Australian_Mens_Fitness_April_2017

Food styling by Hadas Smirnoff; Prop styling by Maeve Sheridan

Can you eat your way to a long life?

People in a handful of regions across

the globe apparently do. Author Dan

Buettner identified seven so-called “blue

zones” — places where residents often

live past 100 — and analysed the factors

that may explain it. Along with lifestyle,

nutrition is key. So pick some favorites

from each and start beating the odds!

The basic principles

followed by citizens

of “blue zones”

The diet

●Plant-based,

though not entirely

vegetarian

●Lotsa legumes

— beans, lentils,

peas

●Mostly organic

and local

●Heavy on whole

grains

The lifestyle

●Not much smoking

●Close family

connections

●Regular social

engagement

●Constant

moderate

physical activity

OKINAWA,

JAPAN

■Why such

longevity among

Okinawans? Could

be their superfood

intake: Turmeric

is a favourite here,

as is go-to veggie

bitter melon —

both thought to be

disease fighters.

Most foods are

stir-fried quickly in

minimal oil.

KEY FOODS:Brown

seaweeds (hijiki,

wakame, kombu),

bitter melon,

turmeric, tofu,

sweet potato, lots

of all forms of pork,

garlic, green tea,

brown rice

DISH TO TRY:Goya

chanpuru:stir-

friedbittermelon,

egg, tofu, and

thinly sliced pork

SARDINIA,

ITALY

■Carbo-loading

for long life?

Sardinians eat

gobs of pasta

and whole-grain

breads—even

their famed soup,

zuppa gallurese,

isasortofbread

casserole. Could

be the omega-3s

they get from

shellfish and dairy

or the crazy-high

polyphenols in the

local red wine...

KEY FOODS:

Shellfish (clams,

mussels, lobster);

sheep’s/goat’s

milk; tomatoes,

almonds, fava

beans, chickpeas,

flat bread, saffron,

fennel, red wine

DISH TO TRY:Fregola

sarda con arselle

e zafferano:

semolina pasta

with clams and

saffron

SOUTHERN

SWEDEN

■Scandinavia’s

quality of life

(low crime, free

health care) offers

some non-dietary

reasons for

long lives. Still,

something about

the hearty cuisine

of Sweden’s

Öland, Småland,

and Skåne (their

flavonoid-packed

black currants,

perhaps?) keeps

them hanging on.

KEY FOODS:Oily fish

like salmon and

herring, whole

grains like rye

and buckwheat,

berries, peas, oats,

yoghurt, root

vegetables

DISH TO TRY:

Fiskbullar med

rotmos och ärtor:

fish cakes with

mashed

swede and peas

NICOYA,

COSTA RICA

■This Costa Rican

peninsula’s diet is

similar to the rest

of Latin America’s

butwithafewkey

differences: The

fruit of its peach

palm tree is said to

fight cancer, and

its wild ginger is

apotentanti-

inflammatory.

Plus, little milk or

processed food is

consumed.

KEY FOODS:Black

beans, corn

tortillas, winter

squash, ginger,

eggs, yucca,

plantains, yams,

tropical fruits

(bananas, papaya,

mango, guava,

peach palms)

DISH TO TRY:Gallo

pinto:rice, black

beans, fried egg,

and corn tortillas

IKARIA,
GREECE

■Called “the
island where
people forget
to die” in Diane
Kochilas’ cookbook
on its food, Ikaria
isahotbedofold-
agers who follow
a Med-type diet
but eat less meat
than most Greeks;
farm or forage
many foods; and
proudly admit
they fornicate like
bunniesintotheir
twilight years.

KEY FOODS:Wild
greens, olive oil,
chickpeas,lentils,
black-eyed peas,
lemons, goat-milk
cheese, potatoes,
tomatoes, wild
mushrooms, sage,
rosemary

DISH TO TRY:
Hortopita:filo pie
made with wild
greens

HOWTOLIVE

(ALMOST)

FOREVER

On the menu in Okinawa:

brown seaweed, pork

and bitter melon, which

looks like ugly cucumber.

46 MEN’S FITNESS APRIL 2017