Liz’s Healthy Table Podcast Episode #99: The Blue Zones with Nick Buettner

On today’s podcast, join me for an exploration of the Blue Zones, five rare longevity hotspots around the world where people are thriving into their 100s. Tune in to hear about these long-lived communities where the Fountain of Youth is flowing … and discover the nine secrets to living longer, better lives. From eating a mostly plant-based diet to moving your body naturally every day, you too can live a Blue Zones life no matter where you live on the planet. Find out how!

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Nick Buettner is an explorer, National Geographic Fellow, award-winning journalist and producer, and NYT bestselling author. He has spent the past 20 years leading expeditions across six continents around the world, with three of these trips being to the world’s “Blue Zones.” These are places with longer-than-normal life expectancy and where more people reach age 100 than anywhere else in the world. Nick worked with his brother, Dan, National Geographic, and a team of longevity researchers to identify and explore these pockets of the world where people are living longer lives. In his current role as the VP of Product for The Blue Zones Project, Nick is responsible for taking the Blue Zone longevity lessons to communities across the US. The Project supports well-being initiatives that apply lessons from the Blue Zones to entire communities by focusing on changes to the local environment, public policy, and social networks. The Blue Zone Project uses evidence-informed, sustainable transformations with people, places, and policies to make the healthy making the healthy choice the easy choice. To date, the Blue Zone Project has empowered over 5 million people to live longer, better lives. 

“The #1 determinant of longevity in the US is which zip code you’re born into. There can be a difference in life expectancy of up to 18 years from one to another.”

Nick Buettner

I adore The Blue Zones Kitchen cookbook. Interestingly, one of the common food denominators in all five Blue Zones is beans. From Okinawa, Japan to Icaria, Greece, Sardinia, Italy, the Nicoya Peninsula inCosta Rica, and Loma Linda, California, beans make their way onto the family table almost every day. (For recipes and resources on canned beans, check out CannedBeans.org)

This is Nick’s favorite recipe from The Blue Zones Kitchen!

Show Highlights:

• Get to know world-traveler Nick, who is from Minnesota but has traveled to 45 countries and 48 states in the US
• The Blue Zones: What are they? 
• How Nick and his brother, Dan, became interested in finding and identifying these places where mortality rates and disease rates are low, and longevity rates are higher
• The five demographically confirmed Blue Zones: Okinawa, Japan; Icaria, Greece; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica; and Loma Linda, California
• 9 common denominators (The POWER 9) in the Blue Zones that boost longevity and help people age healthfully:
  • Move naturally: Move your body naturally every day (i.e. gardening, walking, sweeping/cleaning, swimming, chopping wood)
  • Purpose: Have a strong sense of purpose throughout life
  • Downshift: Reduce stress (try napping, meditating, having a happy hour with friends)
  • 80% rule: Stop eating when you’re 80% full
  • Plant-slant: Eat mostly plants and include beans into your regular diet. Meat in moderation
  • Wine at 5: Moderate alcohol consumption and preferably with friends
  • Belong: A sense of belonging and faith (all religions count)
  • Loved ones first: Put family first (keeping parents and grandparents nearby; commit to a life partner)
  • Right tribe: Have social circles in your life
• How Nick is bringing the Blue Zones to US communities with policy change, purpose, accessible and affordable healthy food systems, policies to reduce tobacco use, lower obesity rates, engagement among citizens to eliminate isolation, and healthier places to live, work, pray, and play
• How Nick collects data, does research, formulates policies and outcomes, and rallies people in forming committees to achieve common goals
• How we can eat a more Blue Zone-like diet by reducing meat portions, adding more vegetables, and using beans consistently for protein
• Nick’s favorite recipe in The Blue Zones Kitchen: Sardinia Minestrone–and the amazing family story behind this recipe
• Why people in the Blue Zones have a different perspective on eating carbohydrates
• How Nick has learned the importance of gardening from his time in the Blue Zones
• How exercise and movement, social engagement, and healthy foods have contributed to lower rates of dementia in the Blue Zones, along with a special tea made with dandelion, oregano, and thyme
• Five things we can do to live a “Blue Zone life”:
  • Set up your environment to make the healthy choice easier
  • Be a dependable, supportive, and attentive friend
  • Have intentionality around your sleep habits
  • De-convenience your life so that you take extra steps throughout the day
  • Volunteer to use your skills and passions to give back to your community
• How kids in Blue Zones eat with their families and eat the same foods as the adults
• Nick’s advice for eating like you live in a Blue Zone: “Eat food that’s good for you, tastes good, is easy to prepare, and is affordable.” 

Resources:

Connect with Nick:

Blue Zones Website

Books by Nick Buettner:

The Blue Zones Kitchen: 100 Recipes to Live to 100

Connect with Liz Weiss

Author, Color, Cook, Eat! coloring book series

Website: Liz’s Healthy Table

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For other podcast episodes, check out:

SATISFY; Healthy Recipes That Hit the Spot with Mona Dolgov
A New Vision for Healthy Eating in 2021 with Maya Feller, MS, RD
The Power of Potatoes with Amy Myrdal Miller, MS, RDN