The Blue Zones:
How to Live Healthy for One Hundred Years
By Emily Fonnesbeck, RD, CD Have you heard of the Blue Zones?
About the Author Emily Fonnesbeck is a Registered Dietitian who owns her own private practice in Hyde Park, Utah, working with both local and virtual clients. She specializes in treating eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image concerns. She is also the co-founder of Eat Confident Co., which offers group coaching programs for women struggling with disordered eating, and co-hosts the Eat with Confidence podcast.
40 www.saintgeorgewellness.com
Almost a decade ago, best-selling author Dan Buettner teamed up with National Geographic and the world’s best longevity researchers to identify pockets around the world where people lived measurably longer lives. In these areas, known as “Blue Zones,” they discovered that people reached one hundred years of age at rates ten times greater than in the United States. Areas which met the criteria to be considered a Blue Zone were found in Loma Linda, California; Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Nicoya, Costa Rica; and Icaria, Greece. After identifying these Blue Zones, researchers took teams of scientists to each location to identify lifestyle characteristics that might explain the increase in longevity. They found that all Blue Zone residents shared nine specific characteristics they call the “Power Nine.” The Power Nine 1. Move naturally. Movement is a natural part of their day. Instead of having a set time to go to the gym, their lifestyle encompasses continual physical activity throughout the day. Those who work at a desk for most of the day can participate in something I call “exercise snacks.” Set a timer to go off each hour, at which time you take five minutes to walk and stretch before heading back to your desk.
2. Purpose. A sense of purpose is worth up to an extra seven years of life expectancy. Why do you wake up in the morning? Do you engage in meaningful work and find purpose in what you spend your time doing? 3. Down shift. Most Americans have it all wrong: more is not necessarily better. Don’t we all seem to be striving for bigger and better by doing more? Down shifting, or finding ways to rest, relax, and rejuvenate, actually increases productivity. Stress leads to chronic inflammation and is linked to many diseases. Find a routine to shed stress and set aside time each day or each week to do something that helps you reconnect with yourself.
