Blue Zone Diet Information
Diet to control weight plays an essential role in lowering the risk of various adult diseases, metabolic diseases, and chronic diseases through the reduction of visceral fat as well as external parts. However, excessive diet for a short period of time can cause metabolic imbalance, which can be the cause of putting too much strain on the body. Therefore, it can be said that a healthy diet habit is necessary through appropriate exercise and diet control. The blue zone diet refers to eating and lifestyle habits that can be found in the world’s five largest longevity villages. It is a term used by Dr. Dan Butner, a National Geographic researcher in the United States who has studied longevity villages in his book ‘Blue Zone’, in Acaria Island in Greece and Sardina in Italy, Linda in Rome, California in the United States, Okinawa Island in Japan, and Nico in Costa Rica. It refers to five regions such as Yabando. Common features were found in the diets of people living in the Blue Zone, and they are attracting great attention from the food industry in the United States and Europe for their excellent health effects and weight management for chronic diseases. So today, let’s learn more about the blue zone diet.
Blue zone diet
People in the Blue Zone have a characteristic that they eat very little meat. They eat meat less than 5 times a month, on average, and eat only a small amount, 56g or less at a time. The type of meat consumed also includes pasture-raised pigs, sheep, and chickens, rather than a factory-based livestock system. And the lack of protein is supplemented by fish such as cod, anchovies, sardines, and legumes. Fish are said to consume a lot of cod, anchovies, and sardines, which are in the middle food chain, which are low in mercury and other persistent organic pollutants. In addition, I am consuming a balanced amount of green vegetables such as legumes, spinach, chard and kale, as well as whole grains, nuts, and seeds. In addition, most people in the Blue Zone consume vegetables that contain a lot of calcium instead of dairy products.
When it comes to beverages, there are only four beverages: water, tea, coffee and wine. Among them, drink plenty of water, and in the case of tea, herbal tea is said to be the main drink. They also say that they do not drink sugary beverages as much as possible, and drink coffee in a form without added sugar. Also, in the case of alcoholic beverages, it is said that only red wine with low sugar content and antioxidants is consumed in small amounts.
Blue Zone people say that they reduce their intake of sugar in food as well as sugar in the drinks introduced above to a minimum. It is said that the amount of sugar consumed by Blue Zone people per day is one-fifth of the consumption in North America. These figures are said to be similar to those recommended by the American Heart Association. Most processed foods contain a lot of sugar, so reduce your intake as much as possible, and if you want a sweet snack, eat sweet fruits and vegetables.
Avoiding overeating is also said to be a common eating rule among Blue Zone people. In the case of Okinawa, there is a principle of eating called hara-hachibu. This means that when you eat, stop eating as soon as you feel your stomach is 80% full. In addition, Blue Zone people mostly eat at home rather than eating out, and dinner is said to be the least of the day. In addition, while chewing food for a long time to feel full, the dinner menu is said to end early with a low-calorie diet using legumes and vegetables.
