The term 'Blue Zones' has been coined to refer to the places in the world with the healthiest, longest-living populations, including Okinawa; Japan, Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California.

On the blue zones, people eat a wide variety of garden vegetables. The best longevity foods in the blue zones diet are leafy greens such as spinach, kale, beet and turnip tops, chard, and collards. Studies have found that middle-aged people who consumed the equivalent of a cup of cooked greens daily were half as likely to die in the next four years as those who ate no greens.

Researchers have also found that people who consumed a quarter pound of fruit daily (about an apple) were 60% less likely to die during the next four years than those who didn’t.

Many oils derive from plants, and they are all preferable to animal-based fats. Olive oil is the oil most often used in the blue zones diet and evidence shows that olive oil consumption increases good cholesterol and lowers bad cholesterol.

The following simple guidelines reflect how the world’s longest-lived people ate for most of their lives.

Here's a summary of the key points:

Plant-Based Diet

Some 95% of blue zone diets food come from a plant or a plant product with animal protein limited to no more than one small serving per day.

• Emphasis on vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains;
• Leafy greens like spinach and kale are highlighted;
• Consuming a cup of cooked greens daily and a quarter pound of fruit daily has been linked to better health outcomes.

Studies have found that middle-aged people who consumed the equivalent of a cup of cooked greens daily were half as likely to die in the next four years as those who ate no greens. Researchers have also found that people who consumed a quarter pound of fruit daily (about an apple) were 60% less likely to die during the next four years than those who didn’t.

Many oils derive from plants, and are all preferable to animal-based fats. Olive oil is the oil most often used in the blue zones diet and evidence shows that olive oil consumption increases good cholesterol and lowers bad cholesterol.

Limit Animal Protein

• Animal protein intake is restricted to small servings, with meat consumption limited to twice a week or less;
• Fish is a common source of animal protein, consumed in small portions, usually two to three times per week;
• Dairy products, particularly cow's milk, are minimised, with alternatives like sheep's or goat's milk products occasionally consumed.

Limit animal protein to twice a week or even less, in servings sized no more than two ounces cooked and avoid processed meats like bacon or sausages.

In most blue zones diets people ate small amounts of pork, chicken, or lamb, eating small amounts of meat, about two ounces or less at a time, about five times per month. Neither beef nor turkey figures significantly into the average blue zones diet. It is thought that any harmful effect was counterbalanced by other food and lifestyle choices.

Healthy Fats

• Oils derived from plants, particularly olive oil, are preferred over animal-based fats;
• Olive oil consumption is associated with improved cholesterol levels.

Moderate Egg Consumption

• Eggs are eaten occasionally, typically two to four times per week;
• Eggs from free-range chickens are preferred for their nutrient content.

Reduce Meat Consumption

• Meat is consumed sparingly, about two ounces or less at a time, around five times per month;
• Processed meats like bacon or sausages are avoided.

On the Blue Zone diet you can eat meat twice a week or even less in servings sized no more than two ounces cooked and avoid processed meats like bacon or sausages.

In most blue zones diets people ate small amounts of pork, chicken, or lamb, eating small amounts of meat, about two ounces or less at a time, about five times per month. Neither beef nor turkey figures significantly into the average blue zones diet. It is thought that any harmful effect was counterbalanced by other food and lifestyle choices.

Fish Consumption

• Fish intake is encouraged, with small portions consumed regularly, about two to three times per week;
• Emphasis on selecting fish that are common and abundant and not threatened by overfishing.

You can eat up to three ounces of fish daily which is equivalent to about the size of a deck of cards before it is cooked. Select fish that are common and abundant, not threatened by overfishing. In blue zones diets, fish is a common part of everyday meals, eaten on average two to three times a week.

Please consider ethical and health considerations involved in including fish in your diet. In the world’s blue zones, in most cases, the fish being eaten are small, relatively inexpensive fish such as sardines, anchovies, all species that are not exposed to the high levels of mercury or other chemicals that pollute gourmet fish supply today. People in the blue zones don’t overfish the waters. There is no blue zones diet evidence suggesting and any particular fish should be eaten.

Ethical and Health Considerations

For example:

• Inclusion of small, relatively inexpensive fish species that are not exposed to high levels of pollutants;
• No specific fish is recommended, and overfishing is avoided in Blue Zones.

Dairy Reduction

• Minimisation of cow’s milk and dairy products due to lactose intolerance issues;
• Calcium and protein are obtained from plant-based sources like kale or tofu.

Minimise your consumption of cow’s milk and dairy products such as cheese, cream and butter. Cow’s milk does not figure significantly in any blue zones diet. In terms of the human diet, dairy is a relative newcomer, introduced about 8,000 to 10,000 years ago. Our digestive systems are not optimised for milk or milk products and now we recognize that a significant number of people have some difficulty digesting lactose.

While western diets have relied on milk for calcium and protein for decades, in the blue zones diet people get these nutrients from plant-based sources such as kale or tofu, both of which provide as much calcium as a cup of milk.

Small amounts of sheep’s milk or goat’s milk product are eaten in a blue zones diet and goat’s and sheep’s milk products figure prominently in the traditional diets of both the Ikarian and Sardinian blue zones.

Eggs Consumption

• Eggs are considered acceptable for consumption, providing complete protein and various essential nutrients;
• Eggs from free-range chickens are preferred.

Eggs are consumed in all blue zones diets, where people eat them an average of two to four times per week. As with meat protein, the egg is a side dish, eaten alongside a larger portion of a whole-grain or other plant-based feature.

Eggs in the blue zones diet come from chickens that range freely, eat a wide variety of natural foods, do not receive hormones or antibiotics, and produce slowly matured eggs that are naturally higher in omega-3 fatty acids. Factory-produced eggs come to maturity about twice as fast as eggs laid by breeds of chickens in the blue zones.

Eggs provide a complete protein that includes amino acids necessary for your body plus B vitamins, vitamins A, D, and E, and minerals such as selenium.

Other foods on the Blue Zone diet include beans, nuts, sourdough bread. When it comes to beverages, you should drink between 6-8 glasses of water a day. It is okay to drink tea, coffee, and red wine in moderation

In summary

The key principles of the Blue Zones diet include focusing on plant-based foods, limiting animal protein intake, consuming fish in moderation, reducing dairy consumption and enjoying eggs occasionally. By following these simple guidelines inspired by the world's healthiest and longest-living populations, you can improve your overall health and well-being. (Source: bluezonescom)