There will be a lot to learn and a lot to do to get back to a healthier normal. For the first time ever, the world's most prominent researchers shared their knowledge and most recent research on the topic of Blue Zones. Your email address will not be published. The template laid out in the Blue Zones Project: natural foods, daily movement, community, and sense of purpose, can help anyone develop stronger immune systems, so they can live healthier and longer lives. Alternatively, Blue. We know that the diet here is different than that of the rest of the country, and that the character of the people here is unique in the world. Specifically, the rural landscapes of the Nicoya Peninsula, where people have some of the longest lifespans in the world. San Jose, Costa Rica 10104. Conzcanos. La Senda has a 2.5-acre labyrinth with a two-mile-long path (said to be the biggest in the world) as well as horseback riding. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. In other words, people in these zones to live longer than any other areas in the world. These areas are: Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Loma Linda, California; Nicoya, Costa Rica; and Ikaria, Greece. It helps them remain positive. Nicoya, Costa Rica. Nicoya is located on the Guanacaste peninsula in Costa Rica, and is considered one of the 7 blue zones found worldwide. Nicoya is famous for being a marvelous playground for surfers all over the world. The Ikarians and the Ikaria is another one of the Blue Zones, and the Costa Ricans, Nicoya, they're taking a nap. Now, visiting Nicoya doesnt mean youll automatically live to 100, but a trip there is likely to put you on the path to pure life thanks to its natural environment and abundance of healthy activities. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a host of problems, such as osteoporosis and heart disease, but regular, smart sun exposure (about 15 minutes on the legs and arms) can help supplement your diet and make sure youre getting enough of this vital nutrient. Costa Rica Experts 2023. I have been exploring the data reported by National Geographic and Dan Buettner in the Blue Zones Solution: . Nicoyan centenarians frequently visit with neighbors, and they tend to live with families and children or grandchildren who provide support, as well as a sense of purpose. Youll stay in one of 21 suites, bungalows, and villas; lounge in poolside hammocks; walk on the beach; swim; and enjoy seafood purchased from local fishers and bread by the local baker in the open-air Manzu Restaurant thats right on Playa Santa Teresa. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Nicoya, also known as the Nicoya Peninsula has not been only recognized as one of the 5 places in the planet with surprisingly high rate of longevity but also as the highest concentration of centenarians in the world. Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica: Researchers found that the probability of becoming a centenarian for a 60-year-old man residing in Nicoya is 4.8%, which was even more than double that of Okinawa, the second highest in the comparison, and it was almost seven times that of Sardinia and Japan (6). Thomas Ramsauer / Shutterstock. The climate in the Blue Zone is very mild, which may help to protect against diseases. obesity, or heart disease. They begin each meal with a prayer. Having a Blue Zone helps strengthen the country's constant striving for quality of life, both for Costa Ricans and for tourists. It's also one of the happiest places in Central America: Costa Ricans report a high level of life satisfaction and the country has the highest literacy rate in Latin America. Adapting our lifestyles wherever we live to healthier practices such as intermittent fasting, walkability, exploring plant-based gastronomy, and low glycemic index food intake sound like your everyday doctors recipe for a healthy life, says Cedeno-Molinari. Nicoya, Costa Rica A Latin American Blue Zone. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The heart is a muscle, and all muscle contractions depend on calcium. Most people in this area never move. One Nicoyan, a centenarian, said he knew death would eventually come for him but it is the love for his children that motivates him to keep going every day. First . The five known Blue Zones identified in Buettner's book include:. Win-win! Almost 40 percent of the residents of the Nicoya Peninsula (about 5,000 of the population of 132,000) are over the age of 75, more than 900 are over the age of 90, and many are over 100. In the southern part of the peninsula, Santa Teresa is a popular surf area that sprawls for miles along the coast. You can replicate some of the long-life characteristics of the Nicoya Peninsula on a trip to Costa Ricas Blue Zone and then turn them into healthy habits when you return home. Several of Nicoyas beaches like those in the Ostional National Wildlife Reserve are nesting grounds for Kemps Ridley, green, and leatherback turtles. After living there for four years I have my own theories as to what makes people so happy, and in turn have a longer life span. I cant blame you. Access to natural foods and organic fruits and vegetables (stables of the Nicoyans) is difficult to come by. Join 19k+ in receiving Expert travel advice, news & promotions! These regions are considered Blue Zones. While we may not increase the average life expectancy throughout the world we can use Nicoya as a template for healthier living. The daily breakfast consists of gallo pinto (rice and beans) with a basket of homemade corn tortillas and hot coffee. Barra Honda is on the peninsulas northeast about a half hours drive from the town of Nicoya. There are two trails for visitors and a pristine white sand beach. WED LOVE IF YOUD ADD IT ON PINTEREST! This information has been translated into lessons that can be implemented into your everyday life. This information is complemented by studies carried out by Costa Rican demographer Dr. Luis Rosero Bixby, which show that the mortality of inhabitants of the Nicoya Peninsula aged 90 is 10% lower than for Costa Ricans of the same age elsewhere in the country. Dan Buettner is really the man behind Blue Zones, so I suggest you start your interest with him. Learn more about typical diet with our Guide to Costa Rican Food. Within Nosaras lush forest and a three-minute walk to Guiones Beach, this small hotel has a daily yoga class plus private yoga instruction, surf lessons, a large pool, hammocks, and a juice and coffee bar. They feel needed and want to contribute to a greater good. We are always happy to help you out! Genetics and Costa Ricas natural environment certainly play a large part, but lifestyle is a major factor in why Blue Zone residents live so long. Feel free to leave them in the comment section below. Of course, there is still a desire for success (especially in the cities) but in general, the priorities are shifted. However, altering your diet, increasing the amount of exercise you get in a given day, and embracing relationships with family and friends are good places to start. Certain common characteristics were also established in order to determine whether additional Blue Zones could be added in the near future. . On the peninsulas southeast coast is Tambor, with Nicoyas most southerly airport. The Nicoyan way of life can enlighten people to make choices that will help to increase their life expectancy. It is not unusual for several generations to gather on a regular basis for lively gatherings. It was a spontaneous decision to move here, but it was the best decision! When on vacation in Costa Rica, its also easy to pick up Blue Zone habits like getting regular outdoor exercise and a good nights sleep (though be sure to go to bed early if you want to do your sun salutations at actual sunrise). There are five areas of the world that meet the qualifications of Blue Zone as defined by Buettner. According to Buettner's studies, the Nicoya Peninsula has the world's lowest rates of middle-age mortality and the second highest convergence of male centenarians. He has written numerous books on the topic, but I suggest starting with: Blue Zones of Happiness and The Blue Zones Kitchen (a cookbook). The baby turtles hatch 45 to 54 days later and, if theyre lucky, might live another 50 to 80 years. The Nicoya Peninsula has several on offer, including near Tamarindo, outside the Cabo Blanco Reserve near Playa Mal Pais, and above the Montezuma waterfall. Everywhere you go in Costa Rica, youll hear pura vida! and soon feel the freedom to adopt the pura vida lifestyle yourself. They are eye-opening and heart-tugging. All of our step by step Costa Rica planning tips in one spot. They find joy in everyday physical chores. Every day, most people eat a breakfast of black beans and rice (called gallo pinto), eggs, fresh corn tortillas (with batter soaked in lime juice), with a cup of coffee. Contents1 Is Costa Rica considered [] Nicoyan centenarians have been the focus of many articles. Also, calcium is important for bones. In one of Buettner's most recent visits to Costa Rica, he defined Blue Zones as "a kind of lifestyle and environment that creates longevity. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. It is believed that one factor which may contribute to the high number of Nicoyan centenarians is the high calcium content in the water. There are other blue zones in California, Italy, Greece, and Japan. Were Thomas (the German) and Sarah (the US-er). Some of the roads in Nicoyas interior and south arent paved, so the deeper you go into the peninsula the more you may prefer to fly (for example, its a 20-minute flight from San Jos to the tiny Tambor airport in the south). In mid-November 2017, the first World Meeting of Blue Zones was held. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. The Caribbean nation is economically secure and has excellent health care. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Getting up in the air on tree canopy tours via ziplines and rope bridges is popular throughout Costa Rica. By Ty and Charlene Bollinger. Blue Zone is a term created by author Dan Buettner, building off of research by demographers Michel Poulain, Ph.D., and Giovanni Pes, Ph.D. Though Costa Rica has just 0.03 percent of the planets surface, it has almost six percent of the worlds biodiversity and you might see (or hear!) In a few, unique communities around the globe, people live long and heathy lives, up to and past 100. You can design your own holistic retreat too, choosing from a Kirtan sound bath, detox program, cacao ceremony, blue clay treatment, drum circles, and more. But we must also consider the impact of our individual health and lifestyle choices on future generations. One of the world's Blue Zones is in Nicoya, Costa Rica. Near the fishing village of Tambor (reached by a 20-minute flight from San Jos or a drive down from the Paquera ferry) is Costa Ricas first all-inclusive. This has paid off, with Costa Rica frequently scoring high in world happiness and environmental rankings. Nicoya, Costa Rica: A Puzzling Blue Zone Diet Light on Vegetables and High in Carbohydrate and Sugar. Nicoyans eat a light dinner early in the evening. Some sea turtles have even lived to age 150. Actually, it is home. The Caribbean nation is economically secure and has excellent health care. It's a question that inhabitants of Guanacaste are happy to be asking themselves, since it's a true pride for the province's population to be home to one of the five such zones that exist worldwide. But other factors are at play, especially in Nicoya, an 80-mile peninsula just south of the Nicaraguan border. If youre eating a standard American diet, its probably shaving about six to 10 years off of your life expectancy, Buettner says. Would you like to visit the Nicoya Peninsula? Eating fewer calories appears to be one of the surest ways to add years to your life. A three-course farm-to-table dinner with a tour of the organic garden is available Mondays and Thursdays. It remains to be seen if the COVID pandemic will affect that average. Centenarians seem to have enjoyed physical work of all their lives. This calcium leads to stronger bones and the ability to stay physically active at a later age. Here you will find some of the most beautiful beaches and hotels in Costa Rica, along with lush tropical forests perfect for hiking or horseback riding. Dan discovered five places where residents have low rates of chronic disease and live longer than anywhere else. These include Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Loma Linda, California; Ikaria, Greece, and you guessed it; Nicoya, Costa Rica. The reason why they are called "blue zones" is a curious story The volcanic beach has calm swimming in Bahia Ballena (despite the name, whales are no longer frequent visitors), and theres birdwatching and hiking along the Rio Panica. According to researchers, most inhabitants live to at least the age of 90. There are many factors that go into the long life of Nicoyans, and some of them will be impossible for you to replicate (unless you plan to move to an area of the world where the sun is always shining, the nature is amazing, and then you also need to bring all of your family with you). However, both towns have a more touristy vibe to them. Cities throughout the world can use this template to encourage people to live healthier lives. Nicoyas interior where most of the centenarians and almost-centenarians live and northeastern coast are less visited by tourists but still have much to offer. They first noticed that people in several villages on the Italian island of Sardinia were living well into their 90s and 100s and that they had few significant mental or physical health problems. Arising from this need, one of the results of the meeting was the establishment of an International Network on Healthy Aging, which will be led from Costa Rica in order to "build knowledge collaboratively", said Montero. Loma Linda, California. Inadequate calcium means weak muscles -- including the heart. Throughout Costa Rica, youll find vegetarian gallo pinto (rice and beans) served at breakfast, lunch, and dinner the name means spotted rooster because the black beans dot the rice. Costa Rica holds one of the original 5 blue zones of the world and you will find yourself in one of them if you decide on living in the Nicoya Peninsula. Spirituality and religious involvement/ beliefs. There are five regions around the world called the Blue Zones: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece, and Loma Linda, California. People who have diabetes, heart conditions, or are overweight tend to have a more difficult time if they are infected by COVID-19. "Looking beyond Costa Ricas Blue Zone in Nicoya, elements that make our population stand out and that describe our focus on well-being can be found in every corner of our territory. These geographical areas are considered special, because most people live at least 90 and often over 100 years of age. Stir in two chopped plum tomatoes, half of a finely chopped onion and one . "Year after year, our surveys indicate that its the Costa Ricans themselves that set our destination apart, and it's certainly always a marvelous experience to spend time with the older generation. mobile app. Who knows, maybe it will change your life! Eco-tourism is a natural must in this out-of-this-world scenario, where everything that happens is in a quiet, lovely pace. The Nicoya Peninsula is on Costa Ricas north Pacific coast. It's a question that inhabitants of Guanacaste are happy to be asking themselves, since it's a true pride for the province's population to be home to one of the five such zones that exist worldwide. The Today Show's Cynthia McFadden accompanied Blue Zones founder Dan Buettner to Costa Rica and Singapore to learn why they these two different places have such happy residents. Full of natural beauty, endless sunlight, white beaches and radiant ocean, Nicoya reigns as one of the most popular destinations in Costa Rica. The town of Nicoya is considered the oldest in Costa Rica, it is popularly known as "the colonial city". Tamarindo is the most popular destination for international visitors with its golden beaches, many with consistent and gentle surfing waves, and nearby national parks and wildlife refuges. The traditional diet in the area is also notable. The gateway to the Nicoya Peninsula is the beach town of Tamarindo on the west coast, which is very popular with international travelers. As indicated by the World Health Organization, "active or positive aging is the process of optimizing opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age". Montezuma: Best Hotels in Costa Rica. Due to the Nicoya Peninsula's location in Central America, the area has an abundance of warm days with tons of sunlight. What they generally don't know, however, is that a part of Costa Rica tourists rarely visit (the rural Nicoya Peninsula towns of Nicoya, Santa Cruz and environs) contains the largest. These include Nicoya, Costa Rica; Loma Linda, California; Ikaria, Greece . Warm, Sunny Climate. None of these staples are processed, and because all of these foods are locally grown they are not faced with genetically modified or pesticide laden produce. Nicoya. This is why the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT, Instituto Costarricense de Turismo) launched the Wellness Pura Vida country strategy, which seeks to position Costa Rica as a wellness destination with a difference, which offers unique, transforming experiences. Old people often have too little calcium in their bodies. It is home to some of the most active, hard-working, and friendliest people on earth. It requires descending 17 yards down a ladder to see cave formations that resemble fried eggs, popcorn, roses, and shark teeth. Lunch is the main meal in Costa Rica (its better for your digestion to eat a bigger breakfast and lunch and a lighter dinner). Nosara also has three beaches remote black sand Playa Nosara, Playa Guiones with some of Costa Ricas best surfing, and Playa Pelada for tide pools, blow holes, snorkeling, and swimming. Nantipa means blue in the language of the Chorotega people, some of the first known people to live in the Nicoya region. By TCRN STAFF October 5, 2022 528 0 We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Go to a soda, thats the name of a small, local caf, and look for casado this popular dish is rice and beans served with vegetables and either fish or meat. These characteristics are: Despite this, it is believed that 30% of a long healthy life comes from genes and 70% is based on lifestyle. All of the international experts agreed that the factors that make healthy longevity possible must be communicated worldwide, in order to reflect on the implications of Blue Zones, unique geographical areas with a high concentration of inhabitants who live to ninety or one hundred years of age, whose aging process is positive, and most importantly, deliberate and active. [Try this 5-Minute Tasty Squash and Beans for a taste of Costa Rican homecooking.]. Nicoyans regularly take in the sunshine, which helps their bodies produce vitamin D for strong bones and healthy body function. Your best bet might be finding a VRBO instead of a hotel. This treasure includes the atmosphere around you." The distinguished list included pioneering researchers on this subject: Michel Poulain of Belgium, Dr. Gianni Mario Pes and Paolo Francalacci from Sardinia, Italy, Christina Chrysochoou from Icaria, Greece, Makoto Suzuki from Okinawa, Japan, Gina Siapco from Loma Linda, USA, and Diego Bernardini from Argentina. I will be visiting Costa Rica next week to meet with Jorge who founded a local organization that helps the small Blue Zone villages. Rhuigi Villaseor Kept His Foot On The Gas. Drain and pat the onions dry with paper towel. Your email address will not be published. For one, Costa Rica is a small country and most people never move away from the area they were born in. The 9 Secrets Boosting a Long Life in Nicoya, Costa Rica: They have a strong sense of purpose No matter how old they are, Nicoyans have a strong sense of purpose, a reason to live longer. This Blue Zone is in the mountains of the Nicoyan Peninsula in western Costa Rica. They feel needed, and their daily lives revolve around their family and community. The occasion was also used to release the most recent study on longevity by the Institute of Social Studies in Population (Instituto de Estudios Sociales en Poblacin, IDESPO) at the National University of Costa Rica. If you want to really embrace the Nicoya Peninsula blue zone vibe, head to any small village in the area. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. We're going to focus on the last one, mostly because it hits close to home. Nicoya, Costa Rica - And then there's Nicoya, where Ricardo and his family live, a notable exception to the rule that people in developing countries have shorter life spans than those in developed ones. That means family ties are the backbone for most peoples existence. The beautiful view of the beaches may also have a hand in this. The Nicoya Peninsula, in Costa Rica, is one of them, . Even the cancer rates on the Nicoya Peninsula are lower than those elsewhere in the world! Dinner is typically a light meal, consumed early in the evening which allows plenty of time for digestion before bed. BOOK YOUR COSTA RICA RENTAL CAR AND SAVE 10%. Wildlife is abundant. LIKED THIS? Sardinia, Italy. I feel lucky to have found this information, though the credit doesn't belong to me, but rather to the older residents. But other factors are at play, especially in Nicoya, an 80-mile peninsula just south of the Nicaraguan border. My Nicoya Peninsula Blue Zone Retreat. That's why this part of Costa Rica is designated a Blue Zone, the term used for just five areas of the world where people live extraordinarily long and vibrant lives. A hike from the town of Montezuma will bring you past several cooling-off pools on your way to the three cascades of this waterfall, perhaps the most visited one on the peninsula. The Nicoya Peninsula has five cantons where middle-age morality is lowest and centenarians are the most abundant. Costa Ricans called Ticos say pura vida instead of hello, how are you, fine, thanks, and see you later and youll quickly find yourself saying it too. Staples of the traditional Nicoya diet include homemade corn tortillas, black beans, white rice, a variety of squash, yams, papaya, bananas, and pejibayes. There are four similar places on earth: Costa Ricas Nicoya Peninsula, Okinawa in Japan, the Greek island of Ikaria, as well as Loma Linda in California (though that one might just be due to its large population of Seventh-day Adventists and their healthy lifestyle). It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. A stay at Nantipa will help you have a true Blue Zone adventure, especially if you book its transcendental wellness experience. I had visited the famous Costa Rica "must-see" spots - Arenal, Manuel Antonio, the cloud forest, the Osa Peninsula - some of them a few times. For those who might need some meal ideas, Dan Buettner, wrote the Blue Zones Kitchen cookbook. Nantipas special wellness booking includes yoga, meditation, Ayurvedic and sound therapies, and sessions with wellness coaches and personal trainers. A nine-hole golf course is a mile away. Guest Writer for Wake Up World. Nicoya is a small, rural beach community located on the Guanacaste peninsula on the northwest coast of Costa Rica. The five blue zones are: Loma Linda, California; Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Ikaria, Greece; and the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica. They typically do not consume a lot of meat. The Blue Zone of the Nicoya Peninsula stands out for the beauty of its landscapes, its tourist attractions, and its conservation areas, but above all, for the stories told by the long-lived inhabitants of the region, who have exceeded the life expectancy in Costa Rica and continue to be lucid and active, and who enjoy long, healthy lives. Get your fill of fresh fruits like pineapple, mango, papaya, banana, and passionfruit and vegetables and legumes like squash, cassava, plantain, yam, and beans. The forest here is more tropical than further north and is home to deer, pacas, monkeys, armadillos, laughing gulls, pelicans, frigates, and brown boobies. Throughout the world, the average life expectancy is 71 years of age (70 for males and 72 for females). Despite that, the area has many of the same ideals that the rest of Costa Ricans have. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. For most of their lives, Nicoyan centenarians ate a traditional Mesoamerican diet highlighted with the three sisters of agriculture: squash, corn, and beans. Technology permeates everyday life and Nicoya is the perfect place to go for a digital detox. Still planning? Check out all of our favorite travel companies. O que so Zonas Azuis? They have been able to exceed their life expectancy and serve as an example for the entire world. Nicoya, Costa Rica. It is not unusual for many generations to live on one property or in very close proximity to each other. Many of us in Western countries know we need to eat less junk and add more natural food to our diets. Costa Rica is home to one of the five original blue zones regions, the Nicoya peninsula, with a high number of centenarians in excellent health. ", For Belgian researcher Michel Poulain, one of the most important message of the World Meeting of Blue Zones is to tell the world that "Costa Rica has a treasure of longevity in the Nicoya Peninsula, that comes from the past generations, which has been built year by year. All Rights Reserved. We have obtained information from Nicoya, Costa Rica on ways to live longer and be happier. Ministry of Health data indicate that life expectancy is nearly 80 years, which is the highest in Central America, according to the World Bank. We can no longer afford to allow the COVID pandemic to cause us to live in or out of a place of fear. For just over 15 years he has been monitoring and accompanying the long-lived people that . Because of this, they enjoy extremely low rates of heart disease. The centenarians of the Nicoya Peninsula have also captured the interest of the Institute of Social Studies in Population (Instituto de Estudios Sociales en Poblacin, IDESPO) of the National University (Universidad Nacional) of Costa Rica, which is carrying out a study on the subject this year. They know how to listen, laugh, and appreciate what they have. He then had the idea to research areas in the world with the longest lifespan. While a Blue Zone indicates a hotspot of healthy longevity, it also presents a challenge of how to extend these benefits throughout the population outside of these redoubts. First and foremost, the competition to get ahead isnt the same here as it is in some other western countries. There are common factors that exist in these populations, such as good physical and mental health, a healthy traditional diet, respect for the family, deep faith, constant mobility, and a purpose in life. In the south between the Paquera ferry and the village of Tambor, youll have an excellent chance of seeing wildlife within the privately-owned Cur Wildlife Reserve. Lane reported isolation, alienation, and high rates of depression in Chicagos poorest neighborhoods as some of the reasons behind the high rates of COVID cases.
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