Get to Know the Worlds Blue Zones How

Get to Know the World’s Blue Zones: How to Introduce Clients and Patients to a Lifestyle That Improves Health and Increases Longevity Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDE, CPT, CHWC

The 5 Blue Zones •

1. Move Naturally

More exercise = longevity Participation in leisure time physical activity, even below the recommended level, is associated with a reduced risk of mortality compared to participation in no leisure time physical activity Exercise of 150 minutes per week or more increased life expectancy by 3. 4 -4. 5 years The more you do, the longer you live Leisure Time Physical Activity of Moderate to Vigorous Intensity and Mortality: A Large Pooled Cohort Analysis. Steven C. Moore, et al. https: //doi. org/10. 1371/journal. pmed. 1001335

Strategies to move naturally • Use hand tools instead of power tools: shovel snow, rake leaves, wash dishes by hand • Get a dog – and walk your dog • Use the stairs • Grow a garden, at home or as part of a community garden • At work, instead of sending an email to a colleague, walk over to their desk • Ditch the remote and get up to change the TV channel • Use every opportunity to get up and move that you can find

2. Purpose

Strategies to develop a purpose • Consider 4 domains of your life: family, community, work and personal • Focus on others by volunteering, performing random acts of kindness • Learn a new hobby or skill • Teach others your hobbies or skills Life on Purpose: How Living for What Matters Most Changes Everything. Victor Strecher

3. Down Shift

Strategies to manage stress • • Meditate Spend time outside in nature: forest bathing Exercise Laugh Talk with friends Listen to favorite music Do something that brings you joy

4. 80% Rule: hara hachi bu

How to be satisfied with 80% • Pause before starting each meal • Slow down rate of eating • Savor each bite, noting the texture, taste and aroma of the food • Eat without multitasking • Create an enjoyable, pleasant eating space • Make mealtime a fun, relaxing ritual with family or friends

Mindful eating resources • The Center for Mindful Eating https: //thecenterformindfuleating. org/ • Intuitive Eating http: //www. intuitiveeating. org/ • Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food by Jan Chozen Bays • Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life http: //savorthebook. com/

5. Plant Slant

Strategies for a plant-based diet Make vegetables the star of the meal Fill half your plate with vegetables Choose a variety of colors and textures of fruits and vegetables Incorporate whole grains into meals Purposefully plan vegetarian meals Use animal protein sparingly as a side dish or flavoring for the meal • Include legumes – lentils, split peas, chickpeas, black beans, etc. – as part of daily food choices • • •

Protein choices • Minimum ½ cup cooked beans, every day – Toss on salads – Incorporate into soups, stews, vegetable dishes – Use pureed beans as a thickener for creamy soups • 2 -3 ounces fish, 2 -3 times per week – Choose seafood high in omega-3 fatty acids: sardines, anchovies common in Blue Zones areas • 2 oz meat or poultry, 5 times per month • ½ - 1 oz nuts as a snack or with meals

6. Wine @ 5

Enjoy alcohol in moderation • High in antioxidants • Enjoy as part of a social network • Moderation, moderation

Blue Zones Beverages • Make water your primary beverage – Keep a water bottle at your desk – Flavor water with sliced fruit, vegetables or herbs • Enjoy tea and coffee without added sweeteners – Try a variety of herbal teas

Added sweeteners • • • Use sweeteners intentionally, not out of habit Avoid sweetened beverages Avoid sugar substitutes Use fruit as a sweet treat Consume small amounts of sweets as part of special celebrations

7. Belong

Role of faith in health and longevity • Prayer decreases length of hospital stay, improves immune function, decreases anxiety Explore (NY). 2005 May; 1(3): 186 -91. • People who are more religious or spiritual have improved mental health and adapt more quickly to health problems https: //www. hindawi. com/journals/isrn/2012/278730/ • Attending church more than once per week decreases all cause mortality risk by 55% https: //escholarship. org/uc/item/1 cc 2 r 775

8. Loved Ones First

9. Right Tribe

Blue Zones Communities • An environment that makes the healthy choice the easy choice, or better yet, unavoidable • Most of us spend 90% of our lives within 20 miles from our house • Looks at built environment, social networks, building designs, local policies • Build healthier environments in workplaces, schools, restaurants, grocery stores • Encourage strategies to reduce stress and find purpose in life

Albert Lea, Minnesota

Albert Lea, Minnesota • First Blue Zones Pilot Project in 2009 • $7. 5 million in health care cost savings due to decrease in smoking rates • Adult smoking rates declined from 23% of population in 2009 to 16% in 2015 • In first year of participation, add 2. 9 years to life • Moved from 68 th to 45 th place in Minnesota County Health rankings

Accomplishments • Went from 14% to 23% of employees in tobacco free worksites • Established tobacco free multi-unit housing • Added a Blue Zones® Checkout Lane that only offers healthy “grab and go” options at the local Hy-Vee • Improved nutrition in schools with a healthy snack cart, Farm to School efforts, school gardens and more improved vending policies • Continued Walking School Buses • Increased community activity with additional bike lanes, a new boat house with rental equipment, 18 -hold disc golf and adaptive swings at the park • Drove community volunteerism and improvement — especially through mural painting on cinderblock buildings • Held Purpose Workshops • Provided annual worksite wellness awards

Thank you! For questions: • Lynn Grieger: lynn@lynngrieger. com • www. foodandhealth. com - click contact • Nutritioneducationstore. com – for posters, Power. Point shows, handouts, etc.