Nicoya Diet

Life Principles That Slow The Aging Process. 

Every morning, at dawn, before the men of Nicoya ride their horses through the mountains of the Costa Rican peninsula, they eat a healthy breakfast. The daily breakfast consists of gallo pinto (rice and beans) with a basket of homemade corn tortillas and hot coffee.

The traditional diet on the Nicoya Peninsula consists of black beans, bananas, plantains, papaya, squash, pejibaje, yams, and homemade corn tortillas. Nicoyans eat black beans pretty much every single day and they are often paired with white rice. Black beans are high in antioxidants. Plantains are high in potassium, soluble fiber, and carbohydrates. Papaya is rich in vitamins A, B, and C and also contains an enzyme that fights inflammation. Chronic inflammation is rooted in most degenerative diseases. Yams are high in vitamin B6. Pejibajes are loaded with vitamins A and C, and squash has high levels of carotenoids. That is a mouthful of essential vitamins and minerals. Nothing in this list of staples, you’ll notice, is processed or contains preservatives. All of these foods are locally grown and freshly prepared daily.

Corn tortillas are typically eaten with every meal. On the Nicoya Peninsula, corn tortillas are traditionally freshly made every day and are made using a very special process that plays a major role in the absorption of vitamins and minerals from other staple foods. The corn is first soaked in lime and water before it is ground up into a flour. This first step helps to release the niacin that is contained in the corn. It is the niacin that helps the body absorb calcium, iron, and other valuable minerals. It is believed that the combination of making tortillas this way and then pairing them with the above foods allows the body to take full advantage of all the nutrient goodness.