C
An amount of food having an energy-producing value of one large calorie.
Total number of calories taken in daily.
Reduction in caloric intake without reduction in proper nutrition.
carambola (star fruit)
A green to yellow tropical Asian fruit that has the shape of a 5-pointed star when cut across the middle.
The heart and blood vessels that are responsible for circulating blood throughout the body.
cas (sour guava)
A small and tart Costa Rican fruit.
A Costa Rican meal that usually includes some combination of rice, black beans, plantain, cabbage, salad, and meat.
A person a hundred years or older.
A waxy substance that is present in animal cells and tissues, is important in bodily processes, and may be related to the abnormal thickening and hardening of arteries when too much is present.
Costa Rica
A country in Central America between Nicaragua and Panama.
Spanish for "typical food"
The beliefs, social practices, and characteristics of a racial, religious, or social group.
D
Facts about something that can be used in calculating, reasoning, or planning.
The statistical study of human populations.
An abnormal bodily condition in which less than the normal amount of insulin is produced, greater than normal amounts of urine are produced, and large amounts of sugar are contained in the blood and urine and which is marked especially by thirst, hunger, and loss of weight.
A difficult choice.
An important message.
E
ecoturismo
Literally translates to "eco-tourism," a movement within the tourism industry, very popular in Costa Rica, that focuses on respecting local cultures, wilderness adventures, and environmental education in destinations where the natural environment is the primary attraction.
An imaginary circle around the earth everywhere equally distant from the north pole and the south pole.
The rules governing the proper way to behave.
Information that tends to prove something.
A journey or trip undertaken for a specific purpose.
F
A fountain described in folk tales as able to make people young again.
Shortened from the Spanish word "refrescos," which is a type of beverage, often made from tropical fruit juices, but also used to refer to soft drinks.
Any of various beans used in Latin American-style cooking.
G
A Costa Rican dish that consists of rice and black beans, which in many households is eaten at all three meals during the day.
Caused or controlled by genes.
genes
A part of DNA or sometimes RNA that is usually located on a chromosome and that contains chemical information needed to make an enzyme control or influence an inherited bodily trait or activity (as eye color, height, or metabolism) or that influences or controls the activity of another gene or genes.
Of or relating to the aged or the process of aging.
The study of aging and its biological, psychological, and sociological impacts.
A Latin American term for foreigners.
guanabana (soursop)
Large dark green fruit with fleshy spines covering white flesh.
A large tree found along the coasts of Central America. It is the national tree of Costa Rica.
H
A large estate in Spanish-speaking countries.
I
Produced, growing, or living naturally in a particular region or environment.
Spanish for winter. Because Costa Rica is located only about eight degrees north of the equator, most of the country enjoys a tropical year round climate. Costa Rica's seasons are defined by how much it rains during a particular period. They're split into two periods: "
verano," summer, the dry season, and "invierno," winter, the wet season.
The bodily system that protects the body from foreign substances, cells, and tissues by producing the immune response and that includes especially the thymus, spleen, lymph nodes, lymphocytes, and antibodies.
A narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas.
J
K
L
The number of years that an individual or group of a certain age can expect to live on the average based on experience in the past for individuals or groups of the same kind.
The usual way of life of a person, group, or society.
longevity
Length of life.
M
maracuya (passion fruit)
A bright orange, round, lime-sized fruit.
Literally "mixed," in Costa Rica, the term is used to designate people of mixed European and indigenous non-European ancestry.
mora (blackberry)
A dark purple juicy but seedy fruit.
N
A protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved publicly (by the government) or privately and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research. Over a quarter of Costa Rica is protected reserve.
Nicaragua
A country in Central America next to Costa Rica.
A town in Costa Rica and one of its most important tourist zones.
nutrition
The processes by which an organism consumes and utilizes food.
O
The condition of being overweight.
A fatty acid that influences various metabolic pathways, resulting in lowered cholesterol and reduced inflammatory and immune reactions.
A large Japanese island in the North Pacific.
A condition that is characterized by weak bones that are easily broken.
P
Panama
A country in Central America south of Costa Rica.
An oblong edible yellow fruit with many black seeds.
A piece of land nearly surrounded by water or sticking out into the water.
Found mostly in soy foods, this chemical is considered healthy as it may reduce the risk of some types of cancers.
plantain (platanos)
A staple food in the tropical regions of the world, treated in much the same way as potatoes and with a similar neutral flavour and texture when unripe.
The Spanish word for beach.
Very powerful antioxidants, present in several different plants.
A usually large division of a country having its own government.
Literally pure life, Pura Vida is a ubiquitous motto in Costa Rica. It encapsulates the pervading ideology of living in peace in a calm, unflustered manner, appreciating a life surrounded by nature and family and friends.
The main city in the southernmost province of Costa Rica.
Q
Quest
A journey by which a single individual or a team attempts to discover or learn something. In our case, it is knowledge.
R
S
Cowboys who work on huge cattle ranches
San José
The capital of Costa Rica.
Doing or requiring much sitting.
A physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be involved in causing some diseases.
A whole food that is nutrient-dense. Eg: beans, tomatoes, tea.
T
Large tropical fruit with very tangy pulp that is eaten fresh or cooked with rice and fish.
The name for the natives of Costa Rica.
U
V
verano
The main dry season in Central America, generally occurring from November through April.
Vitality Compass
An interactive tool, created by Blue Zones, for calculating longevity and visualizing the impact of our lifestyle choices.
W
An area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna, or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research.
X
Y
Z
