Some people dream of traveling the world or winning the Lotto. Others hope to live to 100. In today’s world of convenient, fast food and increasingly sedentary lifestyles, more people face the harsh reality of chronic conditions and high-risk mortality. But what if there was something you could do to become one of the longest-living people in the world? The Blue Zone Diet can set you on the right path toward a healthy lifestyle and a long-lasting life. 

What Is the Blue Zone Diet?

What do Okinawa, Japan, Sardinia, Italy, and Ikaria, Greece, have in common? They’re among a handful of Blue Zones with the highest ratio of centenarian populations.

Michael Poulain and Gianni Pes initially identified Sardinia as having the most significant number of male centenarians, reporting their findings in a peer-reviewed journal. Later, Dan Buettner — American author and fellow of National Geographic — dug deeper, uncovering five geographic areas with the longest life span. 

Buettner identified nine lifestyle choices contributing to longevity, each practiced by Blue Zone populations for generations:

• Move naturally: Rather than spend hours at the gym, they make easy, natural movements, such as gardening or going for a leisurely walk.
• Purpose: Know your sense of purpose when you wake up each day. 
• Downshift: Find coping skills to reduce stress.
• 80% rule: Eat the smallest meal in the late afternoon or early evening and then avoid eating until the next day.
• Plant slant: Consume a plant-based diet, eating meat only five times monthly.
• Wine: Regularly and moderately drink alcohol with friends and family.
• Belonging: Find a group to belong to — many centenarians are members of a faith-based community.
• Loved ones first: Always put your family first — love your spouse and take care of your elders.
• Right tribe: Find a social circle to enjoy quality time together.

Although the nine pillars are each crucial components of a long-lasting life, the Blue Zone Diet is perhaps the most important. People living in Blue Zones eat whole foods, avoiding processed goods. They forgo dairy and opt for fish over meat. Other rules entail limiting eggs to three times weekly, consuming a cup of beans daily and snacking on nuts. 

Naturally, they also significantly reduce their sugar intake and drink simple beverages. Likewise, if giving up bread is difficult, Blue Zone centenarians stick with sourdough. 

Eat Like a Centenarian: 5 Blue Zone Recipes 

Adopting a Blue Zone lifestyle is easier than you think, and there are hundreds of nourishing Blue Zone Diet-inspired recipes for you to try. Here are five easy recipes for health and longevity.

Mango Salad With Avocado and Black Beans

It doesn’t get easier than chopping a few vegetables and stirring them together in a bowl. This mango salad with avocado and black beans only takes 15 minutes to prepare, leaving you with a delicious and tangy plant-based meal for two. 

You’ll want to chop a peeled mango and avocado, halve cherry tomatoes, and chop a deseeded red chili and red onion. Drain and rinse a can of black beans — always buy them in water, not brined — and toss in half of a small pack of chopped coriander. Finally, zest and juice a lime. 

Vegan Warm Lentil, Sweet Potato and Arugula Salad

Just one cup of lentils is 24 grams of protein, making it an excellent option for plant-based eating. To reap the benefits of this fast-cooking legume, whip together a warm lentil, sweet potato and arugula salad.

Mix diced sweet potatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl, spreading the mixture evenly on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until tender and slightly golden.

Make a dressing of olive oil, soy sauce, maple syrup, whole-grain mustard and apple cider vinegar in another bowl. Toss in arugula, cooked lentils and roasted sweet potatoes for a warm salad.

Veggie Champuru With Cabbage

Veggie Champuru is an Okinawan staple of the Blue Zone Diet. Stir-fry tofu for two minutes until golden brown and set aside. Using the same pan, stir-fry garlic, carrots, thinly sliced cabbage and leaf stems from greens for another two minutes. Then add the leaves and cook until they wilt.

Stir in some soy sauce and sprinkle sesame seeds over the top. You can serve this with steamed sweet potatoes.

Sardinian Minestrone 

After visiting each identified region, Buettner developed several Blue Zone recipes, including a Sardinian minestrone. He soaks dried garbanzo, pinto and white beans overnight to be ready the following day. 

Then he chops and sautées onions, celery, carrots, and garlic on low heat until the onions are translucent. He adds a can of tomatoes, diced potatoes, bay leaf, oregano, and beans, allowing them to simmer until tender. 

The slow cooking process could take all day, so Buettner adjusts the amount of water so the soup is slightly thick without becoming a stew. He serves it with an avocado and freezes the leftovers.

Tip: For a quicker batch, use an Instapot for five minutes and allow the cooker to cool on its own.

Pistachio-Crusted Rainbow Trout

Fish is an important protein source for longevity. Therefore, you might want to try a crunchy pistachio-crusted rainbow trout. Although the dish has several components, it’s an easy meal you can make in under an hour.

Trout contains heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins B-12 and D. Pistachios are also enriched with antioxidants and nutrients. 

Blue Zone Criticism

Like all viral lifestyle plans, the Blue Zone Diet is not without its critics. Saul Newman from Oxford University believes the Blue Zones don’t actually exist. In fact, Okinawa is rife with child poverty, infectious disease and murder per capita. There is also a high consumption of spam and more KFC fast-food restaurants than anywhere else. 

In his Blue Zone criticism, Newman also cites inaccurate birth records for the high number of centenarians in specific territories. Nearly 82% of supercentenarian records in the U.S. were from before birth certificates were introduced, and after that, these numbers dwindled. He points to similar findings in Italy. 

Is Newman’s theory about the Blue Zones accurate? Even with discrepancies, few would deny the longevity benefits of eating healthy, moving your body, reducing stress and cultivating close relationships.

Live Long on the Blue Zone Diet

Following the Blue Zone Diet won’t allow you to live forever, but it can help you achieve a long, healthy life. Adopting healthier lifestyle choices for your mind and body is always the best choice.