Blue Zones Nicoya focuses its mission on the centennial population of Nicoya
Blue Zones Nicoya focuses its mission on the centennial population of Nicoya
The centennial population of the Nicoya Peninsula is the reason of being of Blue Zones Nicoya. This goes beyond the name of the company, since it is also closely related to the objective of the products: return to the roots of health from Nicoya.
Blue Zones aims to recover the food tradition of the oldest population in the region and to expand it to the eating habits of the new generations. Centenarians are an example to follow, being a beautiful model of a leisurely, jovial lifestyle, with a spirit of faith, lovers of physical activity, with good energy and respect for tradition.
With the intention of looking after the centennial population, a part of the income received from the product sales are donated to the Nicoya Peninsula Blue Zone Association. This was created in 2017 by journalist Jorge Vindas.
Since then, the project has focused on ensuring that the minimum needs of the centenarians in the area are met. The mission is highly relevant, since a large part of the centennial population and the elderly have economic difficulties.
The funds raised through sponsorships from private companies are destined to members of the centennial population with needs for food (such as nutritional supplements), mobilization, health care and provisions as basic as personal hygiene needs, among these the diapers for the elderly.
Other uses have been for the remodeling of spaces in the houses of these people, so that they have decent comforts, such as covering the ground floor or expanding the bathrooms. In addition, month by month funds are used to procure the transfer for the study of the members of the centennial population involved.
Within the work of the Association there is also recording of the stories of this long-lived population, as well as the preparation of materials that facilitate the appreciation of their lifestyle. At different times this task has contributed to the international admiration for the region, paying attention to Nicoya, which joins the other blue zones in the world: Okinawa (Japan), Icaria (Greece), Loma Linda (California) and Barbaglia (Sardinia, Italy).
In the local case, the centennial population (and elderly on the way to reaching this number) is concentrated in the regions of Nicoya, Santa Cruz, Carrillo, Nandayure and Hojancha.
According to information from the Association, by the end of May 2020 in Nicoya there are about 4,500 people over the age of 80. Of these, there are 950 people between the ages of 90 and almost 100. For its part, the group of 100 or more years, reaches 46 people.
The highest peak of centenarians in the area has been 57 simultaneously, with a majority of women within this population. Meanwhile, the longest-lived person on record reached 110 years and two months.
In our country, as far as it has been possible to register, the population that makes Nicoya a Blue Zone has based its diet on Creole food.
Taking the reference of centuries-old food, Blue Zones has developed products based on pujagua corn, maya nut (ojoche), tree spinach (chicasquil), honey, and pickled mixtures based on hot chili.
Other abundant products in the centenarians’ diet include corn, pipián, squash, grains and a variety of fruits, always from what their gardens produced, without chemicals.
The work of the Nicoya Peninsula Blue Zone Association
Jorge Vindas began to work with the centennial population in Nicoya thanks to a position he had in the investigations carried out between CRELES (Costa Rica study of longevity and healthy aging) together with the CCP (Central American Population Center).
To reach 100 years, according to the founder of the Association, within the research on the population has found recurring factors. Among them is healthy eating, the practice of generosity and the spirit that “to live well, you have to be a good person”.
Currently one of the pending works of the Association is the printing of more than 250 centenarians picture that would be added to a Centennial Treasures photo gallery to honor their life.
“The relevance of this being a Blue Zone is that we have the living example of our oldest residents. We have a treasure that we must take advantage of and learn because they are life practices of these people. We should adapt them to current life regardless of age, “says Vindas.
The educational and informative activities offered by the Association include talks dedicated to how the Nicoya lifestyle can be replicated. These lessons include the understanding that you should not seek to modernize and change traditions and to embrace the lessons of the elderly.
