Whenever we come across someone who’s managed to reach a ripe old age, we ask them for the secret to their survival.
Especially if they’ve been able to do that with their physical and mental faculties in-tact.
But to find the real answer to this question, we need to explore a little deeper than a single individual.
We need to look at the world’s longest and healthiest living populations.
The Blue Zones
Fortunately, the hard work has been done for us. The globe has been scoured to locate the oldest living people and they’ve been neatly grouped into five regions called the “Blue Zones” (for the simple fact that the researchers circled the regions of clusters with a blue marker):
- Sardinia, Italy
- Ikaria Island, Greece
- Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica,
- Okinawa, Japan
- Seventh Day Adventists of Loma Linda, California USA.
These regions are identified as having populations who live the longest and enjoy the lowest rates of chronic lifestyle diseases like obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes.
Nature or nurture?
Although these regions comprise the world’s highest rates of individuals reaching their 90’s and 100’s, the reason isn’t a good set of genes. Their genetics is estimated to account for only 20-30% of things.
That leaves environment. The vast majority of their superior health and longevity comes down to lifestyle.
What they eat
Despite these populations living in different corners of the globe, their diets are strikingly similar. They’re characterised by a predominantly plant-based diet containing:
- Plenty of fruits and vegetables
- Legumes
- Nuts and seeds
- Unprocessed/whole grains
- Herbs and spices
- Few animal foods, apart from fish
- Moderate alcohol
This sort of diet provides all of the nutrients, especially antioxidants, that keep our body functioning properly. All whilst not loading it down with superfluous quantities of unnecessary energy, fat, sugar, salt and artificial additives.
What they do
These populations are physically active. Even as centenarians. But that’s not to say they hit the gym every day.
They get the recommended dose of exercise through habitual physical activity. In other words, they lead active lives. They tend to have more physically active jobs like farming or fishing. But they also walk, garden and enjoy outdoor hobbies.
It’s nothing intense. Just regular, moderate-intensity physical activity. A way of life.
So, if you want to live until you’re 100, you just need to lead the simple, clean, active lifestyle they did 100 years ago.
For MOR, check out What’s your biological age? And how to improve it. | Dr Sarah Morante MorHealth
