In my efforts to help people grow their integrative health, nutrition is one of my six areas of focus. At times, this is the area about which I which I am the most excited because this is where so many of us can afford to make real and tangible changes - lots of bang for your buck so to speak! In other ways, it can be the most confusing topic for me to advise on because there is so much seemingly contradicting evidence out there. Should I be Vegetarian or Paleo? How is Keto different from Atkins? Should I be intermittent fasting or eating more and smaller meals throughout the day? The list goes on and on and I can find you scientific evidence to support any of these as well as other philosophies on diet and nutrition.
This is why I turn to my favorite body of research on nutrition because it makes the most sense to me and keeps things simple for once! Dan Buettner, an author at National Geographic, identified and studied the places on the planet where people live both the longest (highest numbers of centenarians) and the healthiest (fit, active, and living their purpose until the day they die.) He identified five initial locations and dubbed them the Blue Zones, then observed their habits in order to reverse engineer health. In his writings he notes that, in spite of differences in culture, cuisine, and location, all five eat a primarily plant-based diet. They consume lots of leafy greens, seasonal fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds. They ate some meat, but not a lot and not every day.
His findings resonate with me both as a physician and as a human being. I’ve learned over the years that no health recommendation can be accepted in a vacuum. We are all individuals with different genetics, preferences, and value systems. While any trendy new nutritional strategy may hit the mark for one of us, it likely falls short for others. However, I think we can all agree that our goal is to live like like the folks in the Blue Zones; we want to have a long life and to remain active and strong into our old age. In that spirit, regardless of our individual nutritional philosophies, I think we can all afford to add more whole foods from the earth into our repertoire. Maybe by adding in some of the good stuff, we can squeeze out some of the processed stuff that doesn’t serve us. Remember, it is often the simplest ideas that prove the greatest. I think this concept falls into that category!
Reference: https://www.bluezones.com