I Tried the Blue Zone Diet With My Mom—Here’s the Powerful Eating Lesson We Both Learned
During a trip to Hilton Head Health, we discovered a Blue Zones principle that changed how we eat
Like most women, I’ve always wondered about the secret to living a longer, healthier life—especially as someone who loves good food. So when I had the chance to attend The Blue Zones™ Experience at Hilton Head Health with my mom, I jumped at it. This wasn’t just about learning longevity secrets from the world’s healthiest communities—it was a chance to spend quality time with my favorite person while discovering how simple changes to the way we eat could help us both feel our best for years to come.
What are Blue Zones?
You might have heard of Blue Zones from Dan Buettner’s inspiring Netflix documentary Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones or his books. I’ll admit, before this trip, I didn’t know much about them either! David Chesworth, Blue Zones Credentialed Facilitator and Program Director at Hilton Head Health, broke it down:
“The Blue Zones are locations where people are not only living longer, they are living better longer,” says Chesworth. “They are living into their 90s and 100s and still living active lifestyles. Their rates of chronic lifestyle disease are significantly less than anywhere else in the world and their healthcare costs are a fraction of that which we see in the United States as a result. The five original Blue Zones are Okinawa, Japan, Ikaria, Greece, Sardinia, Italy, the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica and Loma Linda, California.”
Woman's World Answers
What is the Blue Zone diet?
According to the Blue Zones official website, there are food guidelines practiced monthly, weekly and daily
Monthly:
- “Retreat from meat: Blue Zone centenarians eat about 2 oz or less about five times per month.”
- “Reduce dairy”
Weekly:
- “Slash sugar: Consume only 28 grams (7 tsp.) of added sugar daily.”
- “Eliminate eggs: No more than 3 per week.”
- “Go easy on fish: Fewer than 3 oz, up to 3 times weekly.”
Daily:
- “Snack on nuts: About one to two handfuls a day.”
- “Drink mostly water: About 7 glasses a day; coffee, tea and wine in moderation.”
- “Daily dose of beans: Half-cup to one cup a day.”
- “Go wholly whole: Single-ingredient, raw, cooked, ground or fermented and not highly processed.”
- “95 to 100 percent plant-based.”
What the experience taught me and my mom about nutrition
Growing up, my mom always instilled the importance of health in my brother and me through nutrition and exercise. At the time, I envied friends who had free access to Honey Buns and Lunchables for school lunch, while we had meals of lean chicken, vegetables and Sun Chips. Occasionally, we’d get a Lunchable if it was a special day. My mom struck a balance, allowing us to enjoy treats without making us feel restricted, but overall, she taught us to view food as a way to fuel our bodies.
What we didn’t cover much was mindful eating and a Blue Zones Power 9 Principle I learned at Hilton Head Health called Hara Hachi Bu.
“‘Hara Hachi Bu’ is a mantra prior to eating a meal that roughly translates into ‘stop eating when you’re 80 percent full,’” says Chesworth. “‘Hara Hachi Bu’ originates from the very first Blue Zone that was discovered in Okinawa, Japan. [It] is a practice that promotes eating wisely. It is a practice that invites what we call in Western culture, ‘Mindful Eating.’ To discontinue eating at 80 percent fullness requires one to tune in with hunger sensations. As a result, it sets the intention to slow down and be more present during mealtime.”
At Hilton Head Health, each day my mom and I sat in a sunlit dining room looking out at moss-lined trees and water while enjoying healthy meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sometimes another guest would join us, but often it was just us catching up. We’d talk about how refreshing the meals were, share stories from the past or plan what movie to watch when we got back to the room.
You might think a baby boomer and Gen Z mother-daughter duo would take away very different lessons, but believe it or not, we both came to the same realization with different lenses. During those quiet meals, we noticed how often we eat with distractions at home. I might be watching Netflix or scrolling TikTok, and she might be catching up on movies or podcasts. Both of us were more engaged with entertainment than with our meals, making it harder to notice when we were truly 80 percent full.
During the trip, I began to recognize when I was full at each meal, and my mom, who was thrilled with the wide variety of healthy options and made sure nearly everyone on staff knew it, encouraged me to pause in gratitude for the healthy and somehow delicious meals we had during our stay. With each meal, I found myself experiencing gratitude for the delicious black bean burger, sautéed spinach and sweet potato mash I kept ordering, and gratitude for time with my favorite person.
While neither of us can promise we’ll never watch a show or listen to a podcast over a meal again, we agreed that when we do, it will be intentional. More often, we’ll continue what we started at Hilton Head Health—pausing to truly savor our food, listening to our bodies and making mealtimes a moment of gratitude and connection. Whether we’re together at the table or catching up over FaceTime, we’re committed to being present.
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