Nutrition & Diet

She Tried The Blue Zone Diet For 7 Days And Discovered A Surprising Truth

Discover how eating like the world's longest-living people feels.

December 5, 2024

Keltie O'Connor — Copyright keltieoconnor/Instagram

Ever find yourself mindlessly scrolling through Netflix, looking for something—anything—to watch? That's exactly how fitness enthusiast Keltie O'Connor stumbled upon "Live to 100: The Story of the Blue Zones." As a former college basketball player who turned YouTuber with 672K subscribers, Keltie is known for putting her body through various challenges to help her audience separate fitness facts from fads. When she discovered the secrets of the world's longest-living people, she knew she had to give it a try. Here's what happened when she followed their diet for a week—so you can decide if it's worth trying yourself.

Understanding Blue Zones

According to the National Institute of Health, Blue Zones are five pockets around the world where people live verifiably longer lives. These areas include Ikaria, Greece; Loma Linda, California; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Okinawa, Japan; and Sardinia, Italy. Researchers found that people in these areas share common lifestyle characteristics that contribute to their longevity.

Dan Buettner, founder of the Blue Zones concept, explains: "The Danish Twin Study established that only about 20 percent of how long the average person lives is dictated by genes, while about 80 percent is influenced by lifestyle and environment."

Key Findings on Diet and Health

The study revealed that 95% of centenarians in Blue Zones ate plant-based diets, including plenty of beans. They also consumed moderate amounts of alcohol, typically wine. The "80 Percent Rule" was common, where people stop eating when they feel 80% full.

Buettner notes, "The longest-lived people have strategies to keep themselves from overeating. There is clinical evidence that strategies such as stopping to say a prayer before meals, eating slowly so that the full feeling can reach the brain, not having televisions in kitchens, or eating with family lead to a decrease in food intake."

The Basic Blue Zone Principles

"The specific foods that show up in all these different cities include whole grains such as corn, wheat, and rice, plenty of greens, tubers like sweet potatoes, and lots of beans," Keltie explains in her post. She approached the diet with three main protocols: nutrition (plant-based focus), movement, and maintaining a positive outlook.

Day One: Getting Started

"For breakfast, I made pumpkin pancakes because squash was in all these different cities," Keltie shares. "For lunch, I had a Mexican-style black bean bowl, and for dinner, I had herb pasta with olive oil and sun-dried tomatoes because it's delicious and inspired by Italy."

Adapting to a New Way of Eating

While following a predominantly plant-based diet, Keltie made some practical adjustments. "I realized I had a little bit of ground bison left in my fridge, and I feel that would be a perfect example of a blue zone use of meat," she notes. "It's not the main part of the dish, and it's just a little bit of it. So I'm not going to 100 percent plant base. I'm just being mindful of more sustainable local meats."

The Importance of Sleep

Beyond diet, Keltie discovered the crucial role of rest in longevity. "Something all the blue zones have and is literally my biggest struggle… is sleep," she admits. "I've always been like 'life's more fun than just sitting there with my eyes closed.' But I'm starting to slowly see the negative side effects of it."

The Social Connection

One of the most profound discoveries was about community. "I think the connection is actually the biggest, most important thing in Blue Zones," Keltie emphasizes. She recalls a moment when feeling isolated: "Sometimes I sadly lack just working for myself. I live alone half the year, I'm in a long distance relationship. But ironically enough, when I left Whole Foods, I ran into my stepsister; it just instantly made me feel so much better."

Dealing with Challenges

Not everything went according to plan. "Date number five, I hit a hurdle not being able to choose my own food," Keltie shares. "At first, I freaked out about this, but then I realized moderation and not stressing, especially when it's social, because I think connection is actually the biggest, most important thing."

The Protein Question

"The lack of protein was definitely noticeable," Keltie observes. "I love protein, and I find when I don't eat enough, my energy dips." She delves into the ongoing debate: "There's two different kind of opposing sides in the debate of protein and longevity. First muscle equals longevity… Protein equals muscle. So if we have more muscle, we'll live longer."

Movement Over Menu

After completing the challenge, Keltie reached an enlightening conclusion: "We tend to hyperfocus way too much on what these blue zones are eating and not how much they're moving. All these people never stop moving. They continue to garden even at a late age; they make their own food, they're constantly moving, and they use food as a way to connect."

The Final Verdict

Looking back on the experience, Keltie shares her pros and cons: "First pro, it was fun to try new recipes. I feel that anytime I try new recipes, I really have a hands-on approach to food. I really remember where my food came from, and I'm just always happier." She emphasizes that while nutrition matters, it's the combination of movement, connection, and mindful eating that truly makes the difference.

Moving Forward

"I'm not saying nutrition doesn't matter," Keltie concludes, "I'm just saying there's so much conflicting research that how are we ever supposed to know right now? It doesn't mean we stop researching and say who cares? I wonder if we shouldn't be as crazy about our food choices as we think." This balanced perspective might be the most valuable takeaway from her Blue Zone experience—focus on the basics of movement, connection, and whole foods rather than getting caught up in strict dietary rules. And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.