Episode 250
Blue Zones: A Blueprint for Physical and Mental Health
The people who live in the Blue Zones are said to be the healthiest, happiest people, with lower rates of chronic diseases and a longer life expectancy. What is behind their longevity and can we learn to implement it into everyday life? Yes, we can! Tune in to learn how.
This week, Jenn is discussing Blue Zones and how the habits and way of life of those who live in these Blue Zones can be the blueprint for physical and mental health. She discusses what these places have in common when it comes to food/diet, culture, environment, movement, and community. Jenn explains why the way they live their lives leads to longevity, and how we can implement some of those things into our everyday lives. She talks through how the standard American life and habits impact our abilities to live a long healthy life, and what our modern American lives are missing. Tune in to learn more and uncover what you can add into your life to improve your healthspan!
The Salad With a Side of Fries podcast is hosted by Jenn Trepeck, discussing wellness and weight loss for real life, clearing up the myths, misinformation, bad science & marketing surrounding our nutrition knowledge and the food industry. Let’s dive into wellness and weight loss for real life, including drinking, eating out, and skipping the grocery store.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- [4:49] Where are the 5 Blue Zones and what qualifies as a Blue Zone?
- [6:33] What are the biggest factors in longevity?
- [8:12] What do all of these Blue Zones have in common when it comes to food?
- [16:20] How does the environment play into the habits of those living in the Blue Zones?
- [18:49] What does movement look like in the Blue Zones?
- [27:08] What changes are currently being made to try and increase longevity in other cities?
- [30:05] What are the commonalities in the Blue Zone cultures?
- [32:30] What is the difference between lifespan and healthspan?
- [36:18] How do these communities share their ups and downs of life?
- [41:45] What are our modern American lives missing?
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- [24:54] The more activity in terms of going about the course of our daily lives, the better. That’s what will make a tremendous difference in our longevity.
- [36:00] Community is just as important as the food we put into our bodies. Connecting with those around us through the stories we share while breaking bread and having quality friendships can aid in a longer lifespan, as evidenced by the communities within Blue Zones.
- [42:21] The NIH funded a study for over 11 years, they followed highly functioning people between the ages of 65 and 92 and found that individuals who express a clear goal in life, something to get up for in the morning, something that made a difference, lived longer and were sharper than those who did not.
- [44:07] Only 30% of Americans have purpose in their work. We are generally out of alignment between our values, our purpose, and our work. If we can move toward alignment and have a reason for getting out of bed in the morning, it’s truly transformative in terms of health.
QUOTES:
“These are the areas where people are living past 100 years old. They also have the lowest rates of chronic disease. Even with these people who are at 100 or beyond, they have the highest cognitive function, the sharpest memory...far exceeding the physical vitality of what we see elsewhere." - Jenn Trepeck
"Certainly genetics play a factor, but...only about 20-25% of how long we live. The other 75-80% is about our lifestyle, how we're living everyday." – Jenn Trepeck
"They stop eating when they are 80% full, which is not easy for many of us to do." - Jenn Trepeck
[12:18] “So essentially the way Americans eat, it’s like stepping on the gas, pressing down the accelerator pedal of aging and disease, so it’s also a function. I say that just to highlight that this isn’t permanent. It’s not like, oh, we do these things, check the box and we’re done. It’s a continued commitment to these choices in this lifestyle.” - Jenn Trepeck
[36:32] “What we see in the Blue Zones and in these communities with longer health spans is that they laugh together and they cry together, right? That there's emotion in these communities like in Sardinia in particular. They have this healthy social life, at least three friends that you can laugh with and who care about you on a bad day is worth about eight years of life expectancy. In the 80s, Americans had about three friends. Today, we’re down to about two friends that meet that criteria.” - Jenn Trepeck
[40:54] “I think it’s also our modern world where we have such a connection to our work, and then post retirement, we lose our purpose and that’s a major risk factor for deteriorating health.” - Jenn Trepeck
[45:24] “A great little exercise or practice to do for everybody is grab a piece of paper and write down all the activities that you do in your day. The little things like washing your face or even the bigger things, maybe it is your work. Write down the list of the things that you do in a day and then go through, and just highlight the ones that bring you into alignment with your purpose. No judgment, just see how that plays out and then see what happens if you can start to build some things into your day where there’s at least something every day that’s an activity aligned with your purpose.” - Jenn Trepeck
"While Blue Zones have a lot to teach us, I think it's also really heartening that there's nothing there that the rest of us also couldn't do." - Jenn Trepeck
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