It`s a Blue Zone in more ways than one ;)While travelling in Greece, I had many locals recommend that I visit Ikaria. They said if you go there you won`t want to leave!
I was delighted to hear that since I was already particularly interested in Ikaria ever since I learned it was a blue zone.
I am grateful for various experiences this world offers, therefore living longer and healthier is extremely important to me. Not getting dementia or Alzheimer's so that I can cognitively navigate this vast reality and create memories of it efficiently is truly precious.
"Blue Zones" is a term which first publicly appeared in 2005 to describe regional pockets of the Earth deemed by National Geographic investigators as having an unusually high number of centenarians.
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| Meal I ate in Ikaria |
The longevity is said to be contributed to 9 distinct lifestyle factors shared in all regions known as the Power 9®
I found the atmosphere in Ikaria quite relaxing and I don`t think that is any accident. Lack of stress and/or healthy outlets for countering stress is vital for longevity.
According to the official Blue Zones website, number 3 of the Power 9 factors is titled "Down Shift" and is all about stress reducing routines.
One of the first things I noticed is that Ikaria has several hot springs which you can freely enjoy!
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| People enjoying natural warm water |
I`ve never seen hot springs specifically mentioned by the Blue Zone people although it is no stretch of the imagination that it could fall under the "DownShift" category of factors.
I would dare to say that hot water is probably an overlooked factor which deserves specific recognition not only within an umbrella category of destress tactics.
Keep in mind that mutual overlapping lifestyle factors are not the only factors recognized to benefit longevity. Each Blue Zone has its own page mentioning unique features as well.
For example, charts such as these exist:
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| The RedBurn, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons |
So even if hot springs are not common in all Blue Zones doesn`t mean that hot springs are not a primary factor which lengthens lives in Ikaria!
Perhaps if all Blue Zones adapted all the positive lifestyle habits of each other the synergy would make them live to 150... thousand!
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| I took so many pics of these things :p |
Of course, all of this is epidemiological speculation but it is also worth pointing out that Japan is famous for its many onsens as well as its longevity.
Furthermore, hot water has a significant amount of research behind it. Dr. Rhonda Patrick often touts studies on sauna use and heat shock proteins for example. Studies also show hot baths may have cardiovascular benefits too[link].
Hot water is a mild exercise mimetic which lower blood sugar levels as well as stress!
And yet the official Blue Zones page for Ikaria makes no mention of the hot springs. They list other special Ikarian factors though such as mountain living which requires lots of walking and goat cheese.
Another one of the Power 9 factors is having a sense of purpose. In many of the Blue Zones this translates to religious beliefs and there are indeed epidemiological correlations between longevity and religiosity, perhaps since it provides an escape from depressive nihilism.
Ikarians are traditionally Greek Orthodox Christians.
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| Church |
As you may have already noticed, the scenery in Ikaria is lovely!
Does gorgeous island scenery contribute to long life expectancy? While we can`t say with scientific certainty, it wouldn`t be surprising if it did at least by contributed to the relaxing less stressful atmosphere.
Hawaii is also an island with gorgeous scenery and holds the highest life expectancy among US states. So, maybe there`s something to it.
There`s also scientific research which shows various health benefits of exposure to nature, {Link}.
Ikaria had a fantastic balance between societal establishments and nature. Small towns nestled amongst mountainous wilderness, ocean and hot springs with plenty of cafe`s serving Greek coffee which is also known as Turkish coffee in Turkey and Cyprus coffee in coffee despite being the same product thanks to historical rivalry.
Devoid of the stressful hustle and bustle characteristic of big cities, the agriculturally proficient island affected as much by the Greek financial crisis.
An older academic who sought me out for an intellectual conversion whilst I was consuming Greek salad and wine told me that the islanders had a style unique from the mainland which was less rigidly bureaucratic.
I remember the passionate history buff excitedly informing me that ships arriving unannounced and seeking to dock into the island could negotiate. To much extent matters could be handled on a case by case basis. I was also told that it is difficult to get property there for that same reason.
A stranger can`t become part of the community just simply from handing over money.
With that said, the locals were very friendly and welcome visitors so don`t get the wrong impression.
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| it would be horrible if someone littered this place |
Of course things are not as flexible as they are in third world countries when it comes to basic laws. For example, you are supposed to have a drivers license for motorcycles in order to drive one in any developed country. In Vietnam though, I literally bought one without any prior experience and drove it across the country.
Ikaria is big enough that its difficult to explore around the island in a timely manner on foot. So, a Greek guy I met on the island rented a motorbike in his name for me to drive, how nice!
A great scenic way to explore the island but driving around windy cliffs was certainly a challenge.
It didn`t take long for me to fall in love with the chill ambience of Ikaria. The atmosphere was uniquely refreshing!
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