Healthy the Blue Zone way

People in Blue Zones around the globe live long, healthy lives effortlessly— often living past 100 years old in great health. Here, their best tricks

Try a meal mantra

To trim 500 calories from your daily diet, tr y a trick used on the Blue Zone island of Okinawa, Japan, called hara hachi bu (“stomach 80% full”). When you’re satisf ied but not stuffed, put eating on pause. It takes your brain 20 minutes to register you’re full, so stopping at around 80% capacity curbs accidental overeating. Tip: As a reminder, say the mantra just before taking your f irst bite.

Garden

The Blue Zone island of Sardinia, Italy, is known for its rugged terrain peppered with community gardens that help people stay active. To get the same boost in your backyard, tend to your garden. Maintaining a garden involves bending, stretching and walking. And a study on positive aging in SAGE Open Medicine suggests gardening may be one of the best ways to feel healthier.

Upgrade veggies

People in the Blue Zone of Loma Linda, California, follow a healthy, mostly plant-based diet that makes veggies the star. But if you f ind that veggies seem boring, turn them into a canvas for other f lavors by making them the base that soaks up seasonings, spices and sauces. University of Illinois researchers say people who seldom ate vegetables found them far more appealing when they were seasoned.

Give a thumbs-up

The strong sense of community and social ties in Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula play a key role in helping people there stay mentally sharp. To feel more connected, make emotional gestures as you chat with someone at the store or a neighbor in the street. Giving a thumbs-up or punctuating words using your hands heightens feelings of connection, Italian research reveals.