Amanda Dinsmore (00:01):
Hey guys, welcome back to the podcast. I'm Amanda.
Laura Cazier (00:04):
I'm Laura.
Kendra Morrison (00:05):
And I'm Kendra.
Amanda Dinsmore (00:07):
We’re down to the last two episodes of the Blue Zones Book Club podcast. In this one, we’re moving from talking about the five Blue Zone regions into how to create your own Blue Zone. Kendra, tell us more.
Kendra Morrison (00:28):
Yes! We’re wrapping things up, but we still want to remind you that we care about you and want you to feel your best. Just sit back, relax, and take it all in. We’ve tried to create some food for thought, and today we’ll talk about food guidelines. And remember, we’re doctors, but not *your* doctors, so this is all educational, not medical advice.
Quick recap—Blue Zones are regions where people live longer than average, often reaching 100 years while remaining healthy and active. We’re using Dan Buettner’s book *The Blue Zones: Secrets for Living Longer* and the Netflix series as our guide.
Originally, Blue Zones were identified to reverse-engineer longevity. Studies, like the Danish Twin Study from 1996, show that only 20-25% of how long we live is heritable. The rest is lifestyle and environment. Boom!
Now, some of this can be controversial—correlation doesn’t always mean causation. But what we’re really focusing on are the habits and trends seen across these regions. Today, we’re talking about food—my favorite! The goal isn’t to kill the joy of eating, but to crowd out the junk from our diets. Many of us overeat—it’s just too easy!
Kendra Morrison (02:47):
The Standard American Diet, or SAD, leads many of us to overconsume. In Blue Zones, people tend to eat about 20% less than Americans and make better food choices. So here are some recommendations based on their habits: Aim for a diet that’s at least 95% plant-based. Leafy greens, seasonal fruits and veggies, whole grains, and beans are staples in Blue Zone meals, and olive oil is the preferred fat.
Keep fruits and veggies on hand, even frozen if fresh isn’t available. In Blue Zones, they have fresh produce year-round, but here in Southwest Missouri, we definitely don’t. So when it’s harvest season, freeze what you can for later!
Amanda Dinsmore (03:36):
Yes!
Kendra Morrison (03:56):
Switch to whole grains like oats, barley, brown rice, and corn. Blue Zone grains tend to have less gluten than modern wheat. Another tip is to make soups with leftover veggies. And speaking of meat...
Kendra Morrison (05:50):
In Blue Zones, meat is reserved for special occasions. Four of the five Blue Zones eat meat, but sparingly. It’s more of a treat, like “Yay, we’re having steak tonight!” Avoid stocking up on lunch meats, hot dogs, and sausages—these processed meats are high in sodium. If you’re going to eat meat, go for fresh cuts of beef, pork, or fish. And when it comes to fish...
Laura Cazier (06:33):
Blue Zones eat fish, but not a lot. They might have up to three small servings a week, usually of small, inexpensive fish like sardines or anchovies. These fish have lower levels of mercury and contaminants compared to larger predator fish like swordfish or tuna.
Amanda Dinsmore (07:32):
So those cans of tuna are probably better than fresh tuna steaks because they come from smaller fish.
Kendra Morrison (07:49):
Yes! If I could eat tuna three times a week, I’d be set!
Laura Cazier (08:00):
Another thing to watch out for is farmed fish. Try to avoid them—they're often raised in overcrowded pens and may require antibiotics and pesticides. Instead, look for wild-caught fish.
Amanda Dinsmore (08:32):
If we have to add color to make it look like actual meat, that doesn’t seem good.
Laura Cazier (08:40):
Exactly. Another tip: reduce dairy. While Seventh-Day Adventists in Loma Linda consume cow’s milk, most other Blue Zones don’t. Goat and sheep milk are more common, usually fermented into yogurt, sour milk, or cheese. Plus, many of us are lactose intolerant.
Laura Cazier (09:36):
Beans are a staple in Blue Zones. The people there consume nearly four times as many beans as Americans. Try to eat at least one cup of cooked beans a day—keep canned beans on hand, or use an Instant Pot for dry beans if you’re feeling ambitious.
Amanda Dinsmore (11:24):
Another big tip is to slash sugar. Between 1970 and 2000, added sugar in American food rose by 25%. In Blue Zones, people eat sugar intentionally, not as a hidden ingredient. They average seven teaspoons of added sugar a day compared to the 22 teaspoons consumed by the average American.
Laura Cazier (13:47):
Yes! Avoid sugary drinks and processed foods loaded with sugar, like salad dressings, ketchup, and spaghetti sauce. If you cut sugar for a few days, it’s amazing how much easier it gets!
Amanda Dinsmore (15:08):
Next tip: snack on nuts. The Adventist Health Study found that people who eat nuts live two to three years longer than those who don’t. Sardinia and Ikaria residents eat almonds, while people in Nicoya prefer pistachios. Eating a variety of nuts gives you vitamin E, magnesium, selenium, and protein. Just three Brazil nuts a day will give you your daily dose of selenium.
Amanda Dinsmore (17:20):
When it comes to bread, Blue Zones’ bread is different from the white bread most of us eat. Their bread is made with whole grains like wheat, rye, and barley, which provide more nutrients and fiber. Sourdough bread is also popular because it’s made with lactobacilli, a probiotic that helps with digestion. It’s actually lower in gluten than many of our gluten-free options.
Amanda Dinsmore (19:36):
And go “wholly whole”—meaning minimal ingredients, whether raw, cooked, ground, or fermented. People in Blue Zones eat the whole egg, not just the whites. They don’t strip the fat from yogurt or remove the pulp from their juice.
Amanda Dinsmore (20:28):
Lastly, drink mostly water. People in Blue Zones drink coffee, tea, water, and wine, with very few exceptions. No sugary drinks or diet sodas.
Kendra Morrison (21:54):
I could do the coffee, tea, water thing. My ratio is just more like 80% coffee, 10% tea, 10% water. Does that count?
Laura Cazier (22:08):
Warren Buffett drinks Coke and he’s almost 100, so there are always exceptions.
Amanda Dinsmore (22:15):
True, some centenarians say the key to their long life is something like smoking or drinking soda, but that’s not really what’s keeping them healthy. Still, it’d be nice to think so!
Kendra Morrison (23:04):
Yeah, well, we hope you’ve enjoyed our talk on food today! We love hearing new recipes, so send them our way. And if you’re attending ACEP in Las Vegas this September, join us for our networking event at the Libertine Social Lounge in the Mandalay Bay on Monday, September 30th from 5-7 p.m. Click the link in the show notes to reserve your spot—it sold out last year!
We’d also like to thank our gold sponsor, Brault, for supporting this episode. Brault offers services to support emergency medicine practices with everything under one umbrella.
Until next time, you are whole, you are a gift to medicine, and the work you do matters.
