Are You Blue?

Blue is typically associated with one being sad or depressed in the United States, but in other areas of the world “blue” is the exact opposite. According to author Dan Buettner, there are five places in the world called Blue Zones in which the residents of these areas are not only happier, but they are also some of the world’s oldest people. In the book Blue Zones, author Buettner identified Icaria, Greece, Ogliastra, Sardinia, Okinawa, Japan, Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica and The Seventh Day Adventist in Loma Linda, California as Blue Zones, but there certainly could be many more. Buettner’s thought provoking study made me ponder on how and why people who live in Blue Zones have drastically lower occurrences of heart disease, dementia, cancer, and depression in comparison to the United States who according to the CDC, has seen a 400% increase of antidepressant prescribing since 1988. So, what are we doing wrong and what are they doing right? How can we create Blue Zones in our community? Let’s find out!