Hello, it's been a while I haven't written anything useful here. Last time I wrote, they were junks. I know this blog is neglected, I'm not doing any good job in managing this blog. But I promise I'll be back writing some real stuff. I actually really want to write something here, but most of the time I have no idea what to write (could somebody please give me ideas?). I don't know what's a good stuff to write. Luckily, today I got an idea! I know what to write. *aha!*
"Dit, can you please just skip the chitchatting and just get to the point??"
Let's not keep you waiting. I figure today we should discuss a book I've recently read, a book about public health (it's so me), a book about healthy diets, more like a book about healthy lifestyle. It's The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like The World's Healthiest People by Dan Buettner. *applause*
Title: The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like The World's Healthiest People
Author: Dan Buettner
Publisher: National Geographic Partners
Publication year: 2015
Pages: 319
I bought this book from Periplus on its new year sale. This book is quite interesting to me (basically, I'm all interested when it comes to healthy living whatsoever), and this book also offers some recipes you could try at home (the recipes are useless for me though, since I can't cook HAHA). Anyway, this book basically describes the healthy habits of Blue Zones people. What is Blue Zones exactly? Blue Zones is area with the highest longevity in the world. That means, the people who live in Blue Zone Area are much healthier and live the longest (long enough until the majority of elderly there reach the age above 100 years old). By the time this book is published, the author stated that there are 5 places that meet this criteria. They are:
- Ikaria, Greece
- Okinawa, Japan
- Ogliastra Region, Sardinia
- Loma Linda, California
- Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica
The author with his team have spent years trying to identify what's up with these cities that make them have the longest-living people in the world. Apparently there are some particular habits and practices possessed by these people that make them live healthier, hence live longer. From what I get, I notice there are certain characteristics possessed by these centenarians (centenarians: people who have reached the age of 100 years). They usually live in a conservative way, but not in an uncivilized way like traditional tribes you might think. Conservatively means they utilize less electronic equipment in their daily life. For example, they don't watch television nor use mobile phone that much (or maybe they don't even have one). In their spare time, they like to socialize with friends. They also walk, a lot. Or they ride bikes. They don't use cars or motorcycles that much. They cook traditionally, not really using much technology in their cooking routines. They grow their own food, so gardening is also part of their daily routine. Their lifestyle basically enables them to move their body everyday and being active all day.
About their diets, they eat lots of greens, grains, and mostly beans. They eat whole foods, they don't use much preservatives or additives in their food. Meats and dairies are consumed only occasionally (unlike us who consume it everyday, and almost in every meal). Meats, particularly, are consumed usually once or twice a month. Meats are considered as celebratory food. However, Blue Zones people like to eat fish. Another thing I notice from them is they also don't eat out a lot that much. They prefer to cook their own food. Eating out is part of celebratory occasion, so they don't do it often. The environment where they live in usually don't have many fast-food restaurants, making them inclined not to consume those kind of junk foods. Their biggest meal of the day would be breakfast or lunch, dinner would be the meal with the least portion. It's very different with how we (or at least me) eat. We tend to save the biggest portion for dinner, meanwhile extra energy is required in the morning when we're about to start the day.
What is striking to me is that these people, they don't need to try their hardest to live healthy. Their environment basically enforces them to live healthy effortlessly, without them realizing or knowing it. Their daily activity requires much energy that they don't need to exercise regularly to be fit. They even burn more calories than urban people who still manage to work out regularly!
I see a lot of people (including myself) trying to live healthy by going on a strict diet, exercising regularly, etc, but none of them would last that long. It will probably last for about a year or two maximum, but not for longer term. Why? Because it is hard to adopt a healthy lifestyle when we're alone. We're doing a healthy lifestyle, but our community doesn't really support us. We're more inclined to fall back to unhealthy habits when people around us aren't doing it as well. Going out with friends, we want to eat healthy food, but our friends are ordering delicious sinful foods (based on personal experiences LOL). Unhealthy yummy foods are abundant and can be found everywhere. It is a major temptation for us! The presence of technology such as cars, motorcycles, or food processor, is really helping us to make life much easier, but it also promotes inactivity. They are useful, but what's important is that we know to what extent should we use this technology. Going to the gym or simply going for a jog are much easier when done with friends. When none of our friends are willing to do that, we have to gather extra willingness to do it alone. But Blue Zones people, they aren't planning to live healthily. At least they're not doing it in purpose. They have a community which supports and promotes healthy lifestyle. It's part of their daily lives there. People are doing it together so it will be very natural for them. This concept is really interesting and corresponding to public health concept, that in order to change community health, as the name suggests, do it in community level, not individual level. The key is to provide a community where living a healthy life would be effortless. It requires commitment from lots of sectors to make changes in community level. The cities where the author's trying to implement Blue Zones project, take help from the restaurants near the city to start providing healthy options in their menu, or by promoting healthy menu sale. Restaurants are asked to serve more greens and less sugary beverages. Grocery stores are asked to promote the sale of healthy food items. The city is building more walking path or bikes path and community gardens to encourage people walking or biking and so on. Basically, the city is implementing policies that would encourage healthy lifestyle.
Actually the key to a healthy life from Blue Zones community are not only what I've mentioned above. There are others, but those above are what I remember the most. It's worth to take into account The Blue Zones concept into our city. You can find out more about Blue Zones here. When someone wants to start adopting healthy lifestyle, it's not just a matter of internal factors that are important, external factors play a big role in maintaining healthy lifestyle. Otherwise, it's just a matter of time until healthy habits will start to fade away and we go back to the old us. It won't be easy, but at least when the environment is enabling us to live healthy, the changes will be for the long term.
That's probably all I can tell about the book. It's really informative and enlightening, even for me as a public health graduate. I hope one day, our city, or even our country, can implement this Blue Zones concept to promote the health of our community. Because once again, health is important, health is an investment, and health is the key of a productive life! See you again in the next post, people. XOXO
