ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR TIM CROWE , AdvAPD Tim Crowe is an Associate Professor in Nutrition at the School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at Deakin University in Melbourne . He is also an Australian Blue Zone expert and an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian . To learn more visit n4foodandhealth . com or www . thinkingnutrition . com . au
INTRODUCING … THE BLUE
ZONES
Associate Professor and Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian Tim Crowe , explains the science and evidence behind Blue Zones and a plant-based diet .
What is a Blue Zone ?
Blue Zones refer to areas in the world where more people enjoy remarkably long , full healthy lives than anywhere else on the planet . People in these longevity hot spots are three times more likely to live to 100 than Australians are .
There are currently five regions of the world that experts have identified as being Blue Zones . They are :
• Ikaria , Greece
• Okinawa , Japan
• Sardinia , Italy
• Nicoya Peninsula , Costa Rica
• A seventh day Adventist community in Loma Linda , California ( USA )
Health secrets revealed
So what do people in the Blue Zones do differently from the rest of us ? Looking from the outside in , some very clear and consistent patterns emerge . People in the Blue Zones nurture strong social networks , consume a mostly plant-based diet , and incorporate daily , natural physical activity into their lives . They also do not overeat , having learned to stop eating before they feel full .
Long-lived people are not necessarily vegetarian , but their diet does contain mostly plant foods , and of those who do eat meat , do so sparingly . Beans , whole grains , and garden vegetables are the cornerstone of all the longevity diets . Nuts are also a commonly consumed food .
Yet even between the different Blue Zone communities , there is diversity in the foods they eat , which confirms there is no one single ‘ right ’ way to eat ; only flexible guidelines . Choosing mostly
16 YMCA HEALTHY LIVING MAGAZINE AUTUMN 2017