Blue Zone #1: Okinawa, Japan
The first Blue Zone we’ll take a look at is Okinawa Japan! Okinawa is made up of over a hundred islands south of mainland Japan and the Okinawan women live longer than any other women on the planet. Okinawans have lower rates of heart disease, cancer, and dementia than Americans. Let’s see what Okinawans are doing across the 4 areas of the Blue Zone Diet:
Movement: Gardening is a large part of Okinawan daily life. Not only does tending a garden provide a constant source of fresh vegetables and medicinal herbs, but it is also a source of daily physical activity. Gardening involves a wide range of physical motion and also helps reduce stress. Okinawans also often get their exercise by walking. Furthermore, traditional Okinawan decor often doesn’t include chairs, and meals and socializing are enjoyed on the floor. The constant sitting and rising from the floor helps build and maintain lower body strength and balance.
Outlook: In many Okinawans there exists a driving force in their lives called ikigai. This strong sense of purpose in life gives Okinawans clearly defined roles and responsibilities, giving them a sense of feeling needed in their daily life. Ikigai also allows older Okinawans to easily identify and describe the reason they get up in the morning.
Graph taken from the Blue Zones website
Diet: Okinawans typically enjoy a largely plant-based diet, with fish, meat and poultry making up around 2% of their diets. Most of their diet is made up of vegetables, sweet potatoes, and tofu. These foods are high in nutrients and low in calories. Pork is eaten rarely - it’s typically saved for ceremonial occasions and even then, it is eaten in small amounts.
Connection: Okinawans have and maintain what they call “moai”, a strong social network, often including a group of lifelong friends. Moais often start in childhood and extend well into old age, and provide lifelong emotional, social, and sometimes even financial support. Underpinning these groups is a deep sense of respect and support for each other and moais meet frequently to share advice, give financial assistance, or just gossip.
The moai aspect of Okinawan lifestyle is a particularly unique feature that contributes to the longevity of its residents. Reducing stress and loneliness reduces the chance of depression, diabetes, heart disease and other chronic illnesses. Having a constant group of deeply bonded supportive friends means that daily stress is relieved in the knowledge that you will always be helped if something happens. If a family death or a medical emergency happens, Okinawans know that they have a network of people to provide emotional, physical, and financial support, and are themselves willing to give it.
You can learn more about the Okinawan lifestyle here: https://www.bluezones.com/explorations/okinawa-japan/
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