Happy aging, a reality in the Blue Zones
Blowing out our 100th birthday candles seems pretty unlikely; Of the more than 46 million people who live in Spain, only about ** 15,500 ** had done so in 2017; of the nearly 326 in the United States, they did just over 70,000 . If we compare them, they result in 0.33% versus 0.02%, so one might ask: why in our country are there more people who cross this border? Are there places where the percentage of centenarians be even higher?
According to studies by the Blue Zones team, made up of journalist Dan Buettner and the National Geographic team, the differences between the two countries lie in their lifestyle and not so much in their genes. They affirm it based on the famous study of the danish twins , which showed that only 20% of our longevity is written in our DNA.
With these data in hand, Buettner and his team have identified the areas of the world in which more people reach old age.
So, the region of barbagia , in Sardinia (Italy), stands out for having the highest concentration of male centenarians; Icaria , in Greece, for having one of the lowest rates of mortality in middle age, as well as the lowest percentages of dementia; the peninsula of Nicoya , in Costa Rica, holds the title of the lowest mortality rate in the world, while also having the second highest concentration of men who have reached the age of 100; the group of Seventh Day Adventists who live in Loma Linda (California), stand out for living up to ten years longer than their North American countrymen, and in okinawa (Japan) , women over 70 make up the largest population of this age on the planet.
The beauty of the Okinawa islands seems like enough reason to stay alive
THE NINE RULES OF LONGEVITY
These places have been baptized as Blue Zones, that is, "Blue Zones" by experts, who have also identified the behaviors that make their inhabitants live so long. Are:
1. nature movement : “The oldest people in the world they don't do weights They neither run marathons nor join the gym. Instead, they live in environments that constantly push them to move without thinking about it. They cultivate orchards and do not use mechanical tools for house and garden work”, explains Aislinn Kotifani from ** Blue Zones **.
two. Purpose , or what Okinawans call ikigai, meaning: the reason we get up every morning. "Knowing your purpose increases your life expectancy by seven years," says Kotifani.
3. Routines to manage stress, which are what differentiate how these population groups cope with the pressures of day-to-day life compared to the rest. They handle them by praying -in the case of the Adventists-, taking a siesta -as those from Ikaria do- or taking time daily to remember their ancestors -as is the case with the Okinawans-.
Four. 80% rule , which is based on stopping eating when their stomachs are full up to that percentage. “The 20% gap between not being hungry and feeling full could be the difference between lose or gain weight ”, they affirm from the organization. Likewise, they tell us that the people of the Blue Zones eat early and lightly, and do not eat anything else until the next day.
5. plant-based diet more than meat, to the point that legumes are the cornerstone of most centuries-old recipes. Meat, mainly pork, is eaten, on average, about five times a month and in very small portions.
6. Regular and moderate alcohol intake of low gradation -except in the case of the Adventists-.
7. Adherence to a faith . "Studies show that attending services related to one's faith four times a month will add between four and 14 years of life," they argue from Blue Zones.
8. put family first . "This means keeping parents and grandparents close to or in the same house -which also reduces disease and mortality rates for children who live in it-", they tell us. Likewise, having a life partner adds up to three years to your time on Earth.
9. Being in the right “tribe” either by birth or by choice. That is, belonging to social circles that support and promote healthy behaviors. The Okinawans, for example, have moais, groups of five friends who commit to each other to support each other at all times. “The **Framingham heart studies** show that tobacco addiction, obesity, happiness and even loneliness are contagious,” says Kotifani.
Having a partner increases your life expectancy
COULD THE PLACE WHERE YOU LIVE BECOME A BLUE ZONE?
With the aim that more people can benefit from the nine rules that help to age more and better, from Blue Zones they help any community that is determined to improve their habits. “Based on years of international anthropological research and data, our world-renowned experts and solutions transform cities and implement sustainable change ”, they explain from the organization.
In this way, they affirm that the communities of the Blue Zones project -they are already 46 all over the world - benefit from a better health , significant savings in medical costs, improvements in productivity , greater economic vitality, and lower rates of obesity and smoking.
So, for example, in Albert Leah (Minnesota) , the community hard hit by the economic crisis where the pilot project took place, are saved today a year 8.6 million in health services thanks, above all, to the decrease in smoking among the population. At the same time, they have risen from 68th place - where they were before starting the program - to 34th in the county's health ranking, and have added three years to their life expectancy.
All this, according to Blue Zones, has been achieved thanks to the implementation of changes based on the nine guidelines that we gave before. In other words, aimed at helping people to move naturally -creating, for example, hiking and biking trails in the city itself-; a eat wisely -through talks and educational workshops, the introduction of healthy meals and snacks in public places and allocating 150% more landscaped space for urban gardens-; a connect among them -improving the design of public places and even work spaces-...
Likewise, the organization also makes available to anyone who wants to hire it a meal planner that bases its recipes on those of the five blue zones of the planet. The process? You tell them your allergies and preferences, how many you cook for, how skillful you are on the stove and how long You have to prepare each meal and they send you the recipes that best suit you. In addition, in the case of the United States, the planner is integrated into apps such as Amazon Grocery, Instacart and Peapod , making the necessary supplies for each dish come to you with a click directly to your home. Will this be the revolution that makes us blow out the 100 candles?
Moving naturally, one of the best ways to age healthily