Get a cup of tea, because this is a long one…
Before we start, I am in no way affiliated with any of these websites, I am not promoting anything, I am not telling you to do anything. I am just sharing my curiousity…
Back in May 2021, I wrote about Alzheimer's prevention because I was fascinated by 2 doctors, Dean and Ayesha Sherzai, and what they were saying on a podcast. I was so inspired that I bought their book ‘The 30 day Alzheimer’s Solution’.
Although I tried valiantly to stick to their recipes (many of which tasted of cardboard with a hint of coriander and tooke forever to prepare) I am not sure I lasted the whole 30 days. (The reality of fermented cashew cheese with herbs and pretending that cauliflower was rice just didn’t do it for me.)
Yet here I am again, two years later. This time engrossed in Dan Buettner's Netflix documentary, 'Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones' and ready to eat cardboard with a hint of coriander once again.
As I followed each episode, I thought “I know this”. I know this information instinctively. I know this information from having researched my blog posts and I know this also from the Sherzais.
I recognise the name Loma Linda in California, from the Sherzais talking about their groundbreaking research on a place where there is less dementia, fewer chronic diseases and people live longer and happier lives. And here is Dan saying exactly the same thing that Loma Linda, along with Okinawa, Japan; Ikaria, Greece; Sardinia, Italy; and Nicoya, Costa Rica, belong to the exclusive club of Blue Zones, where more people live significantly longer than average and do so in good health.
The Power of N.E.U.R.O. and the Blue Zone Perspective:
I feel I may have to write ‘spoiler alert’ if you are planning on watching the documentary as I am about to break it down and give away all the secrets. Though to be fair the documentary is full of wonderful octogenarians, nonagenarians and centenarians strutting their stuff. It is inspiring.
In essence, the Sherzais who coined the acronym N.E.U.R.O., encapsulating the pillars of Alzheimer's prevention are saying the same as Dan, only Dan has a pie chart. All of these things together leads to a long and healthy life.
Nutrition: A diet rich in green leafy vegetables, whole grains, seeds, beans, legumes, berries, cruciferous vegetables, tea, herbs, and spices.
Exercise: Regular aerobic and strength training to keep the body agile and robust.
Unwind: Reduce negative stressors while increasing positive challenges to lead a purpose-driven life.
Restore: Prioritizing restorative sleep, aiming for 7-9 hours nightly.
Optimize: Continually stimulating the brain through learning, socialization, and mental challenges.
Eating for Longevity:
I think we can all agree that eating fresh, natural produce is the way forward. Study after study shows that processed food is bad for you.
Blue Zone communities primarily follow plant-based diets, with up to 95% of their food coming from a diverse range of vegetables, beans, and nuts. Mindfulness habits also play a pivotal role at the dinner table, encouraging slow, deliberate eating to savour flavours. The Okinawans have a saying, "hara hachi bu," reminding them to stop when they're 80% full.
Each community eats their local produce – the Nicoyan’s feast on the “three sisters” of bean, squash, and corn. The Ikarians in Greece pair their food with homemade wine. It seems apparent to me that there's no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to determining what we should be eating. Our individual constitution, lifestyle, and location all play significant roles in shaping our dietary needs.
For instance, if I were an Inuit (as I've recently learned is the appropriate term, rather than Eskimo), seal and whale blubber would be rather delicious and excellent choices due to their rich content of essential fats, including omega-3s and vitamin D. However, as an Anglo-Italian, olive oil might be a more suitable option for me and probably easier to find.
Although I might be tempted to bullet point a list of food the Blue Zones (wine being top of the list) wouldn’t it be missing the point? Suffice to say the majority of things are homegrown, handmade, shared and savoured.
But of course, I want more… After a little Googling there is a Blue Zone Diet where they can design your meals for you. Their guidelines include:
95/5 Rule: Focus on plant-based foods, with 90-95% of your daily intake from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, leafy greens, and legumes. Use olive oil for cooking and season with spices. Include a cup of whole grains daily.
Daily Dose of Beans: Eat beans every day, spread across your meals. All types of beans, including tofu, provide high-quality protein and fibre.
Diminish Dairy: Reduce or avoid cow's milk in your diet.
Slash Sugar: Limit added sugar to 28 grams (about 7 teaspoons) per day. Save sweet treats for special occasions. Use honey as a sweetener and check labels for products with less than 8 grams of sugar.
Snack on Nuts: Enjoy a handful of nuts daily, like almonds, pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts, and peanuts. Avoid sugar-coated nuts.
Sour on Bread: Choose 100% whole grain or authentic sourdough bread made with live cultures. Limit bread to two slices per day. Opt for whole grain corn tortillas over flour tortillas and avoid white bread and wraps.
Go Wholly Whole: Strive for whole foods or those with fewer than five ingredients. Avoid highly processed foods and opt for natural choices.
Fish: While some Blue Zones include fish up to three times a week, be cautious of modern-day fish contamination with pesticides and chemicals. It's not a central part of a Blue Zones diet.
Drink Mostly Water: Aim for six glasses of water daily, along with unsweetened teas and coffee. Enjoy wine in moderation, ideally with friends. Avoid sugar-sweetened and diet sodas.
Move, move & keep on movin’
There is no surprise that people in the Blue Zones move more than the average westerner; their transportation is their legs and they do things manually, weaving physical activity into their lives without having to think about it.
The NHS recommends 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week. Far be it for me to doubt the NHS, but when I think about how our body is made, it inherently suggests that it is designed for movement, far more than a meagre 2 and a half hours a week.
The anatomical breakdown of the body
Skeletal Structure: Joints and muscles facilitate motion.
Muscle Systems: Varied muscles support diverse actions.
Energy Efficiency: Legs allow efficient walking and running.
Complex Motor Skills: We excel in intricate movements.
Circulatory System: Efficient oxygen delivery fuels activity.
Thermoregulation: Cooling mechanisms sustain exertion.
Biomechanics: Limb structure enables various actions.
The Sandra breakdown of the body
We're built to: bend, arch, twist, stretch, curl, extend, rotate, flex, tilt, hinge, pivot, balance, lunge, walk, run, sprint, jump, hop, skip, jiggle...
Yet, we spend our time transitioning from one seated position to another, with automation handling our daily tasks. Pushing a button is the extent of our effort in many things, whether it’s turning the washing machine on or the whisk or getting on an elevator. I spend much of my time sat on my lily-white tush going from car to chair, to reclined sofa, to bed, to car to chair.
Studies and historical records indicate that, on average, modern individuals engage in markedly more sedentary activities, in contrast to our ancestors who were typically engaged in more physically active occupations and modes of transportation.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying the automated life is bad, it frees up a lot of time. But then I ask the question: “what do I do with all this free time?” I work more.
Stay calm and find your purpose
https://www.dreams.co.uk/sleep-matters-club/
We allocate a substantial part of our lives to sleep, with the next significant chunk dedicated to work—about 13 years on average. But how many of us can genuinely say we love our jobs?
How many of us have a clear sense of purpose? It may seem like an enormous, almost heroic quest, as if the answer should involve grand gestures like 'My purpose is to bring world peace and discover the cure for all diseases.' However, ‘your purpose’ can be simpler, perhaps less epic in its wording—'To be loved and to love’. ‘To advocate and empower’. ‘To connect and build.' You get to decide how big. Maybe it is ‘world peace’, or maybe it is just ‘peace for you and yours’.
As I mentioned earlier in this blog, I've explored many of these topics before. In a previous newsletter, I discussed steps for uncovering your purpose. Yet, simply reading bullet points on a page and actually implementing them into your life are two very different things.
Step 1. Find something that is fun, makes you happy and brings joy. And if that thing that you loved doing no longer brings you joy- stop doing it.
Step 2. Don’t care about the outcome. This ties in with step 1, if it brings you joy then who cares what the world thinks about it.
Step 3. “I lived well”. Find something that as you catch your last breath you can say that you lived well.
Step 4. Research your options. No matter your age explore and gather as much information about things that are out there that might pique your interest. This part takes time, but what have you got to lose?
Step 5. Go on retreat. You can take this idea of retreat literally, and go up a mountain and meditate. Or it could just mean to take time out from your day to day and be still. Carve out time to look inwards and listen to your heart.
Of course the Blue Zoners (if that is a word) are calm and have lower stress levels. Despite their hard work, often extending well beyond the traditional retirement age, they carve out time daily to decompress. Their approach to de-stressing involves socializing, dancing, communal activities, even drinking together. They also tend to belong to faith-based communities and devote time towards their respective religious circles. In the Blue Zones, they wake up each morning with a clear sense of purpose and an idea of what they bring to the world.
Connection
Once again as I continue to write this new blog post, I feel that I am repeating myself. Only a few weeks ago I wrote a blog on Loneliness, where loneliness is likened to smoking in terms of its detrimental effects on health.
It's clear to me that the human body isn't designed to be alone, (just like it wasn’t designed to be sedentary). Instead, it thrives in social contexts, reaping the benefits of rich social interactions.
Social Brain: Our brain's evolution prioritizes social cognition, fostering understanding, connection, and cooperation.
Facial Expressions: Humans boast diverse facial muscles for nuanced non-verbal communication.
Vocalization: Our ability to vocalize and use language reflects our social nature, conveying thoughts and emotions.
Mirror Neurons: These neurons activate during observation, promoting empathy and social learning.
Emotional Responses: Social interactions often trigger our emotional responses, underscoring our need for connection.
Cooperative Behaviour: Throughout history, collaboration within social groups has been vital for survival.
Touch and Hugging: Physical touch and hugging release oxytocin, fostering bonding and emotional well-being.
Community Structures: Societies are founded on communal living, reflecting our inherent desire for companionship.
Family Units: Family plays a pivotal role in raising children, highlighting our inclination toward social bonds.
Longevity Benefits: Extensive research links strong social connections to improved physical and mental health, emphasizing our need for social interaction.
A common thread binds individuals of all ages is a need for genuine connections. In The Blue Zones, family takes precedence, especially when honouring their elders, as aging family members remain close. Additionally, these communities prioritize strong, loving partnerships, recognizing that a dependable social circle significantly contributes to their longevity.
So there you have it: How to live a long and healthy life. Now all we have to do, is stop reading about it and start living it.
Some annoying facts
According to the Cancer Research UK, around 4 in 10 cancer cases in the UK could be prevented through lifestyle changes.
Between 2000 and 2019, deaths from stroke, heart disease and HIV decreased, whereas reported deaths from Alzheimer's increased more than 145%.
The Office for National Statistics estimates that life expectancy for males in the UK has fallen back to levels reported for 2012 to 2014, at 79 years, while there has been virtually no improvement in life expectancy for females compared to 2015 to 2017 at 82.9 years .
Some myths
“Alzheimers is a genetic disease and there for cannot be prevented”. (Genetics play a part, but NOT a determinate part, it's actually only a small part. Woohoo)
“We've got some medicine that can solve this Alzheimers”. (100% of drugs failed in more than 400 clinical trails)
"Frailty and decline is inevitable as you grow older.” (Nope, it's not an inevitable outcome. Healthy lifestyle choices can significantly reduce the risk of frailty in older adults.)
Some good news
Prevention is the new treatment. Although not 100% it is 90% possible to stop people developing Alzheimers*
The claim is “the average person’s life expectancy could increase by 10-12 years by adopting a Blue Zones lifestyle” .
*According to the Sherzais