The facts stated by Sri VG is incorrect and cannot be accepted as
the universal truth. I wrote in the same column some time back about the
BLUE ZONES. Now,
“Blue Zones” are geographic areas with lower rates of chronic
diseases and a longer life expectancy. Diet, fasting, and exercise are
factors associated with Blue Zones. Italy, Greece, Japan, Costa Rica, and
the US have a Blue Zone.
Chronic diseases are becoming more and more common in old age.
While genetics somewhat determine your lifespan and susceptibility to these
diseases, your lifestyle probably has a greater impact.
A few places in the world are called “Blue Zones.” The term refers to
geographic areas in which people have low rates of chronic disease and live
longer than anywhere else.
What are Blue Zones?
“Blue Zone” is a non-scientific term given to geographic regions that are
home to some of the world’s oldest people.
They are called Blue Zones because when Buettner and his colleagues were
searching for these areas, they drew blue circles around them on a map.
Icaria (Greece): Icaria is an island in Greece where people eat a
Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil, red wine and homegrown vegetables.
Ogliastra, Sardinia (Italy): The Ogliastra region of Sardinia is home to
some of the oldest men in the world. They live in mountainous regions where
they typically work on farms and drink lots of red wine.
Okinawa (Japan): Okinawa is home to the world’s oldest women, who eat a lot
of soy-based foods and practice tai chi, a meditative form of exercise.
Nicoya Peninsula (Costa Rica): The Nicoyan diet is based around beans and
corn tortillas. The people of this area regularly perform physical jobs
into old age and have a sense of life purpose known as “plan de vida.”
The Seventh-day Adventists in Loma Linda, California (USA): The Seventh-day
Adventists are a very religious group of people. They’re strict vegetarians
and live in tight-knit communities.
A number of studies have found that these areas contain extremely high
rates of nonagenarians and centenarians, which are people who live over 90
and 100, respectively (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source).
Interestingly, genetics probably only account for 20–30% of longevity.
Therefore, environmental influences, including diet and lifestyle, play a
huge role in determining your lifespan (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source,
6Trusted Source).
Below are some of the diet and lifestyle factors that are common to people
who live in Blue Zones.
Summary
Blue Zones are areas of the world in which people live exceptionally long
lives. Studies have found that genetics only play a 20–30% role in
longevity.
People who live in Blue Zones eat a diet full of whole plant foods
One thing common to Blue Zones is that those who live there primarily eat a
95% plant-based diet.
Although most groups are not strict vegetarians, they only tend to eat meat
around five times per month .
A number of studies, including one in over half a million people, have
shown that avoiding red meat and processed meat can significantly reduce
the risk of death from heart disease, cancer and a number of other
different causes.
Instead, diets in the Blue Zones are typically rich in the following:
Vegetables: They’re a great source of fiber and many different vitamins and
minerals. Eating more than five servings of fruits and vegetables a day can
significantly reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer and death
Legumes: Legumes include beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas, and they are
all rich in fiber and protein. A number of studies have shown that eating
legumes is associated with lower mortality (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted
Source, 14Trusted Source).
Whole grains: Whole grains are also rich in fiber. A high intake of whole
grains can reduce blood pressure and is associated with reduced colorectal
cancer and death from heart disease (15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source,
17Trusted Source).
Nuts: Nuts are great sources of fiber, protein and polyunsaturated and
monounsaturated fats. Combined with a healthy diet, they’re associated with
reduced mortality and may even help reverse metabolic syndrome (18Trusted
Source, 19Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source).
There are some other dietary factors that define each of the Blue Zones.
For example, fish is often eaten in Icaria and Sardinia. It is a good
source of omega-3 fats, which are important for heart and brain health
Eating fish is associated with slower brain decline in old age and reduced
heart disease.
Summary
People in Blue Zones typically eat a 95% plant-based diet that’s rich in
legumes, whole grains, vegetables and nuts, all of which can help reduce
the risk of death.
They follow the 80% rule
Other habits common to the Blue Zones are a reduced calorie intake and
fasting.
Calorie Restriction
Long-term calorie restriction may help longevity.
A large, 25-year study in monkeys found that eating 30% fewer calories than
normal led to a significantly longer life.
Eating fewer calories may be contributing to the longer lives in some of
the Blue Zones.
For example, studies in the Okinawans suggest that before the 1960s, they
were in a calorie deficit, meaning that they were eating fewer calories
than they required, which may be contributing to their longevity
Furthermore, Okinawans tend to follow the 80% rule, which they call “hara
hachi bu.” This means that they stop eating when they feel 80% full, rather
than 100% full.
This prevents them from eating too many calories, which can lead to weight
gain and chronic disease.
A number of studies have also shown that eating slowly can reduce hunger
and increase feelings of fullness, compared to eating rapidly
This may be because the hormones that make you feel full only reach their
maximum blood levels 20 minutes after you eat (29Trusted Source).
Therefore, by eating slowly and only until you feel 80% full, you may eat
fewer calories and feel full longer.
Another important part of the Blue Zone meal plan is to eat your smallest
meal in the late afternoon or early evening and then not eat for the rest
of the day (30).
Summary
Caloric restriction and refraining from eating at night are common in Blue
Zones. Both these practices can significantly reduce risk factors for
certain diseases and prolong healthy life.
They consume alcohol in moderation
Another dietary factor common to many of the Blue Zones is moderate alcohol
consumption.
There is mixed evidence about whether moderate alcohol consumption reduces
the risk of death.
Many studies have shown that drinking one to two alcoholic drinks per day
can significantly reduce mortality, particularly from heart disease
However, a very recent study suggested that there is no real effect once
you take into consideration other lifestyle factors.
The beneficial effect of moderate alcohol consumption may depend on the
type of alcohol. Red wine may be the best type of alcohol, given that it
contains a number of antioxidants from grapes.
Consuming one to two glasses of red wine per day is particularly common in
the Icarian and Sardinian Blue Zones.
In fact, Sardinian Cannonau wine, which is made from Grenache grapes, has
been shown to have extremely high levels of antioxidants, compared to other
wines.
Antioxidants help prevent damage to DNA that can contribute to aging.
Therefore, antioxidants may be important for longevity (34Trusted Source).
A couple of studies have shown that drinking moderate amounts of red wine
is associated with a slightly longer life (35Trusted Source).
However, as with the other studies on alcohol consumption, it’s unclear
whether this effect is because wine drinkers also tend to have healthier
lifestyles
Other studies have shown that people who drank a 5-ounce (150-ml) glass of
wine every day for six months to two years had significantly lower blood
pressure, lower blood sugar, more “good” cholesterol and improved sleep
quality
It is important to note that these benefits are only seen for moderate
alcohol consumption. Each of these studies also showed that higher levels
of consumption actually increase the risk of death
People in some Blue Zones drink one to two glasses of red wine per day,
which may help prevent heart disease and reduce the risk of death.
Exercise is built into daily life
Aside from diet, exercise is another extremely important factor in aging
In the Blue Zones, people don’t exercise purposefully by going to the gym.
Instead, it is built into their daily lives through gardening, walking,
cooking and other daily chores.
A study of men in the Sardinian Blue Zone found that their longer life was
associated with raising farm animals, living on steeper slopes in the
mountains and walking longer distances to work
The benefits of these habitual activities have been shown previously in a
study of more than 13,000 men. The amount of distance they walked or
stories of stairs they climbed each day predicted how long they would live
Other studies have shown the benefits of exercise in reducing the risk of
cancer, heart disease and overall death.
The current recommendations from the Physical Activity Guidelines for
Americans suggest a minimum of 75 vigorous-intensity or 150
moderate-intensity minutes of aerobic activity per week.
A large study including over 600,000 people found that those doing the
recommended amount of exercise had a 20% lower risk of death than those who
did no physical activity.
Doing even more exercise can reduce the risk of death by up to 39%.
Another large study found that vigorous activity led to a lower risk of
death than moderate activity.
Summary
Moderate physical exercise that is built into daily life, such as walking
and climbing stairs, may help prolong life.
They get enough sleep
In addition to exercise, getting adequate rest and a good night’s sleep
also seem to be very important for living a long and healthy life.
People in Blue Zones get sufficient sleep and also often take daytime naps.
A number of studies have found that not getting enough sleep, or getting
too much sleep, can significantly increase the risk of death, including
from heart disease or stroke
A large analysis of 35 studies found that seven hours was the optimal sleep
duration. Sleeping a lot less or a lot more than that was associated with
an increased risk of death .
In the Blue Zones, people tend not to go to sleep, wake up or go to work at
set hours. They just sleep as much as their body tells them to.
In certain Blue Zones, such as Icaria and Sardinia, daytime napping is also
common.
A number of studies have shown that daytime naps, known in many
Mediterranean countries as “siestas,” have no negative effect on the risk
of heart disease and death and may even reduce these risks (48Trusted
Source).
However, the length of the nap appears to be very important. Naps of 30
minutes or less may be beneficial, but anything longer than 30 minutes is
associated with an increased risk of heart disease and death
Summary
People in Blue Zones get sufficient sleep. Seven hours of sleep at night
and naps of no more than 30 minutes during the day may help reduce the risk
of heart disease and death.
Other traits and habits associated with longevity
Aside from diet, exercise and rest, a number of other social and lifestyle
factors are common to the Blue Zones, and they may contribute to the
longevity of the people living there.
These include:
Being religious or spiritual: Blue Zones are typically religious
communities. A number of studies have shown that being religious is
associated with a lower risk of death. This may be due to social support
and reduced rates of depression.
Having a life purpose: People in Blue Zones tend to have a life purpose,
known as “ikigai” in Okinawa or “plan de vida” in Nicoya. This is
associated with a reduced risk of death, possibly through psychological
well-being.
Older and younger people living together: In many Blue Zones, grandparents
often live with their families. Studies have shown that grandparents who
look after their grandchildren have a lower risk of death
A healthy social network: Your social network, called “moai” in Okinawa,
can affect your health. For example, if your friends are obese, you have a
greater risk of being obese, possibly through social acceptance of weight
gain
Summary
Factors other than diet and exercise play an important role in longevity.
Religion, life purpose, family and social networks can also influence how
long you live.
The bottom line
The Blue Zone regions are home to some of the oldest and healthiest people
in the world.
Although their lifestyles differ slightly, they mostly eat a plant-based
diet, exercise regularly, drink moderate amounts of alcohol, get enough
sleep and have good spiritual, family and social networks.
Each of these lifestyle factors has been shown to be associated with a
longer life.
By incorporating them into your lifestyle, it may be possible for you to
add a few years to your life.
Last medically reviewed on September 29, 2023
K RAJARAM IRS 21 9 24
On Sat, 21 Sept 2024 at 00:49, 'venkat giri' via iyer123 <
[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Respected Sir/s
> Lifestyle of Iyer and Iyengar:-
>
> The effect of diet and spirituality.
>
> Vegetarian communities of Tamil origin mostly reach age of 95 easily in
> general. Some cross 100.
>
> Evidence: Times of India Obituary columns.
>
> They eat very little. Filter Coffee and butter milk constitutes main part
> of their diet.
>
> Rasam, Rice, Sambhar, and one curry is their usual meal. Around 40% of
> them are diabetic in general, but their sugar elevations are generally
> marginal only and not too high.
>
> In the morning, they take a cup of strong coffee. They eat two dosas for
> breakfast in general. In the afternoon, little meal; by 4pm a cup of
> filter coffee and in the night say around 8pm a simple meal or tiffin.
>
> Daily walk for minimum half an hour. A short prayer time after bath.
> Chanting of/listening to Vishnu Sahasranamam , Lalita sahasranamam or
> Rudram&Chamakam every morning . Half of the males do sandhyavandhanam too
> mandatorily.
>
> They are conservative when it comes to fuel/electricity usage and hence
> generally walk to the markets to buy vegetables/groceries often.
>
> They don't feel the need to show off expensive consumer goods to impress
> others, nor do they get impressed by them. Their investments if any would
> be in gold or real estate. Not to forget the humble fixed deposit!
>
> Stress symptoms, Cholesterol/Trigliceride elevations, Cancer, heart issues
> are minimal in them, due to their low salt, low oil, and healthy food. Oil
> we can see only in Thadka or while frying vadam/ papadam(may be twice in a
> month). Else oil consumption on daily basis is very minimal.
>
> Sandwich/pizza/pasta/other forms of fast foods are all out of their menu.
> If they consume one of these once in a year, that can be considered a party
> day!!
>
> Major reason for the less- stress- life is their spiritual inclination-
> attending Shloka or Vedanta or B.Gita class and ‘let go’ attitude when
> they face shortfalls/failures. They generally leave success and failures to
> God as Iswara prasadam.
>
> In general, their non-confrontational attitude helps them pull on
> anywhere under the Sun. However, they are well off in states other than TN
> and abroad. Maharashtra, Gujrat, Delhi, Karnataka are the places where they
> get due recognition for their hard work, sincerity and integrity at
> workplaces.
>
> Their saatwik food habits viz. low masala/low salt/low spice food minus
> garlic-onion , generally fails to trigger extreme anger/passion/daily
> fights etc. Often times, you may find them pretty passive, failing to get
> angry even where they are supposed to.
>
> Thus, their diet coupled with high spirituality are the core reasons for
> their simplicity, peaceful coexistence and longevity.
>
> In short, they are proud of their roots and grateful to their native
> environment.
> Regards
> V.SRIDHARAN
> TRICHY
> Yahoo Mail: Search, organise, conquer
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