from BlueZone.com
Ever hear of blue zones? I had not until I ran across this interesting article on How Stuff Works. Blue zones are areas on the Earth where people live longer, healthier lives.
There are four blue zones identified in the world. Champaign isn’t one of them. Dan Buettner of BlueZones.com has traveled to the blue zones and his research led him to identify “The Power 9″ — nine rules for creating your own blue zone. Here they are…
- 80% Rule (stop eating when you’re 80% full)
- Plant-Power (more veggies, less protein and processed foods)
- Red Wine (consistency and moderation)
- Plan de Vida (know your purpose in life)
- Beliefs (spiritual or religious participation)
- Down Shift (work less, slow down, rest, take vacation)
- Move (find ways to move mindlessly, make moving unavoidable)
- Belong (create a healthy social network)
- Your Tribe (make family a priority)
I was curious about the food in blue zones. I half expected organic food to be mentioned as a factor. It isn’t. Of course, food is important. Three of The Power 9 are food related, but the important factors seem to be how much is eaten (reduce calories for longer life), and what types of food — fresh fruits and veggies, red wine (daily), less meat, less processed foods, etc.
I suppose organically raised food couldn’t hurt, unless a person is so stressed out with finding organic food that they have a stroke.
1 Comment
April 21, 2009 at 3:01 am
Great article, I definitely need to take heed to many of these recommendations. Namely, less processed foods and less protein, as well as reintroducing a purpose and religion.