The secret to eating like you live in a longevity hotspot is more in reach than you may have thought.
Dan Buettner, a National Geographic fellow, the founder of Blue Zones LLC, and the author of The Blue Zones American Kitchen: 100 Recipes to Live to 100 , has studied the daily habits of those who live in blue zones where people live about a decade longer than the average (think Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; and Ikaria, Greece).
After collecting his research and distilling some of the lessons of the blue zones to his book, Buettner says the advice can be applied to your weekly grocery run—and it’s easier than you may think.
Bottom line: “Put your whole-food plant-based glasses on and walk through your grocery store,” Buettner tells Fortune .
With this basic principle in mind, focus on ingredients you find tasty.
“Find the ingredients you love, and if you can learn how to combine them to make something delicious, you’re on your way to eating to 100,” he says.
Here are the five foods Buettner says represent the blue zone way of life—starting with his favorite: Beans. Beans
The superfood is cheap, nutritious, and filling—and may help you live longer.
Beans uniquely offer a mix of protein and fiber , beneficial for muscle building and maintaining a steady blood sugar . They also contain folate and magnesium , crucial for cell growth and muscle growth respectively. The majority of Americans do not get enough fiber in their diet, and Buettner points to the microbiome’s dependence on fiber to function properly. A cup of beans provides about half of your daily fiber recommendation.You can find beans for less than $2 a pound, he says, making them an accessible addition to any diet.In his book, Buettner recommends eating beans every day, writing they “reign supreme in the blue zones and are the cornerstone of every longevity diet in the world.” While beans have been serving people for millennia, they seem to be having a viral moment now—and for good reason. One food creator, Violet Witchel , has gone viral for her dense bean salad recipes, […]
Long-living blue zone diets are fueling the latest superfood craze: Beans
