August 1, 2025 • 10 mins
Blue Zones are an area of interest for many, geographical locations in which people live longer than average. Some such areas are in Sardinia, others in Okinawa in Japan, Nicoya in Costa Rica, and Ikaria in Greece – all of which have a significant number of people living into their 90s or hundreds.
But why are these people living so much longer than average? Dr Dougal Sutherland delves into the research and reasons behind the extended lifespans of those in Blue Zones.
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack team podcast
from News Talks at Be.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
A few weeks ago, I had the great privilege of
spending a week in Costa Rica, of all places. It
took a little bit of a family trip, had a
little bit of paternity leave. We were in the Northern Hemisphere.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
We thought, since we're in this part of the world,
since we're in we're in the warmer climbs at the moment,
let's make the most of being being up here and
take a few days in Costa Rica. And when I
was traveling through Costa Rica, I was surprised to travel
through the Nakoya Peninsula, which is one of the world's
few blue zones.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Now, a blue zone is one of these places where,
for whatever reason, and there are several reasons, people or
citizens of that region on average, have much higher life
expectancies than in other parts of the world. So anyway,
I wasn't the only one whose interest was piqued by
the Nikoi Peninsula and the concept of blue zones. Google Sutherland,
(01:10):
clinical psychologist from Umbrella well Being, was interested as well,
and he's with us this morning. Calderdogle Cura Jack.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
Yes, I picked up what you were putting down, and
I thought, gosh, I wonder what is about those blue
zones that makes them, you know, that magical place And
maybe if we all just did what they do, maybe
we'd live longer too.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Yeah, So what actually is a blue zone? Because you've
looked into this more than I did when I was
traveling through and until I traveled through Costa Rica at
the very least, what actually is a blue zone?
Speaker 4 (01:36):
Yeah? So I mean you've I think encapsulated in nicely.
It's where people on average live turnto their nineties or
their hundreds, which is longer than the average life expectancy,
which is surprisingly short. Actually it's so worldwide. It's seventy
one for males and seventy six for females is the
average life expectance. I guess if you average that out
over some you know, developed countries and third world that
(01:59):
perhaps makes sense, but still a little shorter than I thought.
But yeah, And four zones that have been identify so
Costa Rica and the Korea. Sardinia was the original one
that they identified in two thousand and four Okinawa in Japan,
and I think I'm pronouncing this correct. Acardia and Greece
(02:19):
are the four known four known blue zones. There might
be others, but those are the four that have been not.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
What's funny because you sort of think, like, what is
it that links those places? They're quite you know there,
you know there in some respects a long way from
each other, and yet they all kind of share this phenomenon.
And there's been a few bit of research right into
into what are the qualities that you know, or what
are the lifestyles they're contributing to people living this line.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
Yeah, well there's I mean, there's probably genes is probably
a factor, but you can't really do much about your genetics.
You're born with that and that's it. And there's possibly
some geographical features as well, but yeah, lifestyle is probably
the main ones that people have focused on because it
is somewhat in our in our realm of control, but
(03:10):
important as we talk about these that people, I was
a bit inclined to do this when I read them.
I thought, I'll have a bit of that and a
bit of that and a bit of that, but I
don't think I'll do that. And it was like, no, no,
it's probably you need to have all of the they've
identified seven key factors and you probably need to do
all of these seven I.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Feel like not going to be fun. Well no, I
don't know.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
I mean the first one is as well known. It's
the it's the it's the diet, right, and you know,
the classic being the the classic being the Mediterranean diet,
so lots of plant based stuff. Interestingly in this this
piqued my interest. But interestingly, if you have lots of
olive oil, a moderate amount of Greek coffee, and a
moderate amount here we go of red wine, it was like, okay,
(03:52):
I can do that.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
It's the black pressure one though, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
I think, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I think so.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
So.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
Another interesting fact about eating, though, was not only the diet,
but it was that the way that you eat, and
this idea that you stop eating when you're about eighty
percent full, so you don't eat to sort of full
as a ball you kind of go no, no, I'm
pretty much done. I think. So that is sort of
and not quite sure what the magic is there, but
that seems to be a part or it seems to
(04:20):
be a factor that links everything in see.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
I find that that's the hard part of it for me.
I can I'm my ethos with food, and I've gone
on and on about this over the years, is that
I don't mind eating I mean, I meat, and I
love eating sugar. I've got a real sweet tooth. But
my thing is just not wanting to eat too much
processed food. So I always prefer to eat like a
(04:42):
slice or a nice piece of cake that I've picked
up in a fancy cafe as opposed to eating a
bag of lollies or a thing of chocolate or cereal
or something like that. You know, yeah, but but but
but I will eat until I'm one hundred and fifteen
percent that might be yeah, yeah, yeah, Okay, So the
(05:06):
diet an obvious one.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
What else, Yeah, eat healthy, move naturally they call it,
So keep up physical activity, but do it in just
a natural way. So walking, gardening, just having having movement
and physical activity as part of your natural normal days.
So this isn't sort of going to the gym and
doing like crossing sessions in the gym.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Yeah right, that's interesting.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
So it's just built. I think it's that lifestyle building
it in that it becomes you know, you're kind of active,
but naturally active.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Where that is that is really interesting? Okay, see I'm
an enthusiastic exerciser most of the time, but being in
my late thirties now I've got like quite developed arthritis
in my hip, like it's a real problem. Yeah, and
so I can see that, and part of that will
have been the way I have been exercising, you know,
And you can see how that will ultimately lead to
(06:00):
me being less active in the future. Yes, maybe if
actually I've been a little bit more chill over the
and just done a bit more walking instead of running
or whatever else, but of guarding than actually wear and
tear might not.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Be quite good point. Yeah, no, absolutely, So.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
You're not supposed to smoke, there's a big surprise.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
No, don't smoke and reduce stress, which you know, and
I took lots in the past about reducing stress. So
so those are two sort of easy ones. Don't smoke
and reduce A.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Lot of people of course who still smoke RELI on
smoking to reduce their stress.
Speaker 4 (06:31):
So yeah, get a bit sleeping. So the importance of
sleeping well, and the way the researchers defined this is
is sleeping getting your kind of your sleep patterns or
your circadian rhythms sort of in sync with the day,
so broadly sort of speaking, you know, going to bed
(06:54):
when it's dark and waking up when it's light if
you know. So so not too much, I mean, there's
obviously you can stray a little bit from that and
not too religious about it. But but yeah, the idea
about your your your circuit rhythms are in sync with
the seasons of the year. And here's another one that
I really like too. Napping in the middle of the
day is very helpful, right, so if you can have
(07:16):
a nap in the day, you know that sort of
half hour, yes, the short one, a little shit, yeah, yeah,
just a nice short one that that's that. That seems
to be a factor as well, which is I thought,
oh yeah, no, I can definitely snap in them midle
other day. That's good.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
And then there are the kind of social slash psychological edestions,
And there are two different things here.
Speaker 4 (07:36):
Yeah, so keeping family ties and connections so so keeping
good so you know, and often these these blue zones
there there's a perhaps a greater sense of community and connection.
So the idea is that keeping up those social connections
actually helps combat loneliness and depression. And we know that loneliness,
(08:00):
there's been some other studies around loneliness that shows that
can reduce your life expectancy to the same level as
if you were smoking something like ten cigarettes to day or.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Something like that.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
So loneliness and it's amazing, isn't it. It's and I
think it's something that we get more of in modern culture,
although we are more perhaps we're more connected than ever.
I think I argue that there's certainly been huge rates
of loneliness around the country and around the world, really
Western world too, particularly so.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
And then the final recommendation is, well, it's sort of
almost theological.
Speaker 4 (08:33):
It is, Yeah, you believe in something bigger than yourself.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
It doesn't have to does it means purpose? It's like that, yeah,
a purpose?
Speaker 4 (08:42):
Yeah, yeah, that's right. So so what's your life worth living?
Is another way of thinking about that, or in the
sense of being part of a bigger thing. So lots
of research shows that people with what's called religiosity, so
that sense of I believe in something bigger than I
and I'm involved in some daily or regular practices or
rituals around my faith or around spirituality, that there's lots
(09:07):
of evidence to show that that helps with people's well being.
And happiness, and so that's another that seems to be
another key factor. Again, it doesn't have to be believing
in God or a god, but it's that sense and
I am part of a bigger purpose or something bigger
than me. So yeah, if you do all those seven
and you've got reasonable genes, then you know you might
(09:27):
be pushing well into the nineties with any.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
Luck, giving yourself the best possibility, anyway, the best chance.
I reckon. I'm at about four. I reckon. There are
a few like half measures and quarter measures in there,
maybe four four and a half, I reckon.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
Yeah, I think I'm about the same. Yes, you're right,
if you sort of, if you really.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Do think it'll be improved. Yeah, yeah, absolutely, very good. Hey,
thanks to that's great. Yeah, I really appreciate that. Google
Southerland from Umbrella Well Being. We'll make sure we put
these seven principles for longer living up on the News Talks.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
He'd be website for more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame.
Listen live to News Talks he'd be from nine am Saturday,
or follow the podcast on Heart Radio.
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack team podcast
from News Talks at Be.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
A few weeks ago, I had the great privilege of
spending a week in Costa Rica, of all places. It
took a little bit of a family trip, had a
little bit of paternity leave. We were in the Northern Hemisphere.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
We thought, since we're in this part of the world,
since we're in we're in the warmer climbs at the moment,
let's make the most of being being up here and
take a few days in Costa Rica. And when I
was traveling through Costa Rica, I was surprised to travel
through the Nakoya Peninsula, which is one of the world's
few blue zones.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Now, a blue zone is one of these places where,
for whatever reason, and there are several reasons, people or
citizens of that region on average, have much higher life
expectancies than in other parts of the world. So anyway,
I wasn't the only one whose interest was piqued by
the Nikoi Peninsula and the concept of blue zones. Google Sutherland,
(01:10):
clinical psychologist from Umbrella well Being, was interested as well,
and he's with us this morning. Calderdogle Cura Jack.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
Yes, I picked up what you were putting down, and
I thought, gosh, I wonder what is about those blue
zones that makes them, you know, that magical place And
maybe if we all just did what they do, maybe
we'd live longer too.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Yeah, So what actually is a blue zone? Because you've
looked into this more than I did when I was
traveling through and until I traveled through Costa Rica at
the very least, what actually is a blue zone?
Speaker 4 (01:36):
Yeah? So I mean you've I think encapsulated in nicely.
It's where people on average live turnto their nineties or
their hundreds, which is longer than the average life expectancy,
which is surprisingly short. Actually it's so worldwide. It's seventy
one for males and seventy six for females is the
average life expectance. I guess if you average that out
over some you know, developed countries and third world that
(01:59):
perhaps makes sense, but still a little shorter than I thought.
But yeah, And four zones that have been identify so
Costa Rica and the Korea. Sardinia was the original one
that they identified in two thousand and four Okinawa in Japan,
and I think I'm pronouncing this correct. Acardia and Greece
(02:19):
are the four known four known blue zones. There might
be others, but those are the four that have been not.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
What's funny because you sort of think, like, what is
it that links those places? They're quite you know there,
you know there in some respects a long way from
each other, and yet they all kind of share this phenomenon.
And there's been a few bit of research right into
into what are the qualities that you know, or what
are the lifestyles they're contributing to people living this line.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
Yeah, well there's I mean, there's probably genes is probably
a factor, but you can't really do much about your genetics.
You're born with that and that's it. And there's possibly
some geographical features as well, but yeah, lifestyle is probably
the main ones that people have focused on because it
is somewhat in our in our realm of control, but
(03:10):
important as we talk about these that people, I was
a bit inclined to do this when I read them.
I thought, I'll have a bit of that and a
bit of that and a bit of that, but I
don't think I'll do that. And it was like, no, no,
it's probably you need to have all of the they've
identified seven key factors and you probably need to do
all of these seven I.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Feel like not going to be fun. Well no, I
don't know.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
I mean the first one is as well known. It's
the it's the it's the diet, right, and you know,
the classic being the the classic being the Mediterranean diet,
so lots of plant based stuff. Interestingly in this this
piqued my interest. But interestingly, if you have lots of
olive oil, a moderate amount of Greek coffee, and a
moderate amount here we go of red wine, it was like, okay,
(03:52):
I can do that.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
It's the black pressure one though, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
I think, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I think so.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
So.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
Another interesting fact about eating, though, was not only the diet,
but it was that the way that you eat, and
this idea that you stop eating when you're about eighty
percent full, so you don't eat to sort of full
as a ball you kind of go no, no, I'm
pretty much done. I think. So that is sort of
and not quite sure what the magic is there, but
that seems to be a part or it seems to
(04:20):
be a factor that links everything in see.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
I find that that's the hard part of it for me.
I can I'm my ethos with food, and I've gone
on and on about this over the years, is that
I don't mind eating I mean, I meat, and I
love eating sugar. I've got a real sweet tooth. But
my thing is just not wanting to eat too much
processed food. So I always prefer to eat like a
(04:42):
slice or a nice piece of cake that I've picked
up in a fancy cafe as opposed to eating a
bag of lollies or a thing of chocolate or cereal
or something like that. You know, yeah, but but but
but I will eat until I'm one hundred and fifteen
percent that might be yeah, yeah, yeah, Okay, So the
(05:06):
diet an obvious one.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
What else, Yeah, eat healthy, move naturally they call it,
So keep up physical activity, but do it in just
a natural way. So walking, gardening, just having having movement
and physical activity as part of your natural normal days.
So this isn't sort of going to the gym and
doing like crossing sessions in the gym.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Yeah right, that's interesting.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
So it's just built. I think it's that lifestyle building
it in that it becomes you know, you're kind of active,
but naturally active.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Where that is that is really interesting? Okay, see I'm
an enthusiastic exerciser most of the time, but being in
my late thirties now I've got like quite developed arthritis
in my hip, like it's a real problem. Yeah, and
so I can see that, and part of that will
have been the way I have been exercising, you know,
And you can see how that will ultimately lead to
(06:00):
me being less active in the future. Yes, maybe if
actually I've been a little bit more chill over the
and just done a bit more walking instead of running
or whatever else, but of guarding than actually wear and
tear might not.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Be quite good point. Yeah, no, absolutely, So.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
You're not supposed to smoke, there's a big surprise.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
No, don't smoke and reduce stress, which you know, and
I took lots in the past about reducing stress. So
so those are two sort of easy ones. Don't smoke
and reduce A.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Lot of people of course who still smoke RELI on
smoking to reduce their stress.
Speaker 4 (06:31):
So yeah, get a bit sleeping. So the importance of
sleeping well, and the way the researchers defined this is
is sleeping getting your kind of your sleep patterns or
your circadian rhythms sort of in sync with the day,
so broadly sort of speaking, you know, going to bed
(06:54):
when it's dark and waking up when it's light if
you know. So so not too much, I mean, there's
obviously you can stray a little bit from that and
not too religious about it. But but yeah, the idea
about your your your circuit rhythms are in sync with
the seasons of the year. And here's another one that
I really like too. Napping in the middle of the
day is very helpful, right, so if you can have
(07:16):
a nap in the day, you know that sort of
half hour, yes, the short one, a little shit, yeah, yeah,
just a nice short one that that's that. That seems
to be a factor as well, which is I thought,
oh yeah, no, I can definitely snap in them midle
other day. That's good.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
And then there are the kind of social slash psychological edestions,
And there are two different things here.
Speaker 4 (07:36):
Yeah, so keeping family ties and connections so so keeping
good so you know, and often these these blue zones
there there's a perhaps a greater sense of community and connection.
So the idea is that keeping up those social connections
actually helps combat loneliness and depression. And we know that loneliness,
(08:00):
there's been some other studies around loneliness that shows that
can reduce your life expectancy to the same level as
if you were smoking something like ten cigarettes to day or.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Something like that.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
So loneliness and it's amazing, isn't it. It's and I
think it's something that we get more of in modern culture,
although we are more perhaps we're more connected than ever.
I think I argue that there's certainly been huge rates
of loneliness around the country and around the world, really
Western world too, particularly so.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
And then the final recommendation is, well, it's sort of
almost theological.
Speaker 4 (08:33):
It is, Yeah, you believe in something bigger than yourself.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
It doesn't have to does it means purpose? It's like that, yeah,
a purpose?
Speaker 4 (08:42):
Yeah, yeah, that's right. So so what's your life worth living?
Is another way of thinking about that, or in the
sense of being part of a bigger thing. So lots
of research shows that people with what's called religiosity, so
that sense of I believe in something bigger than I
and I'm involved in some daily or regular practices or
rituals around my faith or around spirituality, that there's lots
(09:07):
of evidence to show that that helps with people's well being.
And happiness, and so that's another that seems to be
another key factor. Again, it doesn't have to be believing
in God or a god, but it's that sense and
I am part of a bigger purpose or something bigger
than me. So yeah, if you do all those seven
and you've got reasonable genes, then you know you might
(09:27):
be pushing well into the nineties with any.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
Luck, giving yourself the best possibility, anyway, the best chance.
I reckon. I'm at about four. I reckon. There are
a few like half measures and quarter measures in there,
maybe four four and a half, I reckon.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
Yeah, I think I'm about the same. Yes, you're right,
if you sort of, if you really.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Do think it'll be improved. Yeah, yeah, absolutely, very good. Hey,
thanks to that's great. Yeah, I really appreciate that. Google
Southerland from Umbrella Well Being. We'll make sure we put
these seven principles for longer living up on the News Talks.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
He'd be website for more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame.
Listen live to News Talks he'd be from nine am Saturday,
or follow the podcast on Heart Radio.
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