Change How You Feel During Menopause With These Blue Zone Tips For Aging

Change how you feel during menopause with these blue zone tips for aging gracefully
Do you dream of living a long, healthy life free of chronic disease and ailments? It can be your reality. In fact, it is real life in the “Blue Zone” regions of the world. They’re parts of the world where people know the secret to healthy aging. Living to 100 is common in these remote parts of the world and one American city. So, what do they know that the rest of the world doesn’t? Let’s explore the research-backed secrets to aging gracefully and how they can help women during the menopause journey.
 
Table of Contents
    Add a header to begin generating the table of contents

    Age of menopause around the world

    When we think about menopause experiences, geography is one factor that affects how a woman feels.
     
    For example, large epidemiological studies show the median age of menopause is:
     
    • 43.8 to 53 years old – Latin America
    • 42.1 to 49.5 years old – Asia
    • 50.1 to 52.8 years old – Europe
    • 50.5 to 51.4 years old – North America
    Those are significant variations from the start of menopause at age 43 in Latin America to 50 in North America.
     
    Symptoms vary, too, depending on where you live. Hot flashes are more common in the western world than in other parts of the world.
     
    Of course, other factors impact how you feel during menopause like race and/or ethnicity, personal and family history, underlying health conditions, and lifestyle.
     
    But, geography is important to hone in on because it’s helped lead to a designation known worldwide as a “Blue Zone.”
     

    What is a Blue Zone?

    In America, advances in healthcare do not lead to increased longevity and fewer health concerns.
     
    The average life expectancy is higher in Japan (84.2) than in the United States (78.6).
     
    Have you ever heard of a “Blue Zone”? These are parts of the world where people live longer and healthier lives – long past 78 or 84 years old.
    Instead of living to 80, people live to 100 in Blue Zone regions around the world without chronic disease.
    The rate of reaching this age is ten times greater in these regions of the world than in the United States.

    menopause journey.

    menopause blue zone

    Where are Blue Zones?

    This discovery of the Blue Zone regions started as a National Geographic expedition led by Dan Buettner. Their goal was to uncover the secrets of longevity.
     
    They discovered those secrets plus five regions of the world with a high concentration of people living healthy lives until age 100.
     
    The Blue Zone regions include islands in Greece and Japan, a region of Italy, a small city in California, and the peninsula of Costa Rica.
     
    This talk of living to 100 is not just for people living in remote areas of the world.
     

    Blue Zones in the United States

    Buettner took the concept of living a long and healthy life to middle America – Spencer, Iowa, where meat is a staple of life.
     
    The city manager’s kidneys were failing, and he took some medications. His body healedy by following a plant-based diet and making several other lifestyle changes. Evidence of his kidney disease reportedly disappeared in six months.
    This idea spread to city employees, and in one year, the cost of healthcare in Spencer, Iowa, reportedly dropped by 25 percent.
    The Blue Zones Project® focuses on transforming how communities operate, with a strong focus on policies that prioritize overall well-being.
     
    It takes a village sometimes, and these projects focus on the village that makes up a community. There’s a focus on work environments, schools, grocery stores, restaurants, community amenities, faith, and helping individuals find purpose in life.
     

    Secrets to living a long life

    The lifestyles of mountain villagers, Seventh-day Adventists, and islanders are all different. They each have their go-to recipe for longevity.
     
    However, researchers found a few common lifestyle traits that these three communities have and published their findings in National Geographic in 2005.
     
    These include:
     
    • No smoking
    • Putting family first
    • Physical activity every day
    • Social engagement
    • Eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
    Some unique community traits include faith, eating nuts and beans, drinking red wine in moderation, sharing the work burden with a spouse, eating foods rich in Omega-3, small portions, finding purpose, and keeping lifelong friends.
     

    Blue Zone principles

    Researchers, anthropologists, demographers, and scientists came up with nine principles of the Blue Zone culture. They call this Power 9®.
     
    These lifestyle principles include:
     
    1. Purpose
    2. Move naturally
    3. 80 percent full rule for eating
    4. Plant slant
    5. Wine@5
    6. Downshift
    7. Belong
    8. Right tribe
    9. Loved ones first
    While these are specific habits, they all fit into five themes: optimism, exercise, nutrition, social support, and stress management.
     
    I focus on in my workshop, “The Art and Science of Healthy Aging.” My co-creator and I also add a sixth focus. That’s sleep. It’s also important to living a long and prosperous life.
     
    The original scientists and researchers also stressed faith, keeping lifelong friends, and sharing the work burden with a spouse.
     
    No matter what’s on your list, it’s possible to live to 100 if you focus on healthy lifestyle habits that enrich the mind, body, and soul.

     

    Finding purpose in life

    First, identify your purpose in life. That is a strong character trait in centenarians who live in a Blue Zone.
     
    Okinawans refer to purpose as “ikigai,” and the Nicoyans in Costa Rica call it “plan de vida”.
    What drives you to get out of bed daily and makes you feel fulfilled? Find ways to do those things more often.
    Studies back up what Blue Zone researchers discovered.
     
    A 2019 JAMA Network Open study followed adults for four years, mostly women. The study found adults over the age of 50 who had a high “life purpose” ranking were less likely to die during the four-year study period.
     
    Researchers found low purpose in life was significantly associated with death.
     

    Purpose definition

    The study authors used this definition of purpose – “’a self-organizing life aim that stimulates goals’ promotes healthy behaviors, and gives meaning to life.”
     
    Why does purpose help you live longer? It’s thought that purpose helps drive healthy well-being behaviors that lower inflammation in the body from cortisol, which increases during times of stress and lower levels of proinflammatory cytokines.
     
    During menopause, which some women consider a challenging stage of life due to symptoms, think about your purpose. This mindset shift can help change how you feel. It will force you to focus on your lifestyle and well-being.
     
    Finding your purpose may also help slow down your life, so you’re not as stressed and running from one task to another. It’ll force you to focus on being instead of doing.
     
    Listen more, do one thing at a time, and find your one thing.
     

    How to find your purpose in life

    If you’re unsure what that purpose is, try these exercises to find daily happiness.
     
    While we’re trying to live longer, the first exercise will take you to the end of your life for a brief moment. Of course, there’s a purpose, though.
     
    NYT mega-bestselling author and small business guru, Michael Gerber, asks you to imagine what you want people to say about you at your funeral. How do ou want people to remember you when you’re gone from Earth? Are you making the things you want to be remembered for every day a focus every day?
     
    Then ask yourself, what makes you smile?
     
    Your answers should bring your purpose into focus.

     

    Gratitude journal to find purpose

    You can also start a gratitude journal. It can help you reflect on your blessings each day.
     
    Reflect on your journal. Is there one thing that stands out that makes you happy every day? Perhaps it’s your family, faith, friends, or health. Find that one thing and prioritize it every day.
     
    While it should be personal, you may also find your purpose aligns with that of your “tribe” or social network. Lean on them for support to follow your heart every day.
     
    Make it a priority every day, and you’re on the way to aging gracefully. Begin your journey toward your purpose and a life of happiness today, even during menopause.
     

    Purposeful activities

    Of course, work helps you pay your bills and supports your passions. However, it shouldn’t consume your life. Going to work should not be the only reason you get out of bed in the morning.
     
    In the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, Buettner wrote that an Okinawa centenarian said it’s like “jumping into heaven” when holding a great-grandchild. Their purpose is to be there for future generations to celebrate their success and share their wisdom.
     

    So, what’s your purpose?

    If you don’t have one yet, try volunteering or meditation. The JAMA study found that volunteering, Well-Being Therapy©, and meditation improved purpose, quality of life, and specific health outcomes.
     
    Ask yourself, are you working toward your purpose every day? Or is your day filled with unrelated tasks? Living a life of purpose will also keep you moving!
    menopause blue zone exercise

    How exercise impacts your health

    Move more! It doesn’t have to be a chore or a strict exercise routine. You’ll likely meet or exceed exercise recommendations if you incorporate movement into everything you do during the day.
     
    It’s recommended that you exercise at least 150 minutes a week, plus do two days of muscle-strengthening exercises.
     
    However, the chance of reaching this goal decreases with age. 
     
    Why is exercise so important? It helps:
     
    • build strength to reduce the risk of falling and breaking a bone
    • lower the risk of developing colon cancer, high blood pressure, and diabetes
    • reduce your blood pressure if you’re already experiencing hypertension
    • reduce the risk of coronary heart disease
    • lower stress
    • improve your mood
    • reduce pain associated with arthritis
    When exercise is boring, you’re more likely to stop this healthy habit. So, find your accountability partner. Perhaps it’s someone to encourage and motivate you when you don’t feel like exercising.
     

    Exercises for aging women

    Add variety to your routine by walking, dancing, taking a Pilates or Yoga class, or swimming.
     
    If you’re on a menopause journey, exercise is essential as your body changes during this natural stage of life. Strength, flexibility, and aerobic exercises are important to maintain your health as you age. They can help with balance, bone strength to prevent osteoporosis, and your cardiovascular health as you progress through the stages of menopause.
     
    These are ten great exercises for menopausal women. They work the trouble spots, like your midsection, and improve flexibility and strength.
     
    In regions of the world where people live the longest, they walk everywhere, including the store. And they often move while gardening.
     
    A recent study from Washington State University found walkable neighborhoods contribute to one’s likelihood of reaching centenarian status, among several other factors, including your environment, socioeconomic status, and education.
     
    Why? Usually, a walkable neighborhood has greater access to public transportation, healthy food, and healthcare. Plus, you walk everywhere rather than take your car to the store.
     

    That may not be possible in every city in the United States but think about ways you can move more each day.

    What to eat as you age

    Exercise is one way to maintain a healthy weight, but it’s just one part of the equation. Nutrition also matters.
     
    There’s lots of conflicting research on the best nutrition plan and whether you should drink alcohol or skip it during menopause and beyond.
     
    There’s also variety in the go-to nutrition plan for areas of the world with the highest concentration of centenarians.
     
    So, what should you eat as you age?
     
    Centenarians eat plant-based foods or a vegan or Mediterranean diet. Fast food and fried foods are not on the menu. The staples are fresh leafy vegetables and fruit, beans, legumes, nuts, and lentils, and very little meat if any.
     
    Many of these foods are also staples for menopausal women looking for the right combination of nutrients to manage and control their symptoms. Get an easy-to-follow grocery list designed for a menopausal woman.
    Shopping List Download

    Make A Change For The Better!

    This menopause grocery list contains a combination of foods specifically selected to help you feel better today and even better in the future.

    "*" indicates required fields

    Please send the following:*

    Focus on portion control

    No matter what you eat, focus on your portions. The average meal in the United States continues to get bigger, exceeding most portion-sized recommendations.
    World-renowned centenarians focus on a deck of cards.
     
    Next, look to the 80 percent rule out of Okinawa, Japan. They say a 2500-year old Confucian mantra before eating that reminds them to stop eating when they feel 80 percent full.
     
    People eat their smallest meal in the late afternoon or early evening and don’t eat again until morning.
    Following these two principles could make a dramatic change in your overall well-being.
     

    Alcohol consumption as you age

    Excessive drinking is not just a young person’s problem. It causes more than 21,000 deaths among adults aged 65 and older every year in the United States.
     
    It also can cause your overall health to deteriorate. Excessive drinking puts you at greater risk for high blood pressure, liver disease, certain cancers, heart disease, stroke, and other chronic health problems.
     
    Despite the numbers and risks in the U.S., moderate drinking is a lifestyle of highly-concentrated centenarian regions. Wine is typically the go-to drink due to the high levels of antioxidants and polyphenols.
     
    Buettner found it’s more common to drink wine with dinner than water because it triples the flavonoid absorption.
     
    Buettner’s team prioritizes wine in American Blue Zones®, encouraging drinking at 5 P.M. with friends.
     
    Consult your doctor and identify potential risks in your particular situation. For menopausal women, learn the facts about alcohol and the increased risks and potential benefits of light drinking.
     

    How to downshift or maintain positivity

    Exercise, having a drink with friends, and focusing on your purpose in life can help you achieve the next concept, too – downshifting. That’s a way to free your mind of negative thoughts and everyday stress.
     
    So it would be best if you found ways to manage stress before it controls your life.
     
    Naps, happy hour, praying, and remembering ancestors are ideas from the Blue Zone.
     
    You can also consider mindfulness, gratitude, reading, a technology timeout, or a fun outing with friends.
     

    Making aging a positive experience

    These Blue Zone principles can help you reverse your personal mindset about menopause and help you break free from societal views of menopause.
     
    The trends are changing. Menopause is becoming more mainstream, but we’re not there yet.
     
    It’s still trendy and noteworthy when a Hollywood star goes gray or reveals her face without makeup.
     
    Society still makes women feel like they want and have to cover gray hairs and reverse signs of aging with cosmetic procedures.
     
    So, it’s no wonder aging gracefully is often not top of mind for a menopausal woman. That’s why pausitive health is helping you change menopause into a more “pausitive” experience too. The play on words with our holistic concierge menopause experience is no coincidence.
     
    We need to change the mindset about menopause – personally, medicinally, and societal.
     
    Whether you’re in early menopause, perimenopause, menopause, or post-menopause – it’s never too late to make a change for the better.
     

    How stress affects your health

    Chronic stress is unhealthy as it leads to inflammation in the body. It increases your heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar. It can even change the size of your brain, lower your immune system, and slow down your gastrointestinal system.
     
    That’s just the start of the snowball effect. How well do you sleep when you’re stressed? Do you eat more or have more cravings? These are all normal body reactions.
     

    Add in the health impacts of menopause like sleeplessness and weight gain, and you know why stress is something to avoid in midlife and as you age.

    Stress compounds throughout your lifetime, especially when it becomes chronic for too long.
     
    What you do in your younger years can impact you later in life if you do damage that you can’t reverse.
     
    Start downshifting now by coming along on a journey of life.
    menopause bluezone friends

    Finding the right social connections

    Friends are some of the best medicine in life.
     
    Sociologists from the University of North Carolina found social connections are as meaningful as physical activity and healthy eating throughout our lives.
     
    That social connection is a tremendous stress-busting tool. Also, friendship can improve your happiness and self-confidence. It can help you stay motivated to exercise and eat healthy.
     
    Almost everything circles back to your friends.
     
    In the designated Blue Zone regions, social networks are the fabric of their culture. In Japan, it’s called a “moai” or a group of lifelong friends.
     
    When you’re young, your parents put you into a moai. Several women interviewed by Buettner were in the same social network for 98 years. They’ve committed their lives to each other for nearly a century.
     
    It’s not just an occasional check-in to see how old friends are doing. These friends age together and engage in activities weekly, if not daily.
     

    Health effects of isolation and loneliness

    It prevents loneliness as a big problem as people age.
     
    Buettner found loneliness takes eight years off your life in Okinawa, Japan.
     
    And according to the American Psychological Association and analysis by Julianne Holt-Lunstad, PhD, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Brigham Young University, the health risks of social isolation and loneliness are (1) as high as smoking 15 cigarettes a day or having alcohol use disorder and (2) twice as harmful to physical and mental health as obesity.
     

    Belonging and believing in faith

    Faith is also essential. In Buettner’s interviews of 263 centenarians, all but five belonged to a faith-based community. Attending a faith-based service four times a month added four to 14 years of life expectancy.
     
    Faith gives you hope, a sense of belonging, a group of like-minded individuals, and purpose in life. It can also relieve stress and comfort you in times of despair. Spirituality can center your thoughts and mind while providing hope.
     

    Loved ones first

    Finally, hold your loved ones near and dear to your heart.
     
    If there’s one thing the social isolation of COVID-19 has taught the world, it’s the value of slowing life down and focusing on your family (and friends). For perhaps the first time in a long time, some American families eat dinner together rather than racing from one activity to another.
     
    While life returned to normal for some after the lockdowns ended, the precious family time is one of the blessings that came out of the pandemic.
     
    It’s added a new layer of stress to life with remote work and virtual schooling, but there’s also the extra time you have at home with the ones who matter most rather than in your car commuting to work or driving your child to another practice or event.
     
    Focusing on building strong family connections and moving forward if there’s a disagreement is just as important as finding the right tribe.
     

    Healthy lifestyle choices can help you age gracefully

    You may be thinking, “But I have bad genes, so this is all just a dream.” You can’t change your genes either, but how much of a factor are they? You probably overvalue the impact of your genes on your health.
    A Danish twin study found genes are only responsible for 20 percent of how long we live. The rest is your lifestyle.
    You also don’t have to move to one of the community-focused healthy cities to make a change for the better. There are plenty of lifestyle habits that you can incorporate into your life, no matter where you live.
     
    The sooner you take action for yourself (the one thing you can control), the better off you’ll feel during menopause and post-menopause, and you may increase your chance of living longer.
     
    Make a change for the better today – even if you’re in early menopause.
     
    Focus on successfully incorporating one new healthy lifestyle at a time into your life. Set a goal you can accomplish in 30 days, and hold yourself accountable. Perhaps find an accountability partner.
     
    Make small changes in your life, and you’ll be on the path to improving your overall health and well-being and your menopause experience.
    pausitive health program mockup

    Free Support
    For Your Menopause Journey!

    Only available for a limited time!

    Access a one-stop menopause journey digital destination that provides personalized text messages that focus on educational topics you select and offers many other features such as a diet assessment with recommendations, solutions from collaboration partners to address menopausal aches and pains (the musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause – MSM), pelvic floor issues, virtual care, lifestyle tools, and a supportive community.

    Palacios S, Henderson VW, Siseles N, Tan D, Villaseca P. Age of menopause and impact of climacteric symptoms by geographical region. Climacteric. 2010 Oct;13(5):419-28. doi: 10.3109/13697137.2010.507886. PMID: 20690868.

    How does U.S. life expectancy compare to other countries? | Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker 

    Buettner D, Skemp S. Blue Zones: Lessons From the World’s Longest Lived. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2016 Jul 7;10(5):318-321. doi: 10.1177/1559827616637066. PMID: 30202288; PMCID: PMC6125071.

    Buettner D, Skemp S. Blue Zones: Lessons From the World’s Longest Lived. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2016 Jul 7;10(5):318-321. doi: 10.1177/1559827616637066. PMID: 30202288; PMCID: PMC6125071.

    How Are the Secrets to a Long and Healthy Life | National Geographic 

    The Secrets of Long Life | Blue Zones

    Alimujiang A, Wiensch A, Boss J, et al. Association Between Life Purpose and Mortality Among US Adults Older Than 50 YearsJAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(5):e194270. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.4270

    Buettner D, Skemp S. Blue Zones: Lessons From the World’s Longest Lived. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2016 Jul 7;10(5):318-321. doi: 10.1177/1559827616637066. PMID: 30202288; PMCID: PMC6125071.

    Well-Being Therapy | Academy of Well-Being Therapy

    Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans 2nd edition | U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

    Older Adults | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

    Bhardwaj, R.; Amiri, S.; Buchwald, D.; Amram, O. Environmental Correlates of Reaching a Centenarian Age: Analysis of 144,665 Deaths in Washington State for 2011−2015Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 2828. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17082828

    The State of Aging & Health in America 2013 | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

    The 12 Journeys | PeopleTweaker

    UNC-Chapel Hill Sociology researchers show how social relationships reduce health risk in each stage of life | UNC College of Arts and Sciences

    Julianne Holt-Lunstad probes loneliness, social connections | American Psychological Association

    The Hidden “Blessings” of COVID-19: Let’s Not Blow It, People! | PeopleTweaker

    Christensen, K., Holm, N. V., McGue, M., Corder, L., Vaupel, J. W. A Danish population based twin study on general health in the elderly. Journal of Aging and Health, 11:1, 49-64 (1999). 

    You may also like…

    women from around the world

    Menopause Around the World: How Symptoms & Mindsets Vary

    1.2 billion women+ across the globe will be on the menopause journey by 2030. Source: The Demography of Menopause | Maturitas Menopause Around the World: Country by Country Guide Every woman’s menopause journey is unique. While there are symptoms like vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes, night sweats, and palpitations) which 80% of women+ in the U.S.

    Read More »

    Women of Color

    Extremely challenging…. is how 25% of both Black and Hispanic women and Latinas described their menopause symptoms in a pausitive health survey. Only 12% of white women and 7% of Asian women used the same description. Women of Color: The Many Shades of Menopause For many women of color in the United States, the menopause

    Read More »

    The content on the Website is for informational purposes only. Personal Insight, MD, LLC dba pausitive health does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, nor recommend or endorse any specific tests, medical professionals, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read on this website. Learn more.

    Scroll to Top