The Secret to Longevity: Exploring the Blue Zones
The Wellness Media is desperate and afraid. They have had 60 years of phoning in simplistic stories about dopey diets and abusive “fat burning” exercises. The result is 65% of Americans are obese and damaged. Probably another 20% have actual eating disorders and there are now FIVE of them! Almost everyone is food/beverage label reading for “bad” ingredients and then playing with nutrients and NOT eating for pleasure which is what the BLUE ZONE regulars do daily. They ENJOY EATING. What we do is disordered eating. This is UNATURAL and it raises CORTISOL.
The Media loves to interview certain social media MDs—Dr. Mark Hynan is one of this herd. These new celebs MDs who no longer treat illness. They are into Functional medicine. This means selling weight loss schemes. They are always looking for a new angle. In a world obsessed with quick fixes and miracle diets, they now talk up a handful of communities where some old folks quietly live longer, supposedly healthier lives—without gimmicks or fads. These areas are known as the Blue Zones, and they DO NOT hold the key to unlocking a longer, more fulfilling life unless you have lived 80 plus years in one of these environments.
What Are the Blue Zones?
The term Blue Zones was coined by author and explorer Dan Buettner, who, along with a team of researchers, identified five regions in the world where people consistently live to 100 and beyond—often in excellent health. These areas are:
Okinawa, Japan
Sardinia, Italy
Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica
Ikaria, Greece
Loma Linda, California (USA)
Despite being scattered across the globe, these communities share a number of “lifestyle” habits that are present because these people are what we used to call “simple folk.” Remember the great musical CAMELOT? Richard Burton sang a lovely song describing the kingdom’s citizens as the “simple folk.” This was not a compliment.
The 9 Blue Zone Principles
Move Naturally. People in Blue Zones stay active gardening, walking, climbing hills, and doing household chores because they are too poor to own a car!
Purpose. Known as "ikigai" in Okinawa and "plan de vida" in Nicoya, having a reason to wake up each morning. No choice really—they have to do stuff—they need to do everything. No Fresh Direct. No cleaners who deliver.
Stress is reduced by napping! And worse praying!!
80% Rule. In Okinawa, the phrase “Hara hachi bu” reminds people to stop eating when they’re 80% full, avoiding overeating and promoting healthy weight. This is the 80Bites Program which the Media hates since it invalidates a trillion of their stories about “eat this and don’t eat that!” NEVER do we learn exactly HOW MUCH these blue people eat and drink. With some digging, we find out that many of the men SMOKE since this is what they have done their entire lives and they weren’t paying attention to when the smart Southern lawyers in the 90s sued big Tobacco to make hordes of money.
Plants. Diets are largely plant-based, with beans as a cornerstone. Meat is consumed in small portions. Portions!! How many bites? We don’t know since the Media is afraid of QUANTITY. But we know that they can’t afford to overeat.
Wine at 5. Moderate alcohol consumption—especially wine with friends or food—is part of daily life. Are they crazy? We are told today that ALL ALCOHOL IS A KILER. Remember when ten years ago Red Wine was a health drink?
Belong. Almost all centenarians belong to a faith-based community. Attending services regularly is what they do since they don’t have video game Apps on their non-existent smart phones. Nor big screen TVs to watch the Knicks.
Family. Older folks live with younger generations because there are no senior retirement homes where they can play bingo and shuffleboard.
Right Tribe. Social circles offer support. In Okinawa, lifelong groups of friends called moais commit to supporting each other since they may not get Social Security checks and they didn’t invest in retirement accounts.
IS this a REAL MODEL
With rising rates of chronic diseases, stress, and sedentary lifestyles the Blue Zones, essentially the best Natural Ozempic alternative, offers “a refreshing model” for well-being. NO they don’t and this is obvious if you can keep two thoughts in your head at the same time. WE ARE NOT SEDENTARY. People sat and played cards. We sit and do it on our phones OR while pumping pedals on our Peloton. Chronic disease is all from OBESITY. The Media portrays this boring almost primitive life as healthy. Forget that no one is enjoying Hamilton on Broadway or the Paris Opera ballet or any other sophisticated entertainments . Of course, there is no travel. These communities show us that the secret to a long, “healthy” life may be just repetition of simplistic routines which are their daily CHORES.
Since none of us wants to live in one of these Blue Zones, the Media is now phoning in stories about how to create one in your high rise apartment in Chicago, such as:
Cook more plant-based meals—eat LOTS of tasteless veggies without any nutrition. And some will cost a lot as they come form Mexico.
Go on daily walks or garden. Get real. We are all tracking our 10,000 steps—another marketing gimmick invented by some smart Japanese marketers—and so great for those many Americans with flat feet toting an extra 50 pounds.
Make time for family and friends while we go to shrinks to figure out what our parents did to our self-esteem.
Volunteer or join a community group rather than work at your second job which you need to pay the bills.
Reduce stress through a mindful ritual—like meditation or prayer. There’s the false hope again. The wonderful god will save you.
OK. That’s a WRAP!
