While many health factors are beyond our control, diet is in our hands and plays an important role in longevity. Even small tweaks to the way we eat can affect our lifespan.
Dan Buettner, National Geographic fellow, founder of Blue Zones LLC, and author The Blue Zones American Kitchen: 100 Recipes to Live to 100has studied the daily habits of people living in the blue zone where people live about ten years longer than average (think Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; and Ikaria, Greece).
After compiling his research and distilling some of the lessons from the blue zone into his book, Buettner says his advice can be applied to your weekly grocery store—and it’s easier than you might think.
Here’s the bottom line: “put on your plant-based glasses and walk to the grocery store,” says Buettner. fortune.
With this basic principle in mind, focus on ingredients that you find tasty.
“Find ingredients that you love, and if you can learn how to combine them to make something delicious, you’ll eat up to 100,” he says.
Here are five foods that Buettner says are the blue zone way of life:
beans
Beans uniquely offer a blend of protein and fiber, beneficial for building muscle and maintaining stable blood sugar. They also contain folate and magnesium, which are important for cell growth and muscle growth. The majority of Americans don’t get enough fiber in their diet, and Buettner points to the microbiome’s dependence on fiber to function properly. A cup of beans provides about half of the daily fiber recommendation.
You can find beans for less than $2 a pound, he said, making them an accessible addition to any diet.
In his book, Buettner recommends eating beans every day, writing they “reign supreme in the blue zone and are the cornerstone of every longevity diet in the world.”
Nuts
Eat a handful of nuts every day, Buettner says, whether they’re almonds, pistachios, walnuts or cashews, to name a few. They contain protein and fiber and can reduce the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and inflammation.
Whole fruits and green vegetables
One key to eating like you live in the blue zone is to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day, especially adding green leafy vegetables, which are loaded with vitamins.
“People in the blue zone eat a great variety of garden vegetables and greens (especially spinach, kale, beet and turnip tops, chard, and collards) when they’re in season; they pickle or dry any excess to enjoy in the off-season,” Buettner wrote in his book.
Maintaining a lasting change to the diet only works if people stick to the habit. And you’re more likely to keep the habit if you like it. Finding your favorite vegetables and fruits while walking around the store can take the stress out of buying things that don’t appeal to you.
Sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes contain complex carbohydrates and proteins, none of which are cheap and accessible, Buettner said. They are packed with essential vitamins to strengthen the gut microbiome, which aids digestion and strengthens the immune system.
turmeric
Turmeric, a common ingredient found in curries, is a major anti-inflammatory spice, and has been used to treat digestive problems, liver problems, and wounds.
“And turmeric affects the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain that helps regulate stress hormones,” Dr. Uma Naidoo, Harvard-trained nutritional psychiatrist and author This is Your Brain on Foodbefore telling fortune It can help prevent chronic stress that can lead to heart problems.
Try adding some spices to your next cup of tea.
Buttner hopes people understand that eating in a way that promotes health and longevity is not out of reach.
“People tend to think [of] super expensive food, or even expensive fresh produce, which is out of reach for many Americans,” he said. “In the blue zone, people eat farmer’s food, so they eat beans and greens that grow on empty land and Whole grains are cheap. You can buy a lot.”
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