Secrets of the Blue Zones

In most of the world, the prospect of living to age 100 sounds like a mixed blessing. While a long life is generally good, many people worry that it also equals diminished health and mental function. But that isn’t so in the “blue zones.”

In four hot spots around the globe, one of which is Costa Rica, people live to 100 in great numbers. But it’s not only about longevity—they live with strength, vitality and happiness. Residents of the blue zones regularly exercise, tend their gardens, are active members of their communities, eat delicious food and even have sex!

To find out what they’re doing right—and we’re doing wrong—Oprah and Dr. Oz look to Dan Buettner, a freelance writer for National Geographic who spent seven years researching his book The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest.

The first blue zone on the list is Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula, a small region located about a two-hour trip on bumpy roads from the national capital of San Jose. Nicoya is the biggest blue zone on earth—home to literally hundreds of centenarians.

To see what makes the residents of the Nicoya Peninsula so vital, Dr. Oz and Dan paid a visit. There, they met 102-year-old Panchita, who still chops wood every day for cooking; 86-year-old Filippa, who sells her homemade tamales; and 95-year-old Serillo, who was cruising by on his bike as he visited with neighbors.

But to meet one of the oldest Nicoyans, Dan took Dr. Oz on a hike deep into the rainforest.

While visiting Patrone, Dan and Dr. Oz enjoyed a meal prepared by his 65-year-old daughter. Families stay together in Nicoya, which is another important key to living a long life.

For lunch, she made corn tortillas from scratch. First, she soaks the corn in ash and lime to break it down. Then, she smashes it in a metate—a Central American stone mortar. Then, she cooks the corn patties without oil. “It’s a lot of hard work, and there’s no electricity, so she can’t do it any other way,” Dr. Oz says. “And it’s a good workout.”

This daily process of cooking tortillas is like an automatic workout. “You know, most Americans don’t really exercise. A very small proportion,” Dan says. “But in Nicoya, they’ll be making lunch and it’s like doing 25 reps with the free weights.”

Source: Oprah.com