Evening habits of people living in the Blue Zone

To live long and healthy lives, people in the world's Blue Zones sleep at regular times, eight to 10 hours a night, take time to relax, and avoid late-night snacking.

Blue Zones are the five regions in the world with the longest and healthiest populations, including Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia (Italy), Nicoya (Costa Rica), Ikaria (Greece) and Loma Linda (USA). According to experts, the factor that makes people in this region live long is healthy living habits, especially a suitable sleep schedule.

Sleep at a fixed time

Research published in the European Journal of Nutrition shows that irregular sleep and wake schedules can affect the gut microbiome, increasing the risk of obesity, diabetes, kidney disease and heart disease. Irregular sleep patterns also often lead to unhealthy eating habits.

Experts from King's College London and Zoe Health call the habit of sleeping in late on weekends "social jet lag". This condition affects around 40% of Britons, and is more common in teenagers.

"Maintaining a stable, regular sleep and wake time every day is a good habit, easy to form, anyone can do it. This has a good effect on gut health, and then your health," said Dr. Sarah Berry, King's College London, co-author of the study.

The UK National Health Service recommends that adults get 7-9 hours sleep each night.

sleep well

According to Blue Zones, if you want to live long, you should sleep about 8 to 10 hours a night. This is the amount of time it takes for your brain and body to recover after a long day. Getting enough sleep will improve brain function, immunity, and energy levels.

Getting enough sleep helps keep your heart healthy, stabilizes blood sugar, reduces body inflammation, helps you achieve your weight loss goals, and increases strength when exercising.

Long-term sleep deprivation can increase symptoms of chronic inflammation, damage the function of internal organs, and increase the risk of many other diseases (such as ulcers, dementia, and cardiovascular diseases).

Getting enough sleep can help increase longevity. Photo: Freepik — Getting enough sleep can help increase longevity. Photo: *Freepik*

Take time to relax

Taking time to rest and relax can help clear your mind after a day of work. People in each green zone have different ways of relaxing.

Ikarians (Greece) take a siesta, Sardinians (Italy) participate in aperitifs, also known as Happy Hour, from 7pm to 9pm. Okinawans (Japan) devote time to ancestor worship. Experts recommend that people take time for themselves in the evening, whether it is a walk, reading a book or drinking a cup of warm chamomile tea.

This is a way to "wash away" stress before entering the bedroom.

No late night snacking

Diet plays a big role in longevity. So people living in Blue Zones eat small dinners and avoid snacking before bed. They also practice mindful eating. This is not a diet, but rather a focus on the experience of eating.

Mindful eating involves using the mind to consider and evaluate the effects of the surrounding environment on eating. This concept has its roots in Buddhist teachings. Similar to other forms of meditation such as sitting, breathing, walking, and standing, many Zen masters encourage eaters to pay attention to the sensations of eating.

The basic way to practice mindful eating is to slowly savor each piece of food. "Put the food in your mouth, no matter what it is, but make it something you love. Let's say you're eating a plate of hot, fragrant noodles. After you take a bite, put the plate down. This is a lot harder than you think, because the first bite is delicious. It makes you want to take a second bite," explains Jeff Gordinier, a writer and editor at the NY Times.

Mindful eating helps improve people's relationship with food, while maintaining a healthy body weight.

Thuc Linh (According to Times of India )

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