Blue Zone Diet

Blue Zone Diet

The Blue Zone diet, founded by Dan Buettner, is a popular eating pattern inspired by the dietary habits of people living in five regions of the world known for their long and healthy lives. The Blue Zones are Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia (Italy), Nicoya (Costa Rica), Icaria (Greece), and Loma Linda (California).  Even though the people in the blue zones eat a small amount of meat, the Blue Zone diet is a 95-100 percent plant-based diet that emphasizes whole, nutrient-dense foods and limits protein, processed and refined foods.  Beans, specifically lentils, fava, black, and soy are the foundation of the diet.   Meat, mostly pork, is eaten 5 times per month with a serving size of 3-4 oz.   Eggs are limited to 3 a week.  Fish is allowed up to 3 oz. per serving, 3 times a week.  There is an emphasis on lifestyle style changes and emotional well-being and importance of community.   Lifestyle changes include more natural movement throughout the day without setting aside specific exercise times.  

Cost

The cost of the Blue Zone diet can vary depending on individual food choices and dietary restrictions.  The cost will most likely be lower than the average weight loss program since it does not require any special products or supplements and cutting out meat will significantly lessen your grocery bill.  If you prefer having coaching services or using online courses,, that would add to the cost.  

Time commitment

The Blue Zone diet may require additional time for meal planning and preparation, as well as for learning and implementing the principles of the plan.   However, the time commitment may vary depending on individual preferences and goals.

Degree of lifestyle modification

The Blue Zone diet requires a high degree of lifestyle modification in food choices and if you follow the Blue Zone Challenge you may need to change many daily habits such as sleeping and meditating.   The diet recommends meditation for 15 minutes a day and sleep for 7-8 hours per night, limiting screen time to less than 1 hour outside of work or school, connecting with a friend every day for at least 10 minutes by video chat or 1-2x a week in-person.  For the nutritional portion, individuals must learn to emphasize whole, nutrient-dense foods and limit processed and refined foods. 

Special products needed    

The Blue Zone diet does not require any special products or supplements. The plan emphasizes the consumption of whole foods, and encourages the use of natural sweeteners such as honey and maple syrup.  But if your pantry is full of processed food, you will need to buy many new food items.  There is a focus on nuts for snacks so if you are intolerant to nuts, following this diet would be a challenge.  

Family-friendliness

The Blue Zone diet may be family-friendly, as it can be adapted to meet the needs of different family members.  The plan encourages the consumption of whole foods, which can benefit individuals of all ages.  However, this diet encourages 95-100 percent plant-based meals which is most likely not appropriate for children and adolescents.  So most likely you will be cooking an additional dish at each meal if you have children in the home.

Health considerations 

The Blue Zone diet may be beneficial for individuals seeking to improve their overall health, as it emphasizes the consumption of whole, nutrient-dense foods and limits processed and refined foods, while encouraging frequent movement.  The downfall of this diet is that it is lower in protein and higher in carbohydrates.  This way of eating may not be appropriate for people that have trouble managing their blood glucose.  The low protein requirement makes it difficult to feel full and to build muscle.  

Sustainability of weight loss after stopping the diet  

The good thing about this diet is that it is not low carbohydrate and it teaches you to focus on real food (vegetables, fruits, nuts & whole grains) and incorporating regular movement throughout the day.  It is not as unsustainable as other diets or programs might be.   The likelihood of weight gain would be high if reverting back to a high caloric and minimal activity lifestyle.  

Support provided

The Blue Zone diet provides a variety of resources to support individuals following the plan, including books, websites, and online communities.  Additionally, the plan offers coaching services and online courses for individuals seeking additional support. The Blue Zone Challenge is a book that also includes a workbook that guides you through a four week challenge. As long as you put in the work, this diet offers a lot of support.

Hormone friendliness

The Blue Zone diet may be beneficial for individuals seeking to balance their hormones, as it emphasizes the consumption of whole, nutrient-dense foods and limits processed and refined foods.  The only downfall with this diet is that it limits animal protein which for most people, especially women, is important for managing glucose and hormone regulation.

In conclusion, if you currently eat a standard American diet (SAD) full of processed foods, then the Blue Zone Diet may be a good stepping stone for you on your journey to health. However, if you already eat a good diet full of whole foods then you most likely will not see many health benefits from this diet, especially with the no (or low) meat rule.

Source: The Blue Zones Challenge by Dan Buettner