The fruit bowl at the University of Pretoria’s Centre for the Study of Resilience is not incidental. It is an intentional part of the Centre’s philosophy. Based on a study on why people in certain parts of the world live way longer than others, the Blue Zone phenomenon, which the researchers had circled in blue on a map, referred to nine traits common to those who live in these longevity hotspots.
One of their lifestyle habits is a mostly plant-based diet — a practice that has inspired the UP Centre’s bowl of fruit.