Five Places in The World People Live to 100 – and What They’re Eating!
With the average life expectancy rate at 71.4 years, some parts of the world see shorter life spans, while others enjoy greater longevity. However, there are five places around the world that enjoy some of the longest, healthiest lives on the planet. These places are referred to as “Blue Zones” and healthy eating is proving to pay off there.
In this blog post, we will talk about how to eat like the people in these five places that help them live so long.
Healthy Eating in Okinawa, Japan
Thanks to the amazing culture and healthy eating habits, Okinawa boasts some of the longest-living women in the world. Okinawans follow the old adage, “Eat until you are 80 percent full.” This principle goes against most western diet principles that only focus on calories or what food groups to eliminate.
Though western influences brought changes in eating habits since 1949, Okinawans still consume healthful staples such as bitter melons, garlic, green tea, shiitake mushrooms, tofu, and brown rice. Okinawans have also made it a habit to include something from the sea and the land into their everyday diet.
Loma Linda, California
Loma Linda is currently the only Blue Zone in the U.S. People here live an average of 10 years longer than their fellow Americans. Their healthy eating habit is mainly influenced by the biblical diet which includes a lot of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and plenty of water.
Sugar is considered taboo, and people rarely consume red meat here. Top foods include oatmeal, avocados, nuts, salmon, beans, whole wheat, and soy milk.
Sardinia, Italy
Sardinians, who are mostly farmers and shepherds, follow a largely plant-based diet. Though the reason for Sardinia’s longevity may lie in the M26 marker, a genetic variant linked to extreme longevity, part of the credit also goes to healthy eating.
Goat’s milk and sheep’s cheese fills up a major part of their diet, but they also consume foods such as fennel, tomatoes, fava beans, almonds, sourdough bread, and wine made of Grenache grapes.
Nicoya, Costa Rica
Nicoyans plan de vida, or guiding life purpose, is to live a physically active and healthy lifestyle. They sleep eight hours every night, and their diet consists of nutrient-dense foods such as corn, beans, rice, papayas, yarns, and peach palms. Furthermore, they also consume plenty of water from sources that are naturally rich in magnesium and calcium.
Ikaria, Greece
Often free of dementia and other chronic diseases, one out of every three Ikarians live into their 90s. Though their lifestyle includes daily naps, Ikarians stay healthy through activities such as healthy eating, fishing, and farming.
They strictly stick with a Mediterranean diet and consume a lot of wild greens and herbal teas that are rich in nutrients. This diet is rich in omega 3s and heart-healthy nutrients. The Ikarian diet also puts emphasis on potatoes, honey, legumes, goat’s milk, and small amounts of fish and goat’s meat.
However, their top longevity foods are feta cheese, lemon, and herbs such as sage and marjoram.
Matching the Blue Zoners when it comes to eating healthy will definitely require an adjustment in your current eating habits. It can be challenging when starting from scratch on a full-spectrum diet change, but it’s possible with focus and determination. Nevertheless, you can definitely lead a healthy lifestyle by making a few changes into your current routine. Drop us a line or call us for a free consultation with our consultants!