Unveiling the Secrets of Longevity

Hello— happy September 1st. I hope you’re savoring the last moments of summer.

Last night, in search of inspiration for today’s newsletter, I watched the first two episodes of the new Netflix docu-series “Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones.”

Here’s the TLDR (Too Long Didn't Read): It's fantastic & filled with great info... but there’s something missing. And it’s important.

So today, we're diving into the key components that contribute to longevity in each region, as well as the missing puzzle piece that's crucial to this conversation.

But first— some context.

A Glimpse into the Blue Zones

Back in 2005, a journalist named Dan Buettner introduced the concept of "Blue Zones" in a cover story for National Geographic magazine.

The article explored the regions of the world that have the highest concentration of centenarians– those who live to be 100 years old and beyond.

These extraordinary places became known as Blue Zones and have since become a focus in the world of longevity & well-being.

After decades of studying these areas, Buettner teamed up with a film crew to tell this story in a new way. The docuseries takes us into the living rooms of these centenarians, offering a glimpse into their lives & perspectives.

Where (2 of) the Blue Zones Unfold

Beginning in Okinawa, Japan, “Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones” takes viewers on a global exploration of those residing in the world’s healthiest regions.

In this newsletter, we’ll dive into the health practices of two of the five Blue Zones: Okinawa, Japan and Sardinia, Italy.

The upcoming two sections draw exclusively from what I learned while watching the show, so I highly recommend watching it firsthand and take no credit for the info (all legal rights belong to the creators).

The other three Blue Zones— Loma Lina, California; Ikaria, Greece; and Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica — are also discussed in the show and are now for you to learn about at your convenience, if/when you decide to tune in.

Okinawa, Japan

• Medicinal Foods: Nutrient-dense foods are central to the Okinawan diet. There seems to be a cultural understanding that food is medicine. Interestingly, purple sweet potatoes make up 67% of their diet and have 150% more active antioxidants than blueberries.

• Caloric Density: Combining ingredients that are nutrient-dense but low in calories, such as tofu & cabbage, allowing Okinawans to eat until satisfaction without over-consuming.

• Hara hachi bu: An interesting eating habit that means you stop eating when your stomach is 80% full. This practice contributes to better digestion & lower rates of obesity.

• Balance: One of the most moving scenes from the first episode is with a 101-year-old woman, surrounded by six of her friends. They’re seen playing games, music, and laughing together— highlighting the importance of a lighthearted approach to life.

• Moai: "MOAI" is more than just a term used in Okinawa– it's a lifeline. It's a group of friends who stand by each other, financially & emotionally, through the challenges of life. Community is key here.

• Ikigai: a common philosophy in Japanese culture that generally translates to “a reason for being.” It is credited for the vibrancy & well-being that Japanese people experience in their later years. It represents the intersection of the following questions:

  • What do you love?

  • What are you good at?

  • What does the world need?

  • What can you be paid for?

Sardinia, Italy

• Steepness: These villages are built on steep hillsides, and the daily journeys up & down these inclines seem to extend movement & ability into Sardinian’s later years.

• Control Stress: Many of the men in this region are shepherds, which extends into an overall slowness of life across the region. Turns out, living a low-stress life is not only more enjoyable but also helps to extend the lifespan.

• Care for Elders: There's a beautiful reverence for the elderly in Italy. There are few nursing homes, but a tradition of nurturing & wisdom-sharing. This sense of community truly defines their existence. There’s a definite through-line across the Blue Zones— community is a core value.

• Good Carbs: Pasta almost always graces Italian tables, but in Italy, it's prepared in ways that keep the glycemic index low. Think— it’s rolled fresh rather than eaten out of a box. Or it’s served with veggies rather than unidentifiable cheese “product”.

It’s fantastic to see how much valuable info was presented in this docuseries.

Even as a wellness enthusiast, I learned a ton and felt that it was delivered with a cool travel vibe, similar to Bourdain’s.

However— I was shocked at the one key element that felt missing throughout the entire production— the sourcing of the food that’s central to these culture’s longevity was not even mentioned.

How food is grown, produced, and distributed is one of the biggest factors influencing the impact on both human & planetary health.

This is why I could eat pasta & pizza for every meal in Italy (and still feel great), while doing that here would put me to sleep.

Differences in Farming Practices: USA vs. Italy

United States:

• Emphasizes large-scale monoculture cash crops for efficient mass production (wheat, corn & soy), which leads to soil degradation, reduced biodiversity, and lower nutrient density.

• High usage of synthetic chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides— many of which are illegal in other countries.

• Glyphosate, a widely used herbicide, is prevalent in America because of its ability to kill weeds and be paired with genetically modified foods (GMOs). However, what’s not well known is that Glyphosate can disrupt or kill the bacteria in our guts and is correlated with increases in cancer, specifically non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, and other neurological conditions.

Italy:

• Favors smaller-scale, diversified farming practices, and also prioritizes local, traditional agricultural methods that pre-date chemical agriculture, leading to much higher nutrient density and a quicker journey from farm to plate.

• Glyphosate is illegal in Italy, after the government banned the use of it in 2016. In 2017, Italy was one of seven EU nations to vote against relicensing it in Europe.

• For some perspective, check out this list of countries that have outlawed Glyphosate because of its harmful impacts on human & planetary health (as uncovered in the Roundup cancer litigation proving the weed killer’s link to cancer).

This contrast highlights the pivotal role farming practices play in the quality of our food, and subsequently, the health of our population & planet.

Frankly, I’m disappointed that sourcing was not even mentioned within the docuseries because, without it, some of the recommendations can be extremely misleading and even harmful.

For instance, Japanese tofu is entirely different than heavily sprayed GMO soy in America. Same deal with pasta in Italy.

I’ll likely deep dive on glyphosate in a future newsletter, but for now, just remember— pesticides are harmful & thus the Organic certification matters.

As we contemplate the implications, it's worth asking:

What can we learn from the health & wellness practices & principles of other cultures?

Thank you for reading.

Let me know— have you seen the documentary yet? What country/episode did you find most interesting?

Stay tuned for next week's end-of-summer reflection practice.

Until then, be well.

Your friend & supporter,

Aidan