Re: Blue Zones/Buettner
From: Bryan Syverson (bryan.syversonfresnocohousing.org)
Date: Tue, 28 Apr 2015 07:55:47 -0700 (PDT)
I've been reading Buettner's books, too, and think that cohousing is an
obvious way to build the kind of community connections that those living in
Blue Zones enjoy.  However, I sadly have accepted that cohousing, at least
our cohousing, does little to encourage the sort of diet to which he
ascribes such healthy benefits.

For example, our common meal system is rapidly becoming superfluous for
most of our residents.  There is a core group of about 20 (generally older)
members who actively participate and about 20 members who don't participate
at all.  I ascribe this to two main trends:  (1) an increasing number of
individuals for whom cooking is an unfamiliar practice and for whom eating
commercially-prepared food is an acceptable alternative and (2) an
increasing number of individuals who adhere to strict diets that eliminate
common foods.

Some part of this is generational; our young families with small children
do not see sufficient value in cooking to make time for it in their
admittedly busy day.  Part of this is constitutional; cohousers tend to be
the same well-educated folks who hyper-analyze every aspect of their
lives.  They are well-informed about the latest nutrition news which leads
the latest food fad and can even tend toward orthorexia.

(Sorry, but I lovingly bake a mighty good loaf of crusty rustic French
bread and when it goes uneaten due to the vogue for gluten-free, it
rankles!)

So no, our cohousing community doesn't do much to promote the sort of
common-sense healthy eating that Buettner sees in the Blue Zones.  Not
through our common meals, at least.  But I'd love to hear ideas about how
we could.

-Bryan Syverson
La Querencia Fresno Cohousing


From: Fred H Olson <fholson [at] cohousing.org>
> Subject: [C-L]_ Blue Zones/Buettner [was: Benefits of cohousing for
>         Diane   Margolis
>
>  ... So the question that comes to my mind about cohousing is, how much
> have
> cohousing communities done to promote this sort of healthy diet? ...
>
>

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