why is nicoya, costa rica a blue zone

By comparison, a person in the United States can reasonably expect to live to just 77, according to federal census data. Check out all of our favorite travel companies. El propsito de la compaa es promover y crear conciencia sobre el consumo de productos de alta calidad, con valor nutricional y . Currently, three emblematic examples of this Blue Zone include the centenarians Jos Bonifacio "Pachito" Villegas, from Pochote de Quebrada Honda, Nicoya, who rides a horse every day at age 100, Trinidad Espinoza, who recounts anecdotes from Costa Rica in the 1930s continuously while she feeds her chickens, and Dmaso Mendoza, age 102, who, on receiving a visitor, always talks about her years as a dancer and how she enjoys the company of the five generations of her family in Santa Ana de Beln, Carillo. Stir in two chopped plum tomatoes, half of a finely chopped onion and one . In these areas people have low rates of chronic diseases, so they tend to live longer than in other places. Try opting to walk places instead of driving. Located on the Guanacaste Peninsula in northwestern Costa Rica, Nicoya is a rural, beachside, blue-zone community. I'm a Chief Metaverse Officer and a web3 luxury and fashion innovator. Nantipa means blue in the language of the Chorotega people, some of the first known people to live in the Nicoya region. This vigorous village is one of the Blue Zones' unique hotspots. Costa Rica Experts 2023. The template laid out in the Blue Zones Project: natural foods, daily movement, community, and sense of purpose, can help anyone develop stronger immune systems, so they can live healthier and longer lives. In terms of a definition, these zones are geographical areas with a high concentration of long-lived populations, who frequently reach ninety or one hundred years of age. Win-win! The concept of Blue Zones came from a series of demographic and statistical projects led by Gianni Pes and Michel Poulain, but they were made famous worldwide by the research work of journalist Dan Buettner, along with a team from National Geographic and the publication of his book, The Blue Zones. 3 International Psychedelic Retreats Poised To Take Wellness Travel Into the Future, The Most Romantic Couples Massages in Las Vegas, The 20 Happiest Countries in the World, 2022, What Its Like To Stay at Hilton Head Health, One of Americas Most Renowned Wellness Resorts, 5 Types of Meditation That Will Relieve Your Travel Stress, long-life characteristics of the Nicoya Peninsula, How To Move To Costa Rica and Live There on the Cheap, These Stunning Cabins Are the Ultimate Zion National Park Basecamps, 8 of the Coolest Airbnbs Near Disney World, Orlando, 8 La Condesa Airbnbs To Settle Into Mexico Citys Coolest Neighborhood, The 11 Absolute Best Beaches in Costa Rica, This Luxury Hotel Has Transformed a Plane Into a Suite in the Costa Rican Jungle, A Guide To Feeling Your Best as a Plus-Size SpaGuest, The Best Airbnbs in Venice, From a Rialto Flat To a San Marco Studio, Download the The proper mindset about longevity is not about aspiring to live to a very old age, but to enjoy the best quality of life possible during the last ten years we live, says Alvaro Cedeno-Molinari, a former Costa Rican diplomat and ambassador who works intensely promoting bioliteracy, regeneration, and well-being as holistic healthy mindsets. According to researchers, most inhabitants live to at least the age of 90. Costa Rica is home to one of the five original blue zones regions, the Nicoya peninsula, with a high number of centenarians in excellent health. Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula joins Sardinia, Italy, Okinawa, Japan, Lima Linda, California, and Icaria, Greece as one of the world's five blue zones. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. The centenarians of the Nicoya Peninsula have also captured the interest of the Institute of Social Studies in Population (Instituto de Estudios Sociales en Poblacin, IDESPO) of the National University (Universidad Nacional) of Costa Rica, which is carrying out a study on the subject this year. WED LOVE IF YOUD ADD IT ON PINTEREST! Within Nosaras lush forest and a three-minute walk to Guiones Beach, this small hotel has a daily yoga class plus private yoga instruction, surf lessons, a large pool, hammocks, and a juice and coffee bar. Another option is to take the 75-minute ferry across the Gulf of Nicoya from Puntarenas to Paquera. While walking gives Nicoyans a chance to exercise and get fresh air, it also gives them time to enjoy the natural beauty for which Nicoya is known. Most residents here live to be over the age of 90 and there's a high number of centenarians as well. A Blue Zone is the name given to one of the areas in the world where a majority of people have a life expectancy of at least 100 years old. You can design your own holistic retreat too, choosing from a Kirtan sound bath, detox program, cacao ceremony, blue clay treatment, drum circles, and more. Along with starting every morning with a healthy breakfast, Nicoyans also eat nutritious food throughout the day. Blue Zone is a term created by author Dan Buettner, building off of research by demographers Michel Poulain, Ph.D., and Giovanni Pes, Ph.D. Would you like to visit the Nicoya Peninsula? Imagine yourself in a future not-so-distant, where more conscious lifestyle decisions you make at an individual level, are supported by a branch of medicine that attempts to change the course of diseases and regenerates failing parts of our bodies. Access to natural foods and organic fruits and vegetables (stables of the Nicoyans) is difficult to come by. That means family ties are the backbone for most peoples existence. They feel needed, and their daily lives revolve around their family and community. Join 19k+ subscribers in receiving FREE travel advice, news & promotions! ", For Belgian researcher Michel Poulain, one of the most important message of the World Meeting of Blue Zones is to tell the world that "Costa Rica has a treasure of longevity in the Nicoya Peninsula, that comes from the past generations, which has been built year by year. He worked with several notable anthropolgists, dieticians, historians, and geneticists to identify and further understand what contributes to a long lifespan. Technology permeates everyday life and Nicoya is the perfect place to go for a digital detox. All rights reserved. Get some sensible sun. What they generally don't know, however, is that a part of Costa Rica tourists rarely visit (the rural Nicoya Peninsula towns of Nicoya, Santa Cruz and environs) contains the largest. If coming from San Jose, the easiest way to get to the Nicoya Peninsula is to take the ferry from Puntarenas. Several of Nicoyas beaches like those in the Ostional National Wildlife Reserve are nesting grounds for Kemps Ridley, green, and leatherback turtles. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Costa Rica is one of the few tropical countries where its safe to drink tap water even for foreigners and theres no need to buy plastic water bottles. I have been exploring the data reported by National Geographic and Dan Buettner in the Blue Zones Solution: . Calles 27 & 29, Ave 2, By Ty and Charlene Bollinger. Water sports are on offer pretty much everywhere along Nicoyas coast, whether you prefer surfing, kayaking, standup paddleboarding, snorkeling, scuba diving, or just checking out whats happening in the tide pools. The people of Nicoya value their families a lot, and you can often see them joking with their neighbors, working hard for long hours, and enjoying the sunshine. It helps them remain positive. We have obtained information from Nicoya, Costa Rica on ways to live longer and be happier. Even the cancer rates on the Nicoya Peninsula are lower than those elsewhere in the world! It would be hard to imagine two more different places than free-wheeling Costa Rica and legally rigid Singapore, yet both are among the happiest places on earth. Nicoyan centenarians tend to live with their families, and children or grandchildren provide support and a sense of purpose and belonging. All of our step by step Costa Rica planning tips in one spot. Nicoya, Costa Rica: A Puzzling Blue Zone Diet Light on Vegetables and High in Carbohydrate and Sugar. He has written numerous books on the topic, but I suggest starting with: Blue Zones of Happiness and The Blue Zones Kitchen (a cookbook). The term 'Blue Zone' was coined by Dan Buettner, a New York Times bestselling author, who was studying areas to some of the oldest people in the world. The world has 5 recognized Blue Zones (as determined by the authority of National Geographic ). The town of Nicoya is considered the oldest in Costa Rica, it is popularly known as "the colonial city". What we can incorporate about Nicoya into our culture is the sense of purpose Nicoyans enjoy. 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Dan Buettner is really the man behind Blue Zones, so I suggest you start your interest with him. It definitely runs contrary to what was written up about the Nicoya people in "The Blue Zones." In that book, their diet was characterized as primarily vegetarian. And a breakfast rich with antioxidants helps to protect a persons cells from disease. This healthy breakfast gives them the nutrients they need for a day of tending crops and livestock. Try spending quality times with your loved ones. The Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica is one of the five areas in the world that hold the distinguished classification of a Blue Zone. The volcanic beach has calm swimming in Bahia Ballena (despite the name, whales are no longer frequent visitors), and theres birdwatching and hiking along the Rio Panica. They are places where people get around by walking more than by car, they eat more plants than meat, and a diet that includes beans or grains such as corn, where the family is their number one purpose. Directions: Toss the cabbage with the orange juice, season with salt and pepper and let sit 30 minutes. O que so Zonas Azuis? I will be visiting Costa Rica next week to meet with Jorge who founded a local organization that helps the small Blue Zone villages. In the interior, the town of Nicoya is one of Costa Ricas oldest and also has one of the countrys oldest churches the Parroquia San Blas, first built in 1544. He finished, stating emphatically "please keep it and put the new generation on the same line in the treasure of this Blue Zone.". Residents of this 80-mile peninsula found south of the Nicaraguan border have the world's lowest middle-age mortality rates, and the second highest number of male centenarians in the world. Come to Nicoya, Costa Rica, One of the World's Five 'Blue Zones' The Nicoya Peninsula has a high concentration of people over 100 years old and a low incidence of health problems like cancer or heart disease. Dubbed "blue zones," residents of these areas share a common environment and lifestyle that . What they generally don't know, however, is that a part of Costa Rica tourists rarely visit (the rural Nicoya Peninsula towns of Nicoya, Santa Cruz and environs) contains the largest. Successful centenarians have a strong sense of purpose. We're going to focus on the last one, mostly because it hits close to home. Meat, fish, and poultry only make up 5% of the usual diet. In other words, people in these zones to live longer than any other areas in the world. Nicoyan centenarians frequently visit with neighbors, and they tend to live with families and children or grandchildren who provide support, as well as a sense of purpose. Making the smart choice in traditional Blue Zones is often the only choice available, not really a choice at all. In the southern part of the peninsula, Santa Teresa is a popular surf area that sprawls for miles along the coast. Where are the world's Blue Zones located? A research team is currently researching the . Nantipas special wellness booking includes yoga, meditation, Ayurvedic and sound therapies, and sessions with wellness coaches and personal trainers. In the future, when we do emerge from the current pandemic, many cities and companies will revisit well-being as a main topic for their citizens and employees. Centenarians seem to have enjoyed physical work of all their lives. They find joy in everyday physical chores. Cala Luna won most innovative wellness hotel from the Global Beauty & Wellness Awards thanks to daily complimentary wellness activities like hatha yoga, bikes to borrow, farm-to-table cuisine (from La Sendas farm) with organic and biodynamic wines, and the innovative treatments at its Lahari Wellness Center spa. This goes along with the decision to widen the country's tourism offerings and venture into industries with high potential, such as wellness tourism. These include Nicoya, Costa Rica; Loma Linda, California; Ikaria, Greece . Feel free to leave them in the comment section below. It is a template outlining the lifestyles of people who live in places like Nicoya, Costa Rica. Learn more about typical diet with our Guide to Costa Rican Food. A three-course farm-to-table dinner with a tour of the organic garden is available Mondays and Thursdays. Costa Rica is generally a healthy country because its government decided that education, healthcare, and protecting the environment are more important than funding its armed forces and it abolished its army in 1948. The term Blue Zone was first used in a 2005 National Geographic cover story entitled The Secret of Long Life written by a man named Dan Buettner. While we may not increase the average life expectancy throughout the world we can use Nicoya as a template for healthier living. mobile app. Costa Rica holds one of the original 5 blue zones of the world and you will find yourself in one of them if you decide on living in the Nicoya Peninsula. These include Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Loma Linda, California; Ikaria, Greece, and you guessed it; Nicoya, Costa Rica. Costa Rica indeed does celebrate its elderly citizens; every person who has a 100 th birthday is . We can start making healthier choices today, thus living more enriching lives and encouraging others to adopt similar healthy ways of living. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Located in northwestern Costa Rica, near the border with Nicaragua, Playas del Coco which is more commonly called Cocois a beach town, popular with both expats and Costa Ricans. Its also easy to eat healthy in Costa Rica, with its abundance of local foods grown in its fertile volcanic soil. 1 - The Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica. Having worked with the pioneers in mind-body research and psychoneuroimmunology. In other words, Nicoyans receive a healthy dose of vitamins in their daily diet. For Priscila Chaves, a Costa Rican social tech-entrepreneur and ethics thought leader, the question that still stands is, how can we translate these apparent otherworldly effects, to the rest of us? Nicoyans eat a light dinner early in the evening. They eat many fruits and vegetables often grown on their own lands, and they tend not to consume much meat. Down on the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica's Blue Zone, visitors can book into a yoga retreat, eat freshly caught fish, go surfing and ride horses along the beach. These factors are present, to some degree, in the other four Blue Zones in the world, according to world experts who participated in the World Meeting in Nicoya in mid-November. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. According to Buettner's studies, the Nicoya Peninsula has the world's lowest rates of middle-age mortality and the second highest convergence of male centenarians. While a Blue Zone indicates a hotspot of healthy longevity, it also presents a challenge of how to extend these benefits throughout the population outside of these redoubts. Nicoya is located on the Guanacaste peninsula in Costa Rica, and is considered one of the 7 blue zones found worldwide. Nicoya, Costa Rica. They include good physical and mental health, upholding a traditional diet, a deep faith and spirituality, support and respect to family networks that go across generations, where grandchildren spend time with their grandparents and share in their knowledge, physical activity and constant mobility, and a purpose in life associated with spirituality. Your email address will not be published. seen in blue zones. Without a doubt, this is a challenge for the next generations, in the context of the world's age pyramid turning upside down, with ever more senior citizens. In Nicoya, Costa Rica, where average incomes are among the nation's lowest, the average lifespan is 85 among the world's highest. There are many factors that go into the long life of Nicoyans, and some of them will be impossible for you to replicate (unless you plan to move to an area of the world where the sun is always shining, the nature is amazing, and then you also need to bring all of your family with you). This is why the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT, Instituto Costarricense de Turismo) launched the Wellness Pura Vida country strategy, which seeks to position Costa Rica as a wellness destination with a difference, which offers unique, transforming experiences. Butterflies in Costa Rica The Best Places to See Them, Irazu Volcano Visit the Highest Volcano in Costa Rica, 20 Free Things to Do in Costa Rica That Youll Love, Costa Rica Rental Car Discount Save Up to 20%, The feeling of a sense of purpose in life. It's also one of the happiest places in Central America: Costa Ricans report a high level of life satisfaction and the country has the highest literacy rate in Latin America. Now, visiting Nicoya doesnt mean youll automatically live to 100, but a trip there is likely to put you on the path to pure life thanks to its natural environment and abundance of healthy activities. 11 talking about this. The Caribbean nation is economically secure and has excellent health care. Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica: Researchers found that the probability of becoming a centenarian for a 60-year-old man residing in Nicoya is 4.8%, which was even more than double that of Okinawa, the second highest in the comparison, and it was almost seven times that of Sardinia and Japan (6). Get your fill of fresh fruits like pineapple, mango, papaya, banana, and passionfruit and vegetables and legumes like squash, cassava, plantain, yam, and beans. Still planning? By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Were Thomas (the German) and Sarah (the US-er). It's a question that inhabitants of Guanacaste are happy to be asking themselves, since it's a true pride for the province's population to be home to one of the five such zones that exist worldwide. Join 19k+ in receiving Expert travel advice, news & promotions! We know that the diet here is different than that of the rest of the country, and that the character of the people here is unique in the world. Also on offer are boat trips to the volcanic Tortuga Islands, where snorkelers might spot angelfish and porcupine fish, and theres a chance of seeing dolphins, manta and spotted eagle rays, and turtles on the way. Gone are the days of making your own food and growing organic produce. It is also one of the world's Blue Zones. Rhuigi Villaseor Kept His Foot On The Gas. uma atrativa pergunta explica que os habitantes de Guanacaste e sim dvida contar com uma das cinco que existem no mundo um orgulho para todos os habitantes da provincia. It includes the five cantons of the Nicoya Peninsula: Hojancha, Nandayure, Carrillo, Santa Cruz and Nicoya. Do you have any questions about the Costa Rica Blue Zone? The Nicoya Peninsula has five cantons where middle-age morality is lowest and centenarians are the most abundant. Having a Blue Zone helps strengthen the country's constant striving for quality of life, both for Costa Ricans and for tourists. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. For those that don't know, there are a few communities around the globe where people live long and healthy lives, up to and past 100, dubbed "blue zones." Moderate alcohol intake, especially wine. The five blue zones are: Loma Linda, California; Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Ikaria, Greece; and the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica.

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why is nicoya, costa rica a blue zone

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