We recently visited the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica’s official Blue Zone. Here, people are more than twice as likely as Americans to reach a vital age 90, often living to 100.

Here are 4 longevity lessons I brought home from Costa Rica:

1. Live in sync with the sun.

In Costa Rica, year round the daylight length doesn’t vary that much, with ~12 hours of daylight. In other words, sunset is always around 5-6PM and sunrise is around 5-6AM.

These early 6 pm sunsets got me thinking…beyond their beauty…could they be contributing to Nicoyan’s longevity?

The people here follow a routine in sync with nature- rising with sun and winding down with the sunset.  People are

We’ve lost our circadian rhythm with artificial light and excessive screen time. 

Artificial light and excessive screen time has of course thrown off our rhythms, resulting in poor sleep. Dysregulated circadian rhythms and poor sleep is linked to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, dementia, and depression.

The good news is that, despite modern dependence on artificial light, we can still sync our circadian rhythms with the natural rise and setting of the sun. 

Morning light exposure triggers a cortisol release, which enhances alertness, focus, energy, and even gut motility. It also gets serotonin, our “happy hormone,” flowing. 

Strategies to restore your circadian rhythm:

-Eat when the sun is up, fast when the sun goes down. Our metabolism is strongest midday, when the sun is strongest. Costa Ricans eat a moderate breakfast, large lunch, and a small dinner.

-Sleep consistency- go to bed at the same time and wake at the same time. 

-More light in the morning- open your curtains, drink your coffee by a window, take a sunrise walk. 

-Turn down the lights beginning at sunset.

-Try to get outside as much as possible. 

-Avoid screens an hour before bedtime. 

2. Vibrant food is nourishment and love.

In Costa Rica, cooking with fresh, local, beautiful produce isn’t just about flavor. It’s about life itself.

A juicy papaya isn’t just breakfast — it’s sunshine, vitamins, antioxidants, medicine you can see. The color is the medicine.

Food isn’t just sustenance there. It’s a love letter to the land, a celebration of community and culture.

Costa Rican dietary staples that bring this to life:

• Gallo pinto: black beans and rice, the daily anchor
• Eggs: often from the backyard
• Vegetables: squash, wild greens, cabbage, cassava, yams, sweet potatoes, plantains
• Cashews
• Vibrant fruits: papaya, mango, watermelon, guava, passionfruit, pineapple, caimito (antioxidant-rich purple star apple), bananas
• Corn tortillas: The nutritional secret? Nixtamalization: corn is soaked in calcium hydroxide (lime water), which infuses the grain with 7.5x more calcium and makes amino acids more bioavailable. This leads to STRONG BONES!
• Herbs: ginger, turmeric, chamomile, cilantro, parsley, basil

3. Nature is medicine.

For your body and mind.

Costa Ricans have a love of the land like no other. The earth is their classroom, playground, gathering space, source of wonder, medicine, and wisdom. It’s clean. Minimal plastic.

The jungle insists you slow down and listen to the sounds of the earth- howler monkeys, rain, chirping birds, the hum of the cicadas. The sight and sound of the sea can lower cortisol, calm anxiety, lift mental fog, and ease depression.

This is Pura Vida– the Costa Rica expression of “the good life” or “the simple life.” Costa Ricans fiercely value conservation, renewable energy, and health. Natural remedies aren’t alternative there. They’re just remedies.

Natural medicines you’ll find in Nicoya kitchens & markets:

• Carao: prevents anemia and strengthens immunity
• Mucuna: enhances mood, motivation & focus
• Neem: antimicrobial for skin and gut
• Soursop: immune support, often in used in teaa or smoothie powder
• Noni: anti-inflammatory and antioxidant powerhouse
• Marion honey: antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, made by stingless bees
• Moringa: lowers LDL cholesterol, rich in minerals for strong bones
• Aloe vera: soothes heartburn, cools inflammation
• Juanilama (bushy matgrass): supports healthy digestion
• Curcuma (Turmeric): antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, in everything

4. Walking is the quintessential longevity exercise.

Nicoyans aren’t hitting the gym every day, pumping iron. People of all ages walk everywhere- to the market, to church, to visit neighbors. Often at an incline. Usually carrying groceries or buckets of water.

They’re moving naturally. Carrying the groceries is resistance training, promoting strong bones.

In all my research, walking is the #1 movement pattern associated with longevity. And yes, I absolutely believe intentional resistance training is crucial as we age, but walking is the foundation.

Walk for your brain
A study in JAMA Neurology found that people who walked about 3,800 steps per day (∼2 miles) had a 25% reduced risk of Alzheimer’s. Those who walked 9,800 steps per day (∼5 miles) were 50% less likely to develop dementia. There is no medication yet invented that can cut your risk of dementia by 50%.

For more ways to incorporate more vibrant plant foods in your diet (like the Costa Ricans do!), check out my Plant Power Guidebook & Recipe book.

Want to bring Blue Zone living into your own kitchen? My Mediterranean Masterclass dives deep into Ikaria, Greece. We cover the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle you can start now!

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–Bonus Travel Itinerary: Be inspired by a special bonus—my personal travel itinerary from Crete and Ikaria, two of the Mediterranean’s most vibrant and healthy destinations.