People make more than 200 food decisions every day, and what we eat impacts our health and productivity. Since the early 1900s, plate sizes have grown from 9.5 inches to 12.5 inches, and we’ve increased how much we eat by 27 percent. About 60 percent of the food we purchase is highly processed, fatty, salty, or sugary, and the typical American restaurant entrée weighs in at a whopping 1,000 calories. Blue Zones Project programs have sparked large and small changes in many spaces that make healthy food choices more appealing and accessible. By working together, we make eating wisely second nature, encouraging people to adopt a plant slant, eat only until 80 percent full, and dine with friends at five.
Amp up your well-being by adding a plant slant to your plate. While most people in the blue zones areas only consume small amounts of meat on rare occasions, all of them eat a rich array of fresh fruits and vegetables, which are packed with disease-fighting nutrients. Beans, nuts, and whole grains round out a life-lengthening plant-based diet. (A handful of nuts a day can give you an extra 2-3 years of life expectancy.) Aim to fill 95 percent of your plate with plants or plant products.
Are you eating your way to healthy or far more than you should? Do like the centenarians do and gauge your intake by following the 80% Rule. It’s a strategy that focuses on taking things out of your everyday diet instead of putting things in. Saying “Hara hachi bu,” the 2500-year old Confucian mantra, before meals reminds Okinawans to stop eating when their stomachs are 80 percent full. The 20% gap between not being hungry and feeling full could be the difference between losing weight or gaining it.
Spark more happiness by sharing your day with others. Sardinian men are famous for their sense of humor and gather in the street each afternoon to socialize and laugh with each other. Whether you sit down together for a meal or meet up for a cup of coffee, the benefits of a daily connection with friends and family come from ending work at a reasonable hour and enjoying a daily de-stressor and social time.
