7 Eating Habits Of The World’s Healthiest Populations

You already know where the world’s healthiest populations live. Now you might be wondering what they do or do right to be ranked among the world’s oldest people… Here’s a short overview of the Blue Zone inhabitants’ healthy eating habits:

Herbivores
The happy & healthy populations of the so-called Blue Zones rely on a mainly vegetable-based diet including lots of veggies and fresh fruits. Soy products like tofu or miso help them cover their protein needs. Plus, seaweed can be found in their diet, too – especially in Okinawa.

Few animal products
Except for Nicoya, Costa Rica, meat and fish are seldomly eaten. Some of these regions enjoy goat milk and goat cheese, yet most Blue Zone inhabitants swear on vegetable products.

Homegrown food from the garden
Most foods are actually grown in their own gardens or bought from neighbors or at local markets. Local and organic are the name of the game.

Rice, beans & sweet potatoes
The world’s healthiest populations get most of their carbs from sweet potatoes, rice and legumes, like black beans or lentils. They make for a large part of their diet, while fat is reduced to a minimum. Plus, they use mainly vegetable fats, e.g. olive oil in Icaria.

No overeating
Blue Zone inhabitants only eat when hungry and stop as soon as they feel slightly full. It’s as easy as that.

Pleasure
A cup of steaming tea or coffee, a nice glass of red wine? They definitely don’t miss out on that (except for the Seventh Day Adventists who don’t drink any alcohol). However, they enjoy every sip and stick to low amounts.

No dieting
The term “diet” is hardly used in Loma Linda, Okinawa or Sardinia. The fact that Blue Zone populations don’t care about calorie reduction diets prevents them from entering vicious weight loss cycles… and might be one of their secrets to health & longevity.

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