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I tried the Nicoya, Costa Rica Blue Zone diet for a week. I felt fuller and more energetic.
I tried the Nicoya, Costa Rica Blue Zone diet for a week. I felt fuller and more energetic.
Julia PugachevskySep 15, 2023, 01:51 IST
Julia Pugachevsky
Nicoya, Costa Rica is one of the world's five Blue Zones, where people live longer than average.
Nicoyans don't eat much meat and consume more whole foods like beans, squash, and corn.
Nicoya, Costa Rica is one of the world's five "Blue Zones," where residents live longer than average. Some Nicoyans live well into their 90s and 100s, with one 100-year-old man still riding horses and herding livestock in a new Netflix documentary about the secrets of the world's Blue Zones.
One of the potential secrets to the Nicoyans' longer lifespan is their diet, which relies heavily on beans as a superfood. Nicoyans also don't eat much meat, which felt encouraging: I'm a pescetarian and follow a plant-based diet 80% of the time, but always worry I'm still not getting enough protein.
Hearing that a more veggie-focused, whole-food diet may be linked to longevity made me want to try eating like a Costa Rican SuperAger. Of course, I won't be able to tell if it will really help me live longer — but some more energy would be nice. Because I live in Brooklyn and can't harvest my own food as many Nicoyans do, I had to make do with meal-prepping two dishes and a snack. Here's how it went.
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The recipes were delicious and easy to throw together.
Cooking peppers and onions as the base of gallo pinto.Julia Pugachevsky
The ingredients were versatile, so I never got bored.
Customizing my gallo pinto (rice and beans) with an egg, avocado, and lots of hot sauce.Julia Pugachevsky
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I felt fuller for longer, even when working out.
Making a big batch of three sisters stew.Julia Pugachevsky
I discovered a new plant-based source of protein.
A bowl of the three sisters stew.Julia Pugachevsky
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Homemade snacks curbed my sugar intake.
Fresh-baked rosquillas for easy snacking.Julia Pugachevsky
Baking my own treats took effort but was worth it.