The Blue Zones

 Have you ever heard of the blue zone? They are places in the world where people live longer than average, many over 100 years of age. They tend also tend to be much healthier than other people living in other parts of the world.

The five blue zones that have been identified are Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Icaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California, United States.

Although there are a number of keys to their success, three deal with diet. First, if they drink alcohol they do so in moderation. Second, they eat until they're about 80% full. And thirdly, they eat a largely plant-based diet.

As Buddhists, we can bring in mindful eating, stress reduction through mindfulness, and Buddhism gives us purpose in life. These are also markers for health and longness of life.

But it is not just length of life that we want, we want quality of life. This can only be found when you are growing mentally and spiritually. Part of that growth is learning to walk the path of right action towards your fellow sentient beings on this planet. A path of compassion and cruelty free eating.