Every time we write an article on dieting, we like to preface it with the fact that restrictive, unmanageable diets are the biggest indicator of future weight gain.
But every now and then, a diet that seems sensible, sustainable and healthy comes along; one that really ticks the nourishing box by encouraging mindful eating.
Enter: The Blue Zones Diet.
While the name sounds faddy af straight off the bat, it’s actually rooted in long-term research and quite a bit of thought.
Scientists studied the diet and lifestyle of the longest living people around the globe, and located five key areas where people enjoyed the most disease-free, long lives. They circled these areas on a map with blue pen, and thus, the name ‘Blue Zone Diet’ was born.
The areas are Sardinia (off Italy), Ikaria (a Greek island), a Japanese island called Okinawa, the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica and Loma Linda in California.
What makes these small areas around the world so fruitful?
According to The Huffington Post, all of these places shared three key aspects: they have similar diets, they engage in meaningful activity every day, and they enjoy lots of community and family engagement as well.
Their collective diets consist mainly of plants. A few of these places have a high concentration of vegetarians, but meat and dairy isn’t frowned upon – it just isn’t consumed as readily as it is in say, Aussie culture.
“The big thing is there is no one ‘special’ food,” says Dan Buettner, a key researcher. “They eat different foods according to their culture. It could be whole grains, it could be a lot of beans and legumes, it can be nuts, a lot of green vegetables, tropical fruits, rice, tofu – it really varies depending on what Blue Zones you go to.”
According to researchers, these healthy folk eat seasonally. They also eat till they’re comfortably full – not overly full. Easier said than done.
The people of Loma Linda in California are a particularly nice example of bucking your country’s trend and reaping the health benefits.
“This is the hometown where people are mostly Seventh-day Adventists, and it’s very different from the rest of the American population. They follow a very strict vegetarian diet, and adhere to church teachings around diet, not drinking and not smoking,” says Buttoner. “There are people who adopt the lifestyle that’s related to their religion, but from that lifestyle they’re getting healthy benefits of living 10 years longer than the average American. That’s a big number.”
To some, though, giving up drinking is a dieting extreme. Not all Blue Zoners miss out on alcohol – but research shows it’s best to stick to red wine. Bad news for you migrainers out there.
Researcher and nutrition academic Tim Crowe says these people exercise regularly, but not in the way a lot of us might assume.
“The other part is that the people are active all throughout the day from meaningful purpose. By that I mean every 15 of 20 minutes, they’ll be doing something or moving, whether it’s gardening, walking to their friend’s place or kneading bread,” Crowe said.
“They’re always active. They’re not running marathons or going to gym. They’re getting enough physical activity throughout the day to get the health benefits.”
What’s most interesting about this research is the emphasis placed on meaningful connections with others, and how this impacts health.
“It’s a key one across the Blue Zones, and it’s something we’re doing less and less of here in Australia, with one in four people living alone now, and we have less connection with people around us.”
“Social media has its place in the world, definitely, but real human engagement is important,” Crowe said.
Source: The Huffington Post.
Photo: Keeping Up With The Kardashians.
