Grab a bike and pedal along a path on the Nicoya Peninsula, situated on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. You’ll find colorful houses, exotic fruits, and residents twice as likely as American’s to reach a healthy age 90. Though the Central American country isn’t that far from the U.S. geographically, it is way ahead of us in longevity.
Residents of Costa Rica are relatively secure economically and have excellent health care. But in Nicoya, an 80-mile peninsula just south of the Nicaraguan border, other factors are at play.
One is the plan de vida—a life plan or reason to live—which fosters a positive outlook among the elderly and helps keep them active and engaged in their community. Another is a focus on friends and family, with whom Nicoyan centenarians frequently visit. Multi-generational homes are not uncommon, and elders live with families and children or grandchildren providing mutual support.
Follow these practices to cultivate a lifestyle similar to the centenarians of this original blue zone region.
Have a plan de vida.
Successful centenarians have a strong sense of purpose. They feel needed and want to contribute to a greater good.
Drink hard water.
Nicoyan water has the country’s highest calcium content, perhaps explaining the lower rates of heart disease, as well as stronger bones and fewer hip fractures.
Keep a focus on family.
Nicoyan centenarians tend to live with their families, and children or grandchildren provide support and a sense of purpose and belonging.
Eat a light dinner.
Eating fewer calories appears to be one of the surest ways to add years to your life. Nicoyans eat a light dinner early in the evening. For most of their lives, Nicoyan centenarians ate a traditional Mesoamerican diet highlighted with the “three sisters” of agriculture: squash, corn, and beans.
Maintain social networks.
Nicoyan centenarians get frequent visits from neighbors. They know how to listen, laugh, and appreciate what they have.
Keep hard at work.
Centenarians seem to have enjoyed physical work of all their lives. They find joy in everyday physical chores.
Get some sensible sun.
Nicoyans regularly take in the sunshine, which helps their bodies produce vitamin D for strong bones and healthy body function. 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 you’re getting enough of this vital nutrient.
Embrace a common history.
Modern Nicoyan’s roots to the indigenous Chorotega and their traditions have enabled them to remain relatively free of stress. Their traditional diet of fortified maize and beans may be the best nutritional combination for longevity the world has ever known.
This is an excerpt from Blue Zones: Lessons For Living Longer From The People Who’ve Lived The Longest by Dan Buettner, copyright 2008, all rights reserved.
