use time-honored recipes to make healthy food taste good, with taste as the most important longevity ingredient.
11. They drink water, coffee, tea, and red wine
Water is the most common beverage in the blue zones. The Adventists in Loma Linda specifically recommend 7 glasses of water per day for the hydration and blood flow benefits. Tea is also consumed in every blue zones location (green tea is favored in Okinawa; Ikarians drink brews of rosemary, wild sage, and dandelion). Coffee is consumed by the Sardinians, Ikarians, and Nicoyans. People in most blue zones also drink wine (all except the Adventists in Loma Linda), usually 1–3 glasses of red wine per day, enjoyed with a meal and with friends.
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The longest-lived people in the world eat a whole food, plant-based diet, primarily because fruits, vegetables, tubers, nuts, beans, and whole grains are cheap and accessible. Their everyday meals are composed of simple peasant fare. People in the blue zones haven’t necessarily pursued health and longevity — it has ensued as a result of their environment.
People in the blue zones also show us that how you eat can be just as important as what you eat. The longest-lived people in the world typically enjoy slow meals with friends and family and they pause to express gratitude before they eat. They also fast occasionally, eat a big breakfast (followed by a medium-sized lunch and small dinner), and consume most of their calories within an 8-hour window each day.
Follow these eating habits and guidelines and hopefully you will live to be 100, too!
Andrew Merle writes about healthy living. Read more and subscribe to his email list at andrewmerle.com.