What is the Blue Zone Diet?

There are certain areas of the world where a higher-than-average number of people live past the age of 100. In these areas, there is also a decreased incidence of disease, such as cancer and heart disease.

Collectively, these areas are known as the Blue Zones. Despite being in different countries, every Blue Zone has one thing in common – they all eat what is known as the Blue Zone diet.

The Blue Zones include Greece, Italy, Japan, Costa Rica, and some areas of California. The Blue Zone diet describes a mostly plant-based diet that consists mainly of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

In this article, we are going to run through the Blue Zone diet in more detail.

Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains

The majority of the Blue Zone diet consists of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Individuals in Blue Zones eat a wide variety of different foods to maximize their micronutrient and antioxidant intake. They eat minimally processed grains and instead focus on things like brown rice, whole-grain pasta, buckwheat, and oats.

Legumes and Nuts

Alongside a range of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, the Blue Zone diet involves eating a lot of legumes, such as chickpeas, beans, and lentils. Legumes provide plant-based fiber, complex carbohydrates, and plant-based protein.

Nuts are another staple part of the diet and are consumed a few times a week. They contain healthy unsaturated fats that can protect your heart and brain, and I’ve been shown to lower cholesterol levels.

Meat and fish

Meat and fish are consumed just 2 to 3 times a week in the blue zone diet. Generally, red meat is rarely eaten, and people focus more on consuming lean meats, such as chicken, turkey, and oily fish.

Olive Oil

Olive oil contains lots of healthy unsaturated fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids. This type of fat has been shown to reduce inflammation in the body and protects the heart, blood vessels, and brain.

Other factors besides food

Alongside a healthy and well-balanced diet, people in Blue Zones tend to perform physical activity each day and they have positive social lives. They are also reported to have a great sense of purpose in their lives, which contributes to an enhanced quality of life and a longer lifespan.