Secrets to Living Longer: What Blue Zones Can Teach Us

Ever wondered what the secret is to a longer, happier life? Join me on this episode of Journey to the Soul as we unlock the mysteries of the world's Blue Zones—those unique regions where people defy the aging process and live remarkably long lives. Inspired by Dan Buettner's groundbreaking research, we'll explore Ikaria, Loma Linda, Sardinia, Okinawa, and Nicoya to uncover the shared lifestyle principles that contribute to their extraordinary longevity. From the impact of diet and physical activity to the role of stress management, we’ll delve into how epigenetics play a more significant role in our health than our genes, spotlighting key findings from the Danish Twin Study.

We’ll also dive into seven essential principles of Blue Zone living, including the power of natural movement, mindful eating habits like the 80% rule, and the importance of finding your "Ikigai" or purpose. Discover how predominantly plant-based diets, moderate wine consumption during social gatherings, and belonging to a faith-based community can enhance your well-being. To top it off, I’ll share actionable tips from the world’s happiest and healthiest communities that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine. Don’t miss out—subscribe, share this uplifting message with your loved ones, and connect with me on Instagram. Let's embark on this journey to a healthier, happier life together!

Instagram: @jacendamarie

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:03

Hi, loves, welcome to the Journey to the Soul podcast. I am your host, jacinda Villa, a spiritual life coach and holistic health coach. Every week, we will be diving deep into all things purpose, wellness, spirituality and creating the life that you dream of. This space is meant to be safe and transformative for you to dive into the deepest parts of yourself. I will share what I have learned from my journey along this path years of research and mentors along the way. Having spent many years living life out of alignment and afraid to go after my dreams, I know firsthand what it means to take the first step down, living a life authentic to you. We are on this road of self-discovery together. It is time for you to live the life you imagined. Hello, my loves, welcome to another episode of Journey to the Soul, of Journey to the Soul. I am so excited to have you here with me. Wherever you are tuning in from, I hope that you are having a wonderful start to your week and are ready to dive into this week's episode with me. And if you read the title of this podcast, we're going to be talking a little bit about the secrets to living a longer, happier and healthier life, and we will be doing that by diving into blue zones.

Speaker 1: 1:35

Blue zones are something that I came across a couple of years ago. I came across the term and then started kind of exploring what blue zones are more deeply and I was immediately fascinated. I know I've shared in other podcast episodes how I love learning about other cultures and how they live their life, what they are doing every day, what they eat, what they focus their time and energy on. I feel like by studying the world around us we can really learn so much, because there is no one way to live life, and if we expand our horizons as well, sometimes we can realize that there is a better way to do something that we're already doing in our life. Maybe there's a healthier way to do something that we're already doing in our life. Maybe there's a healthier way to go about something. And blue zones are essentially regions in the world where people live longer than average, so they have a large percentage of centenarians, which are people who live over the age of 100, which I think is an amazing feat, especially in our day and age. But if we look at the technology advances that we have today and our modern medicine, it really gives us the opportunity to be able to live longer and to have more of those years of our life be disease-free. So being disease-free and increasing your longevity is something that is more available to all of us than ever is something that is more available to all of us than ever. And if we take a deeper dive into epigenetics as well, that has given us so much insight into how we can actually do this by studying people who are living longer and how they are living disease-free for so much of their life. How can we actually do this in our life as well?

Speaker 1: 3:50

And the term Blue Zones was actually created by Dan Buettner, and he has a book called Blue Zones that discusses basically everything that I'm going to be touching on today's podcast. He also has other books that he's written since the original book that he wrote about blue zones that discuss other things that he's learned even more since his initial creation of the blue zones. So Dan Buechner essentially studied blue zones, and he did so with groups of medical researchers, epidemiologists, anthropologists and demographers. The blue zones that they actually studied were in Ikaria, greece, loma Linda, california, sardinia, italy, okinawa, japan and Nicoya, costa Rica, so they were really all over the world. You can really notice here that these very different countries are miles apart from each other and definitely shared something in common they shared a high percentage of people who were living over the age of 100. And 100 can seem like a far-fetched goal for many of us, but in reality, it is more accessible than ever. This ability to live longer is more attainable than ever. We have everything that we need in order to do so, and some of these countries, some of these cities that he went to, didn't have all the technology and modern medicine that we do today, but they were clearly doing something right in order to have this as a possibility. So what Dan Buettner saw was their way of life, their lower rates of disease and their quality of life. As he studied them more deeply, he was able to see the principles that these communities live by and had in common, even from being worlds apart from each other.

Speaker 1: 6:27

So when we look at epigenetics, we know that the genes we are given are just one part of a much bigger whole when it comes to our health and well-being. This is what the study of epigenetics has opened the door to. For us to see is that even though there may be a genetic predisposition in our family, that doesn't mean that it will affect us in the same way. So epigenetics focuses on studying how external things such as diet, physical activity and stress levels can affect our health and that of our children. So it's looking outside the scope of essentially what genes you were given, which for many, many years, for a very long time, that was the scope in which we looked at treating others and how things carried on from one family to another.

Speaker 1: 7:33

But with our advances in medicine and further study, we are now beginning to see that the genes you are given are only a truly small part of what this means. So if we look at it from a grander scale, if you were born into a family where diabetes and heart disease are prevalent, if we are looking at it from the lens of what epigenetics has showed us, if we are looking at it from the lens of what epigenetics has showed us is that this will only account for a small portion of your health. And there was actually a study done it's called the Danish Twin Study and this showed that the genes you are given only account for 20% of how long you live. So we are now beginning to see just how much other things, other factors in our life play into our overall longevity and our overall well-being into our life. What this really highlights which I think is so amazing is that how you choose to care for yourself will have a much larger effect than any genes you were given, and there is so much power here. I know that many of us know people or have someone in our family who has been faced with some kind of disease, or maybe there is a disease that is very prevalent in your lineage thus far. But what this is really highlighting is that your everyday choices of how to care for your body and nurture yourself and manage your stress and so many other things play a bigger role than those genes that may be in your gene pool.

Speaker 1: 9:38

I am using heart disease and diabetes as an example here, but this really applies to any disease. So how do the blue zones tie into this? There are many interesting things about blue zones that we will be diving deeper into as the episode progresses, but a few key things to highlight about them is that they are not only living longer than the average American and most countries across the globe, which is no easy feat, but they are also living more of those years disease-free. So the average American life expectancy as of today is 78.2 years. So when we think about how many of those years the average American spends experiencing some kind of disease, it's about the last 10 years of their life. So we have three lenses in which we can see life expectancy and we're gonna touch on the three of them right now. That way, you have that in mind as we continue through this.

Speaker 1: 10:56

There's healthy life expectancy, life expectancy and potential life expectancy. Expectancy and potential life expectancy the 78.2 years in the life expectancy that I mentioned of the average American is their life expectancy, but what we're looking at now is healthy life expectancy, so how long they will live being disease-free. So if we're looking at, what studies have shown is that the average American spends about the last 10 years of their life dealing with some kind of disease. So that means that at about 68 years old, americans start experiencing some kind of disease in their life that will be there with them until death. Essentially, 68 years old of a healthy life expectancy is significantly low for us. Actually and there's a few things to keep in consideration when we're thinking about this is that we are a first world country with modern medicine and also most of us having our basic needs met for the most part. So where is that 32-year gap between us and the blue zones? 32-year gap between us and the blue zones essentially and this is something that the blue zones can show us is how to expand not only our life expectancy but our potential life expectancy, which is our highest possible outcome. It's a long and balanced life, disease-free, balanced life, disease-free.

Speaker 1: 12:49

One of the major things that you will notice as you begin to look more closely at these principles that we're going to be diving into is that we don't need to complicate health and well-being. It is quite straightforward. Actually, many of us feel overwhelmed by the countless ways we can eat, move our body. Let's do hot works, let's do pilates, let's do yoga, let's go to the sauna, let's weight train five times a week or all the things that we can do to biohack and live longer red light therapy, cold plunging, stem cell therapy. There are so many things that we can do now because we're constantly learning and knowing better than we did before, which is just part of evolution and the gift of modern medicine and us being able to push forward, essentially, but it can be extremely overwhelming and sometimes I know we can struggle to figure out. What should I really focus on? Which one of these 10,000 things that are available to me and an option should I focus my energy on? And when we look at these principles, we really realize that it doesn't need to be that hard and our well-being is so much more than what we eat or how we work out, how much water we drink. I mean these are all such important things. I mean these are all such important things, but they are really just a fraction of so much more that actually impacts our overall ability to live life longer and resiliently. We're going to be diving into the nine lifestyle habits that lead to a longer life. These are all things that, in all of the blue zones that I mentioned, they practice. These were the key things that they all shared in common. When scientists began to look at how they live their life and what they focus their energy on, they were able to see these priorities, these focuses.

Speaker 1: 15:08

The first principle is to move naturally. In almost all the blue zones that have been studied, a gym wasn't something that was readily available, but that doesn't stop these people from moving their bodies. That did not stop them from leading an active life to some degree. The reason for this is because most of the movement that is done in these parts of the world is natural movement. They walk to the local shop to get their bread, they tend to their garden, they ride the bike by the beach, they move stuff around in their house. They walk a couple of hills every day to get to the other side of town. In almost all of these blue zones, getting around their community meant walking, so their environment is very conducive for natural movement, but we really didn't see any planned or extraneous activity of any kind.

Speaker 1: 16:19

The second principle is a sense of purpose. The second principle is a sense of purpose, a reason to wake up in the morning. I know I mentioned in one of my last book podcasts I'm trying to remember which one, I think it was books that I read in 2023, I mentioned the book Ikigai and in Okinawa. This reason to wake up in the morning, your reason to live, your reason to be, is called Ikigai. They have a word for this and it plays a central role in their life. This can come from their family, the volunteer work that you may do. It can be from your career Wanting to help the world in some way. We all have a different why? But having a reason to wake up in the morning every single day.

Speaker 1: 17:21

The third principle is managing stress, and stress truly is a part of life. As life goes on, we learn how to manage it better and better and eventually it doesn't impact us as much. But the better we can manage it, the better chance we have to lead a long and fulfilling life. Chance we have to lead a long and fulfilling life. Why is that? High amounts of stress leads to inflammation in the body. Inflammation in the body breeds disease. It is a breeding ground for any kind of disease. Your body needs to be in a symbiotic state as much as possible to be as healthy as possible, and most of us live in a chronic state of stress. So learning how to manage this stress can be so pivotal to our well-being. What can this look like? This can be going outside in nature, taking a nap, if that's what you need, meeting a friend for a cup of coffee or meditating, creating some space for you. Whatever helps you move through stress the best.

Speaker 1: 18:42

The fourth principle is the 80% rule. The Okinawan call this Harahachi Buu, which is a Confucian mantra that they say before eating that reminds them to stop when they are 80% full. This invites us to be more in touch with our bodies when eating and really being in our experience, so that we don't overeat and we truly enjoy our meal. I know I've also talked about this in other podcast episodes, but a lot of the times we're multitasking or distracted, not really savoring and enjoying the meal that's in front of us. If you listen to the intuitive eating episode, this is the principle of feeling your fullness, and I also just want to mention that overeating sometimes is part of having a healthy relationship with food. It just happens sometimes. So meals are a huge part of all of these cultures. They all enjoy cooking and eating and sharing a meal with people. They love nourishing their body. It really is such a beautiful thing to give ourselves every day.

Speaker 1: 20:16

The fifth principle is that they're predominantly plant-based. They all follow something similar to the Mediterranean diet, which focuses on wholesome grains, fruits, veggies, healthy fats, legumes. This really makes up the bulk of the food that they eat. Fish and chicken are eaten, but they are smaller portion sizes at mealtime, so a lot smaller than what we are used to here. In the US, for example, the typical protein portion size that they have is about four ounces. Red meat and pork is really only eaten on average five times a month, and again the serving size is very small.

Speaker 1: 21:09

I said Mediterranean diet because that is the overall name of, for the most part, the diet that they follow, but in terms of dieting, they don't follow a diet. Their focus is on eating wholesome and nutrient-dense food, and when I like to think of wholesome eating and eating that nourishes you body, mind and soul, I really like to think of it as a spectrum, and we each fall somewhere on the spectrum. Some of us might be on the higher end of eating more wholesome food, and some of us might be on the lower end of eating more packaged foods or processed foods. The focus is really on eating food that is as close to how it comes into this world, so as minimally processed as possible, as wholesome as possible, and it doesn't matter where you may be on this spectrum of wholesome eating at all. Again, there are extreme ends to the spectrum, but you can always make progress and progress is progress. Always make progress and progress is progress. It's not about perfection here.

Speaker 1: 22:31

The sixth principle is wine and moderation, and a few of the blue zones do drink, but their relationship with alcohol is very different than a lot of people's relationship with alcohol. They typically don't drink more than a glass or two of wine a day, and this is kind of like another mealtime. Essentially, they use this as a time to socialize and decompress. It adds fun and lightness to their life. So it's just a fun time, a time for them to kind of just hang out, relax, decompress, have a chat with a friend.

Speaker 1: 23:12

The seventh principle is belonging Believing that we are part of something bigger. In all the blue zones, people attended church or masses or they prayed to their deities. They all belong to a faith-based community of some sort and they are also highly diverse. The key is what this brings into your life. When I think of belonging or having some kind of faith-based practice, the focus should really be on the positive things that that brings into our life and for them it's really a sense of belonging, connectedness, oneness, and you don't need to practice a religion to bring this into your life. You can do it in a way that feels good to you. Practicing a religion doesn't always mean you are spiritually connected. You can be spiritual and not practice a religion. So I encourage you to really find what feels good to you.

Speaker 1: 24:31

Principle number eight is focusing on the people you love. Centenarians put their family first, their partner, the people who add meaning to their life, their children. They make them a priority, they invest in them, see them as often as they can. This is a huge bucket in their life. It also has an extra focus of everyone taking care of each other, having someone to support you during hard times, having someone that you can go to. There is definitely a deep focus on family. And the last principle is having a tribe, but not just any tribe. This is having friends in your life who support you and your way of life, so people who uplift you and don't bring you down. But why is this?

Speaker 1: 25:31

Research now shows that things like obesity, happiness and smoking are contagious. The people you surround yourself with will either challenge your way of life or support it. I know most of us have heard that quote, that you are the average of the five people you surround yourself with, and this is really what that is focusing on Is having people in your life that truly support you and your well-being and your lifestyle choices. The incredible thing is that the average person's life expectancy can increase from 10 to 12 years by adapting these principles, by living life in this way, and I want to give you some ways that you can apply this into your life without living in a blue zone, because we don't need to live in these parts of the world in order to receive the same benefits. In order for our body and our health and our well-being to thrive, in order for our body and our health and our well-being to thrive, in order for our life to thrive, the first thing I would invite you to do is to look at these habits that we talked about, or these principles, and audit your life. You can take a journal down and write it down, or just meditate on it. You can come back to this part. But from these nine principles, are you currently applying any of these in your day-to-day? Which one stood out to you the most? Maybe there was one that you thought might be helpful for where you are in life or what your goals may be, and what is one way you can apply this principle into your life? I'll give you an example, If you want to try moving your body in a more intuitive way, perhaps challenging yourself to walk to your appointments, perhaps challenging yourself to walk to your appointments If it's a 30-minute walk from your house or if you're going to the grocery store to just buy a few things, opting to walk instead and we are so used to driving that walking is definitely not the first thing that comes to mind.

Speaker 1: 28:05

But I would challenge you to try to walk whenever you can, and I know there are some communities that are not conducive to walking at all. I know where I live. There are no sidewalks and it's a little bit of a busy street, so I understand that, but doing what you can where you are. So if it's a 30-minute walk or less, if you're going to go meet a friend for coffee, if you're going to go meet someone for lunch, challenge yourself to walk. If you want to try eating more plant-based, you can try making one of your weekly meals a more plant-based one and slowly trying to do that more and more as time goes on. Another way you can do this is, every time that you make a meal at home is simply trying to focus on having two to three colors on your plate. This can be from fruit or veggies. Diversify the micronutrients that you get.

Speaker 1: 29:15

If maybe you struggle seeing people that you love and prioritizing your loved ones, make a list of who you want to see at the start of the week or who you want to connect with or call or reach out to, and reach out to them. Have them come over to your house and you guys can have a cup of tea and some cookies, or meet for lunch, or text the people that maybe you haven't been able to connect with. It's been a while. Maybe Make it a priority.

Speaker 1: 29:50

Making time for the people we love is truly just as important as doing purposeful work. This life is much more meaningful when we have wonderful people by our side sharing it with us. It makes our life so much richer, and I know, for me in particular, that's one of the first things that goes when I get in a busy week or a busy month, and I am intentionally putting this into practice in my life, and I am intentionally putting this into practice in my life. You can put into practice what resonates with you. I, for example, don't drink either, so that's not something that I'm practicing. The wine time every day is not something that I will be doing, but you can do what feels good to you. I will be doing, but you can do what feels good to you, and you can start with one principle and try others later. Do whatever feels right for you in the moment. Go at the pace of love. Making lifestyle changes takes time.

Speaker 1: 31:02

Sometimes we are so harsh with ourselves when we are trying to implement new things into our life and we expect ourselves to go from zero to a hundred in one day. I know I mentioned this so much in my episodes about almost everything that I suggest to you guys, because it is not about perfection, just to you guys because it is not about perfection. It's about having the best intentions with whatever we're choosing to do and simply doing the best we can. There will be days where maybe we didn't do what we wanted to do, and that's okay. Go at the pace of love. Start slowly, build on it.

Speaker 1: 31:47

I hope you enjoyed this episode and learning from some of the happiest and healthiest people in the world. I will talk to you all next week. I'm sending you love and light. I hope you enjoyed this episode. Please make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode, and share this message with any friends and family. I'd love to hear your takeaways, so share them with me by leaving a comment below or heading over to my Instagram at jacendamarie. I am sending you all so much love.