The inhabitants of the “blue zones”, these regions of the world where life expectancy is the highest, still have many things to teach us. And it starts with breakfast!
Dan Buettner is a National Geographic journalist who has dedicated his career to unlocking the secret to a long, healthy life. To do this, he set out to explore 5 places in the world where people live the longest. These places are nicknamed “blue zones“.
Among them, we find Icaria in Greece, the Sardinia in Italy, Okinawa in Japan, the peninsula of Nicoya in Costa Rica and Loma Linda in California. Note that many residents of Loma Linda are Seventh-day Adventists, a religion that encourages plant-based eating and community living.
The journalist was particularly interested in the eating habits of the centenarians he met. He was thus able to notice certain similarities between the different “blue zones” when it came to breakfast.
Eating the majority of your daily calories at breakfast could help you live to 100
People in “blue zones” often stick to a simple principle when it comes to their first meal of the day:
“In the blue zones, the largest meal is usually eaten during the first half of the day. Residents of Nicoya, Okinawa, and Sardinia eat their largest meal at midday, while Adventists consume most of their calories at breakfast.”reports Dan Buettner. “All residents of blue zones eat their lightest meal of the day in the late afternoon or early evening“, he adds.
The adage “eat like a king in the morning, like a prince at noon and like a pauper in the evening” seems to be true in these parts of the world!
What do centenarians in the blue zones eat for breakfast?
Breakfast is an important meal, and it is even more important for people who want to live a long and healthy life. And according to Dan Buettner’s observations, we should rethink our habits. Say goodbye to cereals and pastries rich in added sugars and take inspiration from the inhabitants of the blue zones.
The diets of inhabitants of blue zones vary from one region to another but favor all fruitsTHE vegetablesTHE legumesTHE nuts and seedsTHE Whole grains and the “good fats” (unsaturated fats). These foods are rich in essential nutrients, including fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. On the other hand, there are few meats and saturated fats.
Some examples of breakfasts of residents of blue zones:
- In Nicoya: Gallo pinto (black beans, rice, onions, peppers and cilantro)
- In Okinawa: Miso soup And rice
- In Loma Linda: Porridge, Scrambled tofu
Source : The Complete Blue ZonesDan Buettner, National Geographic, 2023