Blue Zones
The Blue Zones Analysis How we live, affects how long we live. In recent studies, lifestyle affects 75% of our longevity. This means that our genes and diseases only affect 25% of how long we will live. The Blue Zones takes author Dan Buettner to longevity hot spots around the globe where a disproportionate number of people live a very long time. These hot spots are called blue zones. The term, “blue zone”, sounded a bit intimidating at first. I was expecting a scientific lesson on genes and aging. Never would I have expected for the name blue zone to be coined how it was. As a scholar studied centenarians in certain areas he circled those said areas in a blue pen; hence the name, blue zone.
The cover of The Blue Zones states, “a must read if you want to stay young!” That it is. This inspiring “guideline” to longevity took me from smiles, to tears to pure inspiration. The quest to increasing ones years is one that can be traced as far back as Juan Ponce de Leon when he landed on the Florida coast in 1513. It is presumed that what he was searching for was the famous Fountain of Youth. As David Buettner explores five blue zones he is faced with the reality that the secret to living longer might not be the years in your life, but the life in your years. As I finished reading through the first blue zone, I could not help but ponder back to our class discussions and presentations. The first recollection that came to mind was the set of videos on Meaning of Food. I recalled the family that had gathered a couple of generations of family together to celebrate. The concept of food and the importance of it are not just having a balanced diet, but it is about the true meaning and ritual of it all. It is also very important whom you share it with. Food has evolved tremendously over time, but a similar pattern through most blue zones was going back to the very basics of food. One common factor that was shared by all centenarians in Sardinia was a simple diet. A simple
The cover of The Blue Zones states, “a must read if you want to stay young!” That it is. This inspiring “guideline” to longevity took me from smiles, to tears to pure inspiration. The quest to increasing ones years is one that can be traced as far back as Juan Ponce de Leon when he landed on the Florida coast in 1513. It is presumed that what he was searching for was the famous Fountain of Youth. As David Buettner explores five blue zones he is faced with the reality that the secret to living longer might not be the years in your life, but the life in your years. As I finished reading through the first blue zone, I could not help but ponder back to our class discussions and presentations. The first recollection that came to mind was the set of videos on Meaning of Food. I recalled the family that had gathered a couple of generations of family together to celebrate. The concept of food and the importance of it are not just having a balanced diet, but it is about the true meaning and ritual of it all. It is also very important whom you share it with. Food has evolved tremendously over time, but a similar pattern through most blue zones was going back to the very basics of food. One common factor that was shared by all centenarians in Sardinia was a simple diet. A simple