Blue Zone Starter Pack
Habits that extend brain health & longevity
Hello, everyone. I am writing to you from Costa Rica in the midst of the first Brain Health Retreat of 2025. In between hiking to waterfalls, doing restorative yoga, and feasting on incredible plant-based food, we have been immersed in brain health discussions. A special guest of this year’s retreat is neuroscientist of Better Brain. Our first topic was all about Blue Zones.
Today I want to share some thoughts on why people living in Blue Zones tend to age with healthier brains. Hint: there’s more to it than what they eat.
What is a Blue Zone?
A Blue Zone is a geographic region where people are more likely to live to the age of 100. These blue zones may differ in many ways, but there’s a common thread to their lifestyle. From a brain health POV, it’s especially interesting to note that dementia is rare in these regions. Alzheimer’s, specifically? Almost unheard of.
There are six official Blue Zones in the world:
Sardinia, a cluster of a dozen villages in the mountains of this island off the west coast of Italy
Okinawa, an island off the southern coast of Japan
Loma Linda, California, a community of Seventh Day Adventists living near Los Angeles
Ikaria, a Greek island in the Aegean Sea
Singapore, the newest Blue Zone, is an island country in SouthEast Asia that has increased its life expectancy by 35 years since 1965
Nicoya, a peninsula on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica
Fun fact: Julie and I are just a few miles from Nicoya right now. We are here all this week for the Brain Health Retreat in Costa Rica!
There are probably dozens more “unofficial” Blue Zones across the globe. For example, the mountainous region in central Sicily where my grandparents were born is famous for the longevity of their residents. Another fun fact: my grandparents and Julie’s hail from towns in Sicily just 30 miles apart!
What Do People Living in Blue Zones Eat and Drink?
Given their excellent lifespans and brain health, it makes sense that we would want to imitate the dietary habits of these communities. Even though people living in Blue Zones come from diverse cultures and places, there is a common dietary thread.
Mostly plant-based: 90 to 100% of their diet comes from plants; they consume very few animal products
Whole grains: several servings a day of unrefined, whole, and often fermented grains (as in sourdough bread)
Beans and legumes: they consume one serving (½ to 1 cup, cooked) of lentils, pulses, soy foods (like tofu and edamame), beans and other legumes each day
Nuts: a handful of nuts (about ¼ cup) a day is a common snack or ingredient in meals
Fish and Seafood: when Blue Zone residents do consume animal products, it is usually fish, up to 3 servings a week
Coffee, tea, water, and sometimes wine: Blue Zones residents drink mostly water, but also enjoy coffee and tea (without added sweeteners or fats). Those in Loma Linda do not drink alcohol; wine is enjoyed in small amounts (under 5 ounces per day) with meals in the other Blue Zones.
Which Foods Do They Eat Less Of?
Ultra-processed foods: they don’t eat packaged pastries and sweets, crackers, processed meat and cheese, or fast foods
Dairy products: they enjoy small portions of high-quality dairy products, typically yogurt and fermented cheese
Sugar-sweetened foods: they favor natural sweeteners like honey and piloncillo over added sugar, keeping intake under seven teaspoons a day
Meat: less than two ounces of red meat up to five times a month
Eggs: less than 3 eggs a week (we’ll be talking about eggs in an upcoming post!)
“Power 9” Habits
These nine specific lifestyle “Power 9” habits have been identified by the Blue Zones organization, founded by author Dan Buettner:
Move naturally throughout the day
Have a sense of purpose
Reduce stress with a daily habit of downshifting, in other words, meditation or a calming physical practice like walking
Eat only until 80% full, what Okinawans call “hara hachi bu”
Eat a mostly plant-based diet
Focus on family first
Find your tribe, a small groups of friends that support one another
Live in a community where you feel like you belong
Drink lightly, if at all, and always in the company of others
My Personal Take on the Blue Zone of Sardinia
I have spent the most time in Sardinia’s blue zone in recent years. I am fascinated by the Sardinian paradox: there are more 100-year old men than any other place on earth here, yet they eat more cheese and bread than is recommended in a brain-healthy diet. I have thought a lot about why they might remain so healthy despite eating more saturated fat and refined grains:
Family ties are strong. My Sardinian friend Telemarca, for example, lives in a town where his family goes back 500 years.
Elders are truly revered. When someone reaches 100 years old, their family is honored with a mural depicting the centenarian’s life painted on their home.
There is a strong sense of pride in their food roots. Everyone, no matter their age, participates in the food culture by growing or cooking local foods.
Sardinia is a mountainous place. People are fit from walking daily up and down steep paths, even if to and from the bar (see below).
But, the most striking thing I’ve brought home from my time in Sardinia—how much time is spent socializing. Sardinians spend 5 hours a day on average with friends. On any given day at 5:00, locals pack the local bar to talk, tell stories, play cards, and laugh. There is so much laughter.
Your Brain In A Blue Zone (Starter Pack)
Seek out the people who support you and make you laugh. Spend more time with them.
Ditch ultra-processed foods. We now know this is a science-backed strategy to reduce dementia risk.
Dive into home cooking; start by making a good pot of beans (there’s a how to guide in my book).
Get your steps in. Up to 9,800 steps per day has been linked to a 50% reduction in dementia risk. Even 3,800 steps per day correlated with a 25% reduced risk. Don’t shy away from steep slopes.
Craft your personal mission statement and revisit it often. What makes you jump out of bed in the morning? Do you have an overriding sense of purpose? Find it, cultivate it, and share.
Whatever your personal blue zone looks like, be sure to reach out if you need guidance. I invite you to join me for a Blue Zone trip to Costa Rica or Italy in 2025. Find details here and below.
I’ll be back soon to continue our discussion of online strategies for dementia prevention. Until then, I hope everyone is safe and well.
Love,
Annie
Brain Health Retreats Update:
Brain Health, Food, and Fun Retreat in Puglia Italy, April 27 to May 3, 2025: This retreat is fully booked but I could *maybe* squeeze in one additional person. Contact info@viarosaitaly.com to inquire or join the waitlist.
Sardinia’s Secrets for a Long and Healthy Life, May 18 to 25, 2025: We just had 3 spots open up due to cancellations. To inquire, call 877-298-9677. I’ll be opening registration for an additional Sardinia retreat in October of 2025. Be sure you are signed up as a paying subscriber to get first dibs on spots.
Brain Health + Fitness in Costa Rica, February 5 to 10, 2026. This retreat will launch outside of Substack soon. Grab a spot now by emailing Stacy: info@fisherfitness.com.
I've been to Costa Rica and dying to visit the other Blue Zones, Sardinia is at the very top of my list. My family is Sicilian, too, by the way :)