Amanda Dinsmore (00:01.838)
Hey guys, welcome back to the podcast. I am Amanda.
Laura Cazier (00:05.89)
I'm Laura.
Kendra Morrison (00:11.951)
And I'm Kendra.
Amanda Dinsmore (00:15.086)
And today is part four of our Blue Zones Book Club. Just a reminder before we get started to please rate and review this podcast and share it with friends if you get anything out of it. We are trying to spread physician wellness and it would help. We can't reach everyone without your help. So Kendra, tell us about today.
Kendra Morrison (00:33.615)
So we are continuing our series on the Blue Zones and I've said this several times, but just to introduce the Blue Zones and what they're about.
Well, actually before we start, just a disclaimer: the things we talk about in this podcast and the other podcasts on Blue Zones are purely educational. We are doctors, but we're not your doctors. We are just spreading some goodness and some nuggets that hopefully you can take home with you and implement in your life. You choose whatever you want to do, but this is not medical advice, just educational. So here we go. Just a reminder, Blue Zones are pockets throughout the world where a higher percentage of people live to 100. These centenarians are actually living well, they're active, and their brains are sharp. They are the ideal clients that Dr. Peter Attia talks about in his book *Outlive*, where you live great until you just die, not suffering for a decade or anything at the end of your life. These are people that go out well.
In the series *Blue Zones: Secrets for Living Longer, Lessons from the Healthiest Places on Earth*, Dan Buettner mentions that Americans spend about $332 billion yearly trying to exercise, join gyms, cancel gyms, join the gym again, cancel the gym, take every protein supplement, and every vitamin they can get their hands on or what TikTok and Insta are putting in their reels. They spend whatever it takes for the next quick fix, the next easy solution. But we may be focusing on the wrong things. These Blue Zones do not invest this kind of money at all.
While what we talk about is about a healthy lifestyle, we also want to remind you that true genetics only count for about a fourth of the differences in longevity between people. The rest is really about your environment and lifestyle, not just the area of the world you live in, but the people around you, the things you surround yourself with, and the lifestyle you choose to lead. Some of the most common denominators in the Blue Zones are that they eat a whole-food, plant-based diet.
Kendra Morrison (03:10.191)
They move naturally and frequently throughout the day. A lot of their daily activities include a lot of movement, and that's just like walking sometimes. They have a daily ritual like prayer, meditation, or taking naps. It really helps them to keep perspective, downshift from the busyness of the day, and reduce their stress.
Kendra Morrison (03:34.927)
They tend to honor and keep their elders close. These are multi-generational families that stay close together in the same region. But it's also about a community that has built a family. These aren't your families of origin. These are people that have stayed in the region, honor each other, and hold the same beliefs. They do the same things and have the same routine daily. That becomes a family. They have a healthy social support system and a sense of purpose. We've talked about Sardinia, Nicoya in Costa Rica, and Loma Linda, California. Today, we're going to turn our attention to Ikaria, Greece. And for all you Greeks out there, I apologize.
Amanda Dinsmore (04:21.71)
Yeah, this is what Apple iPhone is telling us the pronunciation is, so bear with us. It's not our fault.
Laura Cazier (04:26.05)
Yeah. Ikaria is a remote Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea near Turkey. Residents there live on average eight years longer than the typical American. They have have half the rate of heart disease and one fifth the rate of dementia, which is amazing. Interestingly, one in three make it to their 90s.
Amanda Dinsmore (05:32.27)
Ideal.
Laura Cazier (05:36.462)
Even though at the time that they gathered this information, one fourth of them were still smoking. How do they do that? Great news for us introverts, we can celebrate because in Ikaria, unlike other Blue Zones, residents tend to live in small isolated homesteads.
Amanda Dinsmore (05:44.142)
All right.
Amanda Dinsmore (05:49.056)
Huh?
Laura Cazier (06:06.402)
Rather than clustering in villages. So, yeah, you can still live long and healthy without having a giant social network. They tend to be largely self-sufficient. They harvest and gather their own food, work late in their fields, have late bedtimes, but frequent naps. That is my ideal right there.
Amanda Dinsmore (06:08.622)
Woohoo! There's a place for me!
Kendra Morrison (06:34.191)
That's definitely my jam. It's a place for me too.
Amanda Dinsmore (06:34.798)
Place for you too. This might be our new, we might be relocating.
Laura Cazier (06:36.322)
Yes, I can. We're going to get on Zillow this afternoon.
Amanda Dinsmore (06:41.487)
What's that? Yep, Zillow to Ikaria.
Laura Cazier (06:44.878)
A little hut. Research has shown that taking a 30-minute nap more than five times or greater than or equal to five times a week can lower stress hormones and reduce your risk of heart attack by more than a third. So maybe that's at play. I did not know that.
Amanda Dinsmore (06:49.056)
Yeah.
Laura Cazier (07:06.306)
I usually get one nap a week, but I'm gonna dial that up some.
Kendra Morrison (07:10.255)
I like all this evidence we're stacking up in favor of naps.
Amanda Dinsmore (07:12.366)
Yes. If you're an insomniac or have sleep disorders, talk with your sleep specialist, because sometimes naps can screw that up. But for the average person, let's go.
Laura Cazier (07:24.418)
Right. Ikaria has strong camaraderie there. So, there is a social requirement here. We do have to talk to people. They have allegiance to family first and then other islanders in the spirit of taking care of each other. They get together with family and friends regularly. In fact, of Ikarians in their 90s, more than 75% socialize with neighbors, friends, or family daily.
Amanda Dinsmore (07:33.326)
We do have to talk to people, yes.
Laura Cazier (07:53.506)
Okay, this sounds more like the other places. They just get to go back to their own hut and there's not 90 people in their own hut. I can go out and socialize. I just need, I don't want people on top of me when I get home.
Amanda Dinsmore (07:56.75)
They just get to go back, yeah. I can socialize, I just don't want people on top of me when I get home.
Laura Cazier (08:05.602)
Okay, so it's another hilly location and the inhabitants are very active. Walking up and down hills is super healthy, apparently. More than 80% of people over 75 are still really active with moderate to high physical activity. They swim regularly in the Aegean Sea and work in the family vineyard, walking up and down the steep hill to church or the village.
Amanda Dinsmore (08:24.622)
Mm-hmm.
Laura Cazier (08:42.05)
The Ikarians have an extreme and unique version of the Mediterranean diet, which we already know is super healthy. The Ikarians take it a step further. They include veggies, whole grains, fruits, fish, olive oil, goat's milk and cheese,
and wine. What's different is they consume less fish, but more potatoes, beans, and legumes like chickpeas, lentils, and black-eyed peas. Eating legumes is like a secret to longevity, and they eat wild greens like dandelion, chicory, and wild fennel.
Amanda Dinsmore (08:59.343)
Mm-hmm.
Laura Cazier (09:19.874)
You may have to socialize, but you get to eat your beans, which will help you live a long, happy life. Dan Buettner writes of a man, Stamatis Moraitis, who in his 60s in the US was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and given six to nine months to live. He decided he wanted to die in his motherland of Ikaria. So he moved and, without intentionally changing anything, went on to live another three and a half decades.
Amanda Dinsmore (09:55.054)
I don't.
Laura Cazier (10:17.89)
When Dan met him, he was still going strong at 97 in 2012. That is fascinating.
Kendra Morrison (10:23.183)
Team Stamatis, definitely on Team Stamatis.
Amanda Dinsmore (10:24.686)
Yeah, way to go buddy. The title of this chapter was Ikaria, the place where people forget to die. Fair enough.
Kendra Morrison (10:37.295)
I mean, we're building evidence for that. That sounds like it is.
Amanda Dinsmore (10:39.758)
I know, it's hard to argue with that.
Laura Cazier (10:44.098)
It reminds you of when in the 1800s, people with tuberculosis, and they didn't have meds to treat it, were sent to places like this with a sunny climate. They would go sit outside all day. I don't know if they were eating legumes, but...
Amanda Dinsmore (10:59.47)
Yeah, warm breeze.
Kendra Morrison (11:02.927)
Force you to walk up hills.
Amanda Dinsmore (11:06.894)
Have you guys ever been to Asheville, North Carolina? That place was built just like this, a small Blue Zone basically, because of the terrible air and everything in the Northeast like New York. The idea was clear air, nature, all the things.
Laura Cazier (11:16.354)
Mm-hmm.
Amanda Dinsmore (11:21.422)
Mm-hmm.
Kendra Morrison (11:43.694)
Yeah, the eight natural remedies that the Adventists talk about. These things are free, guys. Maybe we don't need to be spending $300 billion on this stuff. Maybe we need to reset a little bit. Takeaways from Ikaria: Number one, mimic mountain living. The longest-living are the poor. They walk everywhere and do their own manual labor. I will not be adopting that into my daily routine, but the importance of working movement into your everyday life cannot be overemphasized. I will park farther in the parking lot. Number two, eat a Blue Zones diet. Largely Mediterranean diet with less fish and more potatoes, greens, and beans.
We are obsessed with protein, but what we should be obsessed with is amino acids. If you have a legume plus a whole grain, that is the recipe for longevity around the world. Number three, stock up on herbs. Ikarians drink herbal teas loaded with antioxidants. Wild rosemary teas, sage tea, and oregano teas can be mild diuretics and help with blood pressure. Next, our favorite, naps. Enjoy a mid-afternoon break when you can to lower stress hormones and reduce your risk of heart disease. Cultures have evolved with this pattern where you work a little, nap, and then finish the day.
Kendra Morrison (13:46.511)
Yeah, the Latino culture has the siesta. My great-grandmother was huge on the afternoon nap.
Amanda Dinsmore (13:49.966)
Yeah, absolutely. You see this pattern over and over across cultures. The idea of the Sabbath, the nap, lots of things like that. Ikarians are devout Greek Orthodox Christians. Their religious calendar calls for fasting almost half of the year.
Laura Cazier (13:59.138)
So, I'm just going to say that's the way it is.
Amanda Dinsmore (14:27.886)
Not that you need to do that, but across many cultures and religions, there is the idea of an occasional fast. The Greek Orthodox Church requires fasting for half the year, meaning they're regularly eating less, which seems to slow the aging process. Lastly, make friends and family a priority. Social connections are a common component for overall health and longevity. If it's been a while since you've hung out with your bestie, call them and make plans today.
Kendra Morrison (15:09.007)
Get some legumes, lentils, and whole grains, have everyone over, open that bottle of wine, and connect. Here's your permission. Ready, go.
Amanda Dinsmore (15:13.678)
Yeah.
Kendra Morrison (15:21.967)
Once again, we thank you for joining us for this next chapter on Blue Zones. If you got at least one nugget today or something that sparked your interest, please help us by rating and reviewing this podcast. Like Amanda said, it helps other doctors find us. The ripple effect of you leaving a review and then it going out and grabbing another person is what we're hoping for.
We've recently launched our new version of Wellness 911. For more information, go to our website at www.thewholephysician.com. We take demoralized doctors from fried to fantastic with our easy and evidence-based Wellness 911 program. Until next time, you are whole, you are a gift to medicine, and the work you do matters.
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