THE BLUE ZONES

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CHAPTER 21, The Blue Zone, March 2011

I believe this is the appropriate place to share with you what I have recently learned from Dan Buettners outstanding research and team efforts in his book that discovers what the world's longest living humans can share with us about not only living longer, but living better.

I decided to introduce this information here because it is imperative to understand that smoking trumps everything else you could possibly do to add on more good years to your life; Championed as THE MOST preventable cause of death and disease in the USA, yet so powerfully prevalent.

; The second most important concept and preventable threat to living to an old age is to maintain your proper lean weight through moderation of eating habits, diet and exercise.

Thus fortified and enlightened by this ridiculously abused knowledge we press onward with renewed conviction...Right?

It has been found that these 100+ year old people can be found in concentrations around the world known as Blue Zones. Dan is married to Cheryl Tiegs who was one of the dream models that I ogled at in the magazine pictures back in high school. He describes her as the very personification of ageless beauty, the lucky guy. Born on Feb.21, 1875 Jeanne Calment lived for a record setting 122 years and 64 days. She was a French woman that stayed mentally and physically active most of her life who attributed her longevity to Port wine, Olive oil and a sense of humor. Another ancient Japanese woman attributed it to Sake, both of which I find indulgently appealing. Finally I can drink myself guilt free toward a century of life as these two old Broads profess I could do when the truth of the matter is, when it comes to the science of living longer these Centenarians can no more tell us how they reached age 100 than...fill in the blanks.

I think that the most important concept that can be learned from his book came from the Blue Zone in Okinawa, Japan whose elders instinctively knew the amount of food we eat is less a function of feeling full and more a matter of what is around us. According to Dr. Brian Wansink author of "Mindless Eating" we over-eat because of circumstances - friends, family, packages, plates, names and numbers, label's, lights, colors, candles, shapes, smells, distractions, cupboards and containers. While Americans eat until their stomachs are full, Okinawan elders stop as soon as they no longer feel hungry. For most of us the solution is to eat enough so we are no longer hungry but not so much that we're full. The Okinawan's cool phrase to remind themselves of this comes from a Confucian - inspired adage that all of the old folks say just before they eat. "Hara Hachi Bu" which I am going to have tattooed on my forehead--- means eat until you are 80% full. He notes these people may be the only human population that purposefully restricts calories because they know it takes 20 minutes for our stomachs to tell the brain it is full. Under eating also slows down body metabolism so that it produces less damaging oxidants, the agents that rust us from within. There is a significant calorie gap between when an American says "I'm full" and an Okinawan says, "I'm no longer hungry" explains Wansink. We gain weight by eating week after week just slightly beyond the caloric set point of calories we can consume without gaining weight..., and this gets harder with age I can attest to. I also must share a statement by Haruki Murakami in his book, "What I talk about when I talk about running". When this humble athlete/ runner relay's in a somewhat nonchalant voice that we should not use running to lose weight--- stating that it's your watchful intake of calories that should be relied upon to accomplish weight loss. His reasoning for this is; if you become injured and unable to run you will have nothing to fall back on to maintain your proper weight. I used to run so I could eat everything in sight. When I think about all of the effort I have put into running and weight training in order to help maintain my weight--- only to actualize that it is because I didn't have the willpower to restrict the calories...I feel pretty stupid! You should also recognize there is an art and science to calorie restriction that must be mastered in order to maintain your proper body weight especially as you age but it is so much easier than running 30 minutes per day 4-6 days per week for 40 years! When you consider a typical fast food meal of a large hamburger, large fries, and a large soft drink contains nearly 1,500 calories in comparison to a heaping plate of stir-fried tofu and greens that have the same VOLUME, BUT 1/5 OF THE CALORIES! I feel disgusted and deceived, especially for our children. Even today the average daily intake of many of the Blue Zones elders around the world does not exceed 2,000 calories per day! The volume of food is only part of the equation, the trick to maintaining a healthy weight is to eat the bulk of your food that are of low calorie density like fruits, veggies and whole grains. Make the calorie dense foods containing protein and fat be of the highest quality and served judiciously at each meal to provide more satisfaction. One of the scholars of centenarian research found that the daily intake of protein, fat carbohydrates and total calories was lowest among centenarians in comparison to the rest of the immediate population. The greatest difference was the greater appetite for vegetables and especially for dairy products. So that what they did eat was rich in calcium, vitamins and iron. Another concept that centenarians share is a sense of purpose. The Okinawans call it Ikigai, which is the ability to readily articulate the reason they get up in the morning. Purpose driven lives give them clear roles of responsibility and feelings of being needed. The daughter of one 100 plus Okinawan women stated that her mother's Ikigai was her longevity itself. She brings pride to her family and village and now she feels she must keep living even though she is often tired. The Costa Rican, Nicoya peninsula Blue Zone elders call it "Plan de Vida" which is a strong sense of service to others or to care for family, their reason for getting up in the morning. These words or phrases translate for all the Blue Zone cultures the answer to the question "why do I get up in the morning"? The research found that individuals who expressed a clear goal in life---- something that made a difference-lived longer and were sharper than those who did not. His research also shows they have strong connections with their family and friends. They wake up in the morning knowing that they have a purpose and the world in turn reacts to them in a way that propels them along. The Sardinian men located in another Blue Zone which is a rather isolated island 120 miles west of mainland Italy, has a phenomenally high number of male centenarians. Normally it's the women who live longer but in certain villages on this island men appeared to retain their vigor and vitality longer than men almost anywhere else suggesting that genetics plays a major role in life span due to the isolation. This was researched and remains unsupported however. Studies suggest that only about 25% of how long we live is dictated by genes. These men are characterized as "strong willed with high self-esteem and great stubbornness"; the acclaimed reason for their long survival under harsh conditions and environment. Their hard-edged humor, affably smug dispositions and hard-ship-tempered appreciation for what is,... not what could have been,... served to bolster their longevity in tougher times. A hard-ship tempered attitude from the past can and does allow these ancient people to let their difficult early years remain in the past while they enjoy today's simple pleasures I was delighted to hear. They learn to be likable and to keep younger people in their company well into old age. Even those who may have been cantankerous in their youth learn the value of good humor and grace in cultivating the loyalty and patience of friends and caregivers as their level of functioning declines. They make it fun and rewarding to be around. The experts now suspect that the characteristics of the environment, the lifestyle, and the food are far more important for a healthy life. Dan believes that it is no coincidence that the way these people eat, interact with each other, shed stress, heal themselves, get exercise, avoid disease and view their world yields them more good years of life. He also reports that Centenarians everywhere have faith, pointing out the benefit of relinquishing the stress of everyday life to a higher power. To have a code of behavior clearly laid out before them with the associated peace of mind that you're engaging in right living if you follow it. So if the day goes well, perhaps you deserve it. If the day goes poorly, it's out of your hands type scenario--- WHICH I INTEND TO ADOPT.

In the Western world he points out we are confronted by an environmental catch 22. Accomplishment, status, and material wealth are highly revered and require most of our time. We generally hold working and being productive in high regard; being busy often wins us esteem. We also have so much stuff that needs to be paid for and maintained that while appearing to be living high on the hog is a coveted position--- many of us are stretched too thin to enjoy it. There are few cultural institutions that encourage us to slow down, unwind and de-stress. In America, seniors tend to live apart from their children and grandchildren, often sent to retirement homes when they become unable to care for themselves. In all of the Blue Zones, family's keep their elders until death where they receive immediate care and perhaps most significantly, feel loved and a sense of belonging. Don't worry Mom you can come live with me. I'll make sure you are hosed off daily...an inside joke you should know. So Dan got to interview literally hundreds of these centenarians in their own environment. Observing how they live, what they eat, how they move etc. etc. and it occurred to me that he possesses something that no one on the planet has. Listen to what he writes about this 100 plus Okinawan women after she sprung to her feet from the floor to go make breakfast. "After she added fresh ingredients to her soup she pulled up a chair facing the stove to wait for her soup as he writes in observation". "The flame cast a feeble light on her face. It occurred to me that I was witnessing the happy limits of the human machine. I sensed neither frailty nor the wistfulness of impending death but rather serenity-a certain satisfaction with life now free of the ambition and commitments that dog younger years-A LIFE ACHIEVED." Great stuff Dan. Update; on Yahoo's front page today, April 15, 2011 there was a heading that caught my attention. "WORLDS OLDEST MAN DIES IN MONTANA AT 114 YEARS OF AGE!" His name was Walter Breunings and there was a printout of his secrets to a long life that I will include here. Embrace change, even when the change slaps you in the face. (Every change is good) Eat 2 meals pre day...,( He did not eat the evening meal.) Work as long as you can..., (Meaning keep active mentally and physically.) Help others; it will come back to you. Accept death, we are all going to die. Never be afraid to die, because you were born to die

So what do I think about this book, these ancient people in these Blue Zones, the concepts and lessons that can be learned from these people--- my purpose in life ???? When I think about my purpose in life, the number one reason I get up in the morning is always to help provide and be there for my three sons. Of course we all have bills to pay which is another driving force. But really it's because there is so much I want to see and experience. I would like to continue documenting my life's journey with discussions, observations and lessons toward the mission of not only working toward making things right in my own world but also toward earning the privilege of making a difference in the lives of those who will gain some perspective or entertainment from reading them. For those who have known me, experienced with me, endured with me or loved me it is my hope that being a part of our time together or of my life's events will be meaningful or at least--- entertaining. For those of you that have come to know me by reading these words it is my hope that you enjoyed them as much as I did living the subject matter...

OK, so when I think about my life in comparison to these ancient people whose entire lives were spent in the same basically isolated location, living the same methodically primitive or traditional way---Without the resource's, choices or opportunity's that I myself was given or pursued, I don't see ever wanting to exchange places with them YET! And when I think about all of my years of traumatic sports; the injuries, the intensity of the training, the hard and long hours of physical labor, the "possibility" that I may have overindulged in food, vices and overexposure to the sun! Then there is the emotional stress and strain that comes with the western mindset of accomplishment, achievement and status---Even though continual effort was put into keeping myself healthy and in shape, I wonder if..., just as I am sure anyone reading this does. Yet as I close in on what seems like a long 58 years that I have been pounding myself on this planet---- I still have another staggering and humbling 42 years to go to make it to 100!

I FELT THIS NEXT ARTICLE WAS SO "RIGHT ON" THAT I SIMPLY COPIED IT AS IT WAS PRESENTED. NSCA-certified conditioning coach Holly Mosier, author of Stress Less, Weigh Less (Greenleaf Book Group Press, 2011), offers these myth-busting insights: #1: Don't eat after 7 PM. Why it's OK to break this rule: There's nothing magical about avoiding eating at night. The key to weight loss success isn't when you eat; it's taking a close look at what you eat and staying within your daily calorie allotment, says Mosier, regardless of what time of day the food is consumed. #2: Eat five to six small meals during the day. Why it's OK to break this rule: Although the theory behind this rule is that frequent eating keeps your metabolism stoked, the reality is that having more opportunities to eat often results in overeating, resulting in weight gain instead of weight loss. What's more, new research from Purdue University founds that eating three regular-sized meals that include lean protein, such as chicken or tofu, made people feel more full than eating smaller, more frequent meals. The researchers also reported that eating three high protein meals also decreases late night eating and food cravings. #3: Stick to fat-free or low-fat foods. Why it's OK to break this rule: The American Heart Association recently reported that low-fat and fat-free foods can contribute to obesity, because these foods often contain as many or more calories than the full-fat versions, yet trick people into thinking that these are good choices for weight loss. Always check the nutrition facts on the label and avoid low-fat products that are loaded with sugar. Everyone, regardless of size, needs some fat in their diet to transport fat-soluble vitamins, such as A and E, around the body. Good fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids, also play a role in heart health and may aid immune system function. The AHA advises limiting fat intake to less than 25 to 35 percent of total calories, with less than 7 percent of calories coming from saturated fat. Choose unsaturated fats, such as olive oil, nuts, or oily fish. #4: Eat breakfast within 30 minutes of waking. Why it's OK to break this rule: It's true that studies consistently show that people who eat breakfast tend to weigh less and are more successful at maintaining weight loss. But that doesn't mean you have to force yourself to eat first thing in the morning if you're not hungry. Consuming breakfast later in the morning, perhaps after a workout to rev up your appetite, is equally effective. One study found that eating a big breakfast that's high in protein and low in carbs helped overweight women lose an average of nearly 23 pounds. #5: Cut out certain food groups. Why it's OK to break this rule: This "rule" recycles every few years. Some years we're told to cut out red meat. Other years we're told to avoid dairy or fruits. And we are always told to shun sugar. However, even with the willpower of iron, it's hard to stick to a diet that leaves you feeling chronically deprived, which can set the stage for bingeing, Mosier points out. Instead, eat your favorite foods in moderation, and tweak recipes to cut down on calories. Understanding nutrition and taking a flexible, balanced approach to weight loss helps you make the smart food choices, without saddling yourself with the stress and frustration of a rigid diet that's impossible to sustain over the long term.