Creating a Barrington Blue Zone

I just finished reading the book 'The Blue Zones' by Dan Buettner. In this book the author researches four distinct areas around the globe that have an abnormally high life span.

These places are called Blue Zones and they are located in Okinawa, Sardinia, Loma Linda in California, and Nicoya in Costa Rica. Each community has a distinct way of life that enables them to have the highest percentages of centenarians in the world.

So what is it that they do? How can you add the lessons learned and make Barrington your own Blue Zone?

Let's discuss what makes them unique and what you can do. In all four blue zones they all follow the following lifestyle:

1.) They move without thinking. Their lifestyles are active without them even thinking about exercise. All the exercise is done in a moderate level. For example the Okinawans all gardened daily. The Loma Linda community takes nature walks often. How often do you move without thinking? Is exercise a chore? I've been professing this for many years, a long term exercise program will not work if you don't enjoy the activity! So find something you physically enjoy and do it often.

2.) Hara Hachi Bu (In Japanese this means "80% full stomach"). In English this means portion control. In essence, calorie control. The average Sardinian eats about 2000 calories a day. A typical American breakfast can easily reach 800 - 1000 calories!

3.) Avoid Processed Foods and Meat. I would argue against a total avoidance of meat but certainly restricting red meat in particular has shown to have an affect against colon cancer. But more importantly the role processed foods have played in disease (cancer, diabetes, heart disease) has been well publicized. If you can aim for foods without labels your adding years to your life. More veggies (6-8 servings a day), beans, nuts, and fruits has shown to add longevity to the lives of everyone living in the blue zones.

4.) Grapes of Life (moderate red wine consumption) This has been well known for some time. However the book takes a different spin on red wine consumption. They claim that it's always best to "treat yourself to a happy hour". This means a glass of wine, nuts, and a gathering of friends and/or spouse and make it a social event.

5.) Purpose Now. The Costa Ricans call this "plan de vida" and in all the cultures this simply means "why I wake up in the morning". A strong sense of purpose among the aging has significant advantages with aging. This I feel is where our society lacks. When I lived in Japan I got a strong sense that the elderly were well respected and honored. In our country we tend to hide our elderly. I do believe this will change as the baby boomer popluation ages. Time will tell.

6.) Downshift (Take time to relieve stress). No shocker here. Interestingly enough Sardinian men tend to outlive their spouses. The Sardinian men tend to be more laid back and worry less. The women tend to be anxious and take control of everyting from finances to raising children. I'm not sure I advocate this lifestyle but certainly we can reduce stress by communicating our feelings, exercising/yoga, meditating, and taking time for ourselves in things that we enjoy.

7.) Belong (participate in a spiritual community). See the book Diet, Life Expectancy and Chronic Disease: Studies of Seventh-day Adventists and Other Vegetarians for amazing research as to why spirituality helps with longeveity. You don't need to belong to organized religion to obtain the benefits of spirituality, however the community that a church or synagouge brings to our lives can be incalculable.

8.) Loved Ones First (Make family a priority). All the blue zone communities tended to marry, have children, and build their lives around that core. In communities that respect the elderly this becomes a revolving pattern in which grandchildren add to the elders sense of purpose. These families also establish a tradition. An example we can use in Barrington is a yearly family vacation or purposely celebrate certain holidays.

9.) Right Tribe (be surrounded by those who share blue zone values). Interestingly enough of all the centenarians interviewed in the book all of them were likeable. Likeable people are more likely to have a strong social network, get frequent visitors form those who care, and are more likely to have less stress and live more purposeful lives.