Diets are an essential part of our lifestyle. We pay attention to what we eat for various reasons. A lot of what we choose as our staple diet is rooted in our family histories; This is largely affected by cultural aspects too. When reaching to a level of awareness about our bodies and how it is affected by what we feed it. We may also change some of our eating habits and types of food. while keeping and promoting some of our existing food selection. This awareness towards our diet may be based on our appearance and weight loss purposes. It may also be a piece of advice from physicians for a certain health issue. Or we have just started to care for our bodies, to appreciate life in richer and happier ways. To keep your body healthy, it requires constant practice. This may mean drastic lifestyle changes for some of us. Whichever way, diets are meant to help you achieve a healthier body. One of the most popular diets for the holistically inclined people is a diet known as the Blue Zone Diet.
What Is Blue Zone Diet?
This diet is common among a few populations in the world. Interestingly, they are distant, but their regime approaches are similar. These regions are in the three continents of Asia, Europe, and America. These areas include Okinawan in Japan, Nicoya in Costa Rica, Sardinia in Italy, Ikaria in Greece and Loma Linda in California. These populations have almost the same philosophy concerning food and traditional ways of living. Their diets are 95% plant-based (vegan bonus) and they stop to eat when they are almost full; that is to say, before they are completely stuffed. They add bulk in their food by choosing nutrition dense and low-calorie edibles. This is usually found in the form of fruits, nuts, and vegetables.
They eat 125 grams of beans almost every day. It is common to find dishes among them that have beans as the main ingredient. They sustain this diet not solely in means of keeping a healthy weight; It is a traditional wellbeing concept that has passed down and survived through many years. These people usually high levels of activity in their lifestyle a well. There is a shared belief among them to eat their largest portion of food in the morning and smallest at night. Although like any other system, they can have some pros and cons.
Pros of Blue Zone Diet
People who follow Blue Zone diet will get several health and life related benefits as discussed below.
The studies have shown that their average life expectancy is higher. Their diets have helped them to live longer.
Their eating habits and promoting a healthy weight are general. They have an ample amount of fiber intake as well that helps to detox the intestine. It may be overlooked but intestine is the place that lots of toxins accumulate and reabsorb through the blood. This helps to have the powerhouse of the body in optimum condition; the liver.
Studies have shown that continuous detoxing can help the person live longer while having better immunity toward disease. This is the reason large amounts of plant-based food can benefit an individual.
The fact that the hold large bulks, more nutrition and less density make them easy to digest but rewarding for the digestive system.
Holistic Approach
The blue zone diet is not only a matter of eating food. However, food plays an important part in it. The food they choose to eat comes with their eating habits that have passed down many generations from the ancestry. For example, they are known to have their breakfast as their largest meal and dinner the smallest. They are not to consume food at midnight or late hour in general. They also have instructions for other living habits, too. These habits are known as the holistic way of living that sees the human body as a whole and connected with cycles of nature. They are well aware that not only does food affect them but also any other actions and their surrounding element in their living environment. They have tried to set rules following these elements to have a healthier hand fuller life.
It is meant for every one
This diet is indeed practiced in specific parts of the world, but they could work for just about anyone. If the details are followed closely and carefully. An individual can stop the previous wrong living habits. By choosing healthier food options, they can flush out toxins from their bodies at first. It is the most difficult step. Because calorie-dense food seems to create a sort of addiction that causes food craving. This causes withdrawal in the person towards the old diet. After passing the withdrawal stage, the individual thrives to live better. They exercise more than this diet promotes exercise and bodily activity. They will be drawn to purchase healthier food options as well. This is the internal response of the body to better living. As a natural organism, the body knows the best for itself. Although once is addicted to the wrong type of food and non-food substances, it is thrown out of its natural balance.
Cons of Blue Zones Diet
It is not a fast weight loss solution.
If an individual is only looking for types of diet that their main objective is to lose weight and not the overall health, the blue zone diet may not be the way to go. This diet is not focused on reckless weight loss, it is rather focused on the health aspect; In the long run, it does regulate weight as well.
The best diet that works for different bodies is also diverse. It is always good to receive the wisdom that has stayed behind from our ancestry. The blue zone diet is one of the healthiest diets still available to us to approach life with a healthier body.