Rituals
Maria’s love of yogurt also aligns with what researchers have observed in the so-called “Blue Zones”—regions around the world where people routinely live into their 90s and beyond.
These places include Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia (Italy), Ikaria (Greece), Nicoya (Costa Rica), and Loma Linda (California). In each of these communities, certain patterns emerge: plant-based diets, physical activity woven into daily life, tight-knit social bonds, stress reduction, and yes—frequent consumption of fermented foods like yogurt.
Dan Buettner, the researcher who popularized the Blue Zones concept, has spent years studying the
