Week 4: The Blue Zones

• Engels
• MBO
• Studiejaar 1,2

Week 4: The Blue Zones

At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

1. explain what the Blue Zone is.
2. tell someone in English the lifestyle of someone who lives in the Blue Zone.
3. explain how a scientific paper stems from research (and not social media/Wikipedia/TikTok).

Blue zone

A blue zone is a region in the world where people are claimed to have exceptionally long lives beyond the age of 80 due to a lifestyle combining physical activity, low stress, rich social interactions, a local whole-foods diet, and low disease incidence.

Name the traditional
five "Blue Zones"

• You have an 11-page scientific article in ItsLearning.
• Scientific = evidence-based
• Reading strategy:
  
  

1. Look at the title and subtitles (Table of Content) for topics.
2. Read the paragraphs in detail. Look at the photographs or figures for extra information.
3. Write down the difficult words on the right.

Cover page: What tells you that it's a scientific paper?

LET'S GO!

Read the first two topics (pages 3 to 6) to answer 

the next six questions.

You may use online dictionaries like 

https://www.merriam-webster.com/

What is this article interested in finding out about the Blue Zone?

1. The exercising regiment.
2. The longevity of people.
3. The death rates.
4. The food they eat.

Dan Buettner and his colleagues called the areas "Blue Zone" because:

1. These areas are surrounded by water.
2. Earth is blue from space.
3. The ink of the pen they used was blue.
4. When people die, they turn blue.

Looking at the map, point out the 5 Blue Zones

1

2

5

6

8

9

7

3

4

Write down the numbers of the 5 Blue Zones on the previous map.

Nonagenarians = people between 90 and 99 years old.

Centenarians = people older than 100 years old.

Cente... = 100

Although great DNA is a factor, scientists think that _____ play a bigger part in longevity.

1. Food and stress
2. Sleep and stress
3. Sleep and exercise
4. Food and lifestyle

Vegetables

Legumes

Whole grains

Nuts

Surprisingly, fruits and dairy products weren't mentioned in the Blue Zone diets.

Traditional "Schijf van vijf"

Next, read pages 7 to 10.

"They follow the 80% rule" (page 7)

Okinawans use the 80% rule with food. What does that mean?

1. They stop eating when they are 80% full.
2. They stop eating when 80% of their food is gone.
3. They stop drinking when they are 80% drunk.
4. They leave 20% of their food on their plates.

High-calorie foods

Chronic illnesses

Explain the paragraph on page 8 that starts with "A number of studies...longer."

Drinking alcohol is good for health.

1. Yes.
2. No.
3. Unclear but only if it's in moderation. (met mate)

75 minutes of vigorous or 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercises per week help to reduce risk of cancer, heart disease and "overall death".

What does "overall death" mean?

Read the last three pages.

Imagine that you can go to bed and wake up whenever you like. What would you days be like?

Napping (dutje maken) is beneficial to the heart and not dying, if it is...

1. More than an hour.
2. Between half an hour and an hour.
3. Between 0 and 30 minutes

The four things that are related to longevity are:

1. Being religious or spiritual
2. Having a life purpose
3. Older and younger people living together
4. A healthy social network ("...if your friends are obese, , you have a greater risk of being obese...")

What have you learned about the lifestyle of Blue Zone areas?

Last week, you made an exercise plan for someone between 50 and 60.

This week, find an online dietary plan that:

1. can help reduce the risk of heart diseases 
2. for obese 30-40 year olds 
3. living in the Netherlands.
   
   

Send a link in the next page.

Diet plan for obese 30-40 year olds living in the Netherlands.

You have learned about the traditional and cultural Blue Zones. 

= they have always lived that way.

We cross the oceans to find the 6th Blue Zone country.

She is in Southeast Asia and known to be the "Engineered Blue Zone".

Look up "6th Blue Zone" online. What is the country called?

If you're interested, look up this article:

https://www.bluezones.com/2023/10/the-worlds-6th-blue-zones-region/