Across the world, there are pockets of people who consistently live longer, healthier lives – often well into their 90s and beyond! Author Dan Buettner and National Geographic have spent over a decade identifying hot spots, or ‘Blue Zones’, of longevity around the world.
Our team at Santhem Residences understand that health is about more than just exercise or clinical care, which is why we’ve looked at the healthy eating habits of the world’s longest living populations to inspire small changes that support a healthy retirement lifestyle.
In this article, we’ll look at why good nutrition is so important as we age, and how we can easily adopt healthy eating tips from some of the world’s healthiest countries.
Where are the world’s healthiest populations?
These ‘Blue Zones’ dotted across the globe have high concentrations of people living over 100 years, and groups of individuals who have aged without typical age-related conditions like heart disease, cancer, or diabetes.
And it seems that nutrition and healthy eating habits play a significant role, with diets rich in healthy fats, vegetables, soybeans, grains, nuts, and non-processed foods. These communities include:
- Okinawa, Japan
- Ogliastra Region, Sardinia
- Nicoya Penninsula, Costa Rica
- Ikaria, Greece
- Loma Linda, California
Though these Blue Zones are located across different continents, these communities share strikingly similar food habits – ones that are proven to support a cognitive function, emotional wellbeing and a long life.
5 of the world’s healthiest countries
There are also several health-conscious counties identified by The Bloomberg Global Health Index (ranking countries based on variables such as life expectancy, environmental factors, and health risks), that focus on clean and healthy eating as well as physical activity.
Here are five of the healthiest countries in the world, where nutrition and the balanced, whole food diets are a part of everyday life.
· Sweden
A typical Swedish diet is low in carbohydrates and high in healthy fats, and many of the population enjoy long daily walks and cycling. Swedes also have a high average life expectancy of 82 years.
Though they typically consume less fresh fruit and veg than in some countries, they enjoy diets rich in berries, fish, dairy, rye, and locally and quality-sourced meats.
· Japan
Japan has the oldest population in the world, and what the Japanese eat plays a crucial role. Because Japan is an island, it enjoys a natural abundance of fresh fish, which its residents complement with carbohydrates, vegetables, fruit, and meat. In Okinawa, they live by hara hachi bu – which means stopping eating when you’re 80% full!
· Iceland
An abundance of delicious fresh fish and locally sourced free-range meat are two of the main components of Iceland’s healthy eating habits. Their diet is naturally low in saturated fat and high in omega 3, which is essential to help prevent heart disease and stroke, as well as protecting against cancer.
· Spain
While the thought of paella might make you question the idea of Spain being one of the healthiest countries, the Mediterranean diet is actually incredibly good for you! In fact, Spanish cuisine is packed with healthy fats such as high-quality olive oil, lots of fresh locally produced vegetables, grains, fish, and lean meat for protein.
· South Korea
South Korea is home to one of the world’s healthiest populations, thanks to a diet consisting of rice, fish and vegetables. These include Korean favourite kimchi – a delicacy consisting of fermented vegetables and seasoned with garlic and chilli – and bibimbap, which involves rice, vegetables, and a small portion of meat.
While the South Korean diet includes a lot of carbohydrates, they stick to healthier, unprocessed versions, such as brown rice and grains.
Why healthy eating habits are important for older people
Despite the fact that new cells regenerate in your body, your bones, organs, skin, teeth, brain, and nervous system still age, and become less resilient over time. As a result, there are challenges that older bodies face more than their younger counterparts.
Nutritional deficiencies in older age can contribute to inefficiencies in your body’s ability to fight certain diseases and conditions. Put simply: what you eat can make a difference. For many age-related diseases, balanced, healthy nutrition can play a vital role in modulating these conditions.
When we eat well, we age well. So, what can we learn about the eating habits of some of the world’s healthiest populations?
Healthy & easy diets for seniors
As well as making sure you remain active as you age, the countries that have the healthiest people concentrate on incorporating healthy, natural, locally sourced, and unprocessed food into their diets.
There are key food groups, components, and eating habits we can learn from this that can help you and your body feel healthier, so incorporating them into your diet is crucial.
To improve your health and help reduce the risk of contracting age-related diseases, try including these foods in your diet on a daily basis:
- Drinking enough water – aim for up to eight pints a day.
- Antioxidants protect you against disease. Enjoy foods such as artichokes, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, dark leafy greens, beets, goji berries, red cabbage, and even a bit of dark chocolate – the best is 70% cocoa or higher.
- Vitamins, from food and supplements if you need them. Key vitamins to ingest include vitamin A, all the B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K.
- Fibre-rich foods such as beans, lentils, broccoli, sweet potatoes, berries, oats, whole grains, apples, and dried fruit.
- Lean protein such as chicken, turkey, fish, dairy products, egg whites, beans, legumes, broccoli, almonds, and Greek yoghurt.
- Healthy fats, including extra virgin olive oil, avocados, nuts, salmon, trout, herring, and walnuts.
Remember to choose unprocessed foods with little or no added sugar and avoid saturated fats and excessive salt where you can.
Supporting healthy eating habits at Santhem
What we put into our bodies is important at every age, but even more so later in life.
As we grow older, we become more at risk from age-related health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, dementia, and cancer. Good nutrition can not only help reduce this risk – it can actually help you live longer. Healthy eating is proven to improve mood, enhance cognitive function, strengthen bones, boost immunity, and keep your mind and body feeling their best.
At Santhem Residences, nutrition and wellness are at the heart of our community living philosophy – no matter your age, healthy eating and focusing on nutrition is key to keeping your body and mind feeling well.
To discover how we support a healthy retirement lifestyle, explore our blog for more insights or get in touch with our friendly team today, we’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have.