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Joanna Daneman says:
January 20, 2015 at 10:13 pm (UTC 0)
Not just yogurt and olive oil,
The “Blue Zone” is how these areas with a high percentage of centenarians is designated. In this book, the author combines lessons from various zones around the world. In this way, not only are the different cultures described, but the commonalities are easily derived from the chapters. And they are hardly surprising, but it’s great to have them all in one book because you can see that it’s not yogurt or fermented mare’s milk or a diet rich in tofu and fermented bean paste and fish–it’s healthy habits. They are pretty much (no surprise here), a diet including plenty of fresh, unchilled water, lots of vegetables, limited meat and fats and sweets, and the habit of hard farm work or walking and exercise and having a richly entwined family life and close group of friends–a support system. (Doesn’t the Bible say “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you.” Exodus 20:12)
This book is excellent not only for the interesting anthropological information, but because you can see that long life is really something that is a matter of habits and practices, not just eating a bowl of yogurt or using olive oil instead of butter.
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|Charles Ashbacher says:
January 20, 2015 at 10:22 pm (UTC 0)
A welcome and refreshing contribution to the literature about living longer,
*) In the Barbagia region of the Italian island of Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea. In one village of 2,500 there were seven people 100 years or older.
*) The Japanese islands of Okinawa, site of one of the bloodiest battles in World War II.
*) Loma Linda, California where the people who make it a Blue Zone are Seventh Day Adventists.
*) An area of Costa Rica in Central America.
As a mathematician/statistician, my first thought was that this would turn out to be another false claim. I based this on two natural premises.
*) While modern records are complete, the birth records of these people would extend back to the start of the twentieth century, a time when the recording of births was much less precise. Therefore, some of the claims of advanced age could be false.
*) Given the large number of potential Blue Zones that could be created, the four cited in the book could just be statistical anomalies that can be expected due to the workings of chance. Those anomalies could also be due to the concentration of the members of a single family whose genetic makeup strongly favors long life.
The meticulous scholarship of various people, which includes the author, renders the first objection untenable. By examining the records in detail, there is no doubt that the ages of the people are accurate and the Blue Zones do exist.
The second objection is much harder to refute. The world is a big place and slight modifications of the borders can turn something that is close to a Blue Zone into something that is. Certain families have the genes for longevity, for example the people in one line of my wife’s family routinely live into their nineties. Given the numbers of the Barbagia region, the presence of one or two such families could be enough to create a Blue Zone. While this would not change the fact that the data is interesting, a genetic anomaly would render any lifestyle conclusions moot for everyone else lacking the appropriate genetic components.
In carrying out a comparison of the lifestyles of the people in the Blue Zones around the world, some common factors clearly emerge.
*) They all have a strong and supportive social structure. All remain active in their community, they are surrounded by people who care about them and that they care about.
*) The centenarians have worked at heavy physical labor their entire lives and most still do. While they do eat meat, it is not a daily component of their diets.
*) The centenarians tend to have a lower level of stress in their lives and the hard work tends to help them burn off what stress they have.
These factors are not news to anyone who pays attention to the elements of a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, there is no reason to suspect an unusual environmental factor being a cause of the Blue Zone. Eat healthy, avoiding stress and exercise are the three key ingredients to a long and healthy life and that is true inside and outside the Blue Zones.
This book is a welcome and refreshing contribution to the literature about living longer. Although it is readable in nature and tone, it is scholarly enough to pass all tests of dubious credibility.
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|Elizabeth "Elizabeth from the California Sierra" says:
January 20, 2015 at 11:14 pm (UTC 0)
Ten star sane, interesting, thought provoking book,
Liked this, because I see so many people over the age of seventy where I live out walking for walking enjoyment, not for any physical fitness routine. Same with going to the gym. People I know simply see everyday movement as natural and healthy.
Lesson Five: Purpose Now Take time to see the big picture is something we need to start teaching our young. The whole idea of seeing a purpose however small in getting up in the morning.
Lesson Seven: Belong Participate in a spiritual community shouldn’t turn anyone off. Fact is their research shows that belonging to a community where one thinks about something bigger, and is around people who believe in prayer and positive purpose live not only longer but healthier and happier lives. They mention Dr Gary Frasers book Diet, Life Expectancy and Chronic Disease which is a good book.
Also like the information on diet and how healthy eating doesn’t mean boring or not fun. Simply eating less, and not so much meat can make a difference they say and I agree. They do NOT say never eat meat. Which reminded me of the exchange students we have had in our home whose eyes would grow big when they would see the steaks on the BBQ at peoples homes, and then see a steak plopped on their plate. This was a shock to them, because no matter if they were from Asia or Scandinavia, meat was more of a condiment, served in small servings, rather that THE meal.
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