Welcome to my Occasional Series Imagine....Then Make it Happen March 2014 Wendy Kuhn, Holistic Health Coach View this email in your browser Imagine then Make it Happen. Imagine a community where people can easily walk to work, grocery stores or schools; a community where the grocery stores have water in the coolers at the check out line rather than sugary drinks; a community where the university has committed to serving healthy foods to its students; a community where restaurants proactively offer healthy choices or, at least, wait until you ask for bread before putting it on your table – this is the case in the communities in Iowa that have signed up to be Blue Zone Demonstration Communities.  Under the sponsorship of Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Iowa, the Blue Zones Project is supporting communities to make permanent and semi-permanent changes to their environment so that their residents are healthier and live longer.  Could this happen in North Carolina? While this article talks about what we could do in North Carolina, dream big -- could it happen where you live?   In your house?  In your community? In your state? The Blue Zones Project is based on findings from an eight-year, worldwide quest led by Dan Buettner, National Geographic Fellow and New York Times best-selling author, to find Blue Zones®—places where individuals live measurably longer, happier lives with lower rates of chronic disease and a higher quality of life    When Dan Buettner conducted his original research, he discovered Blue Zones in Okinawa, Japan Ikaria, Greece Sardinia, Italy Nicoya, Costa Rica Loma Linda, California .     Buettner found commonalities in these communities that he called the Power 9.  .  A lot of his life’s work is identifying and communicating these commonalities and trying to determine if Blue Zones can be replicated.   Meanwhile, at Wellmark, they were exploring ways to keep insurance rates from increasing.   After implementing internal efficiencies, they realized that the only way to effectively control rates in a sustainable manner was to have a healthier population.   Therefore, they began to research behavioral economics and steps that they could take to help Iowans be healthier.   They realized they needed to find a way to ensure that the healthy choice is also the easy choice.    According to Becky Wampler, Director of Sustainability at Wellmark, they realized that Americans have engineered a lot of the free exercise out of life – we drive to complete our errands, take buses to schools, and take the elevator at work.   Then, we re-introduce exercise back into our lives as a scheduled activity.  The Blue Zones built environment approach strives to create an environment where it is easy to re-introduce free exercise into life – creating an infrastructure that supports a healthy, active lifestyle.  This visionary leadership by the Board at Wellmark and the high level of support for the program, in spite of the fact that many of the benefits will only be seen in the long term, is awesome, innovative, and a key to the fabulous things that are happening in Iowa. Wellmark was already working with Healthways, a company focused on improving well-being, decreasing healthcare costs, enhancing performance and generating economic value for its customers.  Healthways had an existing relationship with Blue Zones and the Blue Zones Project in Iowa was born.    Fifty eight communities in Iowa applied to become part of the program.   The communities were evaluated based on motivation, readiness, resources and commitment. How telling is that?!  58 communities in Iowa wanted to become healthier – that’s awesome.  I wonder what the number would be in North Carolina?  In the first year, four communities were selected to launch initiatives with three the following year, and three this year as well as five other smaller communities with populations under 10,000. To date, two communities have been certified as Blue Zone Communities.  These include Spencer and Cedar Falls. Tony Buettner, Vice President of product and business development for the Blue Zones, shared some of the results from the first two certified cities. In Spencer, Iowa, a convenience store was not built between the High School and the Junior High School because of lessons learned during the Blue Zones Project work.   Safe routes were put in place so that students can easily walk to schools.   In Cedar Falls, Iowa, when unhealthy beverages were moved away from the checkout stand at a grocery store, the store experienced an increase in sales and an increase in purchases from the salad bar and of fruits and vegetables.  Cool, right?! Other great outcomes included getting funding to build a pedestrian bridge over a big highway and a completely revised food system at a university as a result of a Blue Zone Pledge.   There is no silver bullet to changing health and wellness in communities, but what the Blue Zones Project does is unleash silver buckshot   with “hundreds of little nudges” according to Wampler.  Ultimately, a community hits a tipping point and then the healthier choice is also the easier choice. Becoming a Blue Zone Community isn’t easy, it requires: At least 20% of citizens sign the Blue Zones Personal Pledge and complete one action. Completion of the Blue Zones Community Policyâ„¢ Pledge. At least 50% of the top twenty community-identified employers become a Blue Zones Worksiteâ„¢. At least 25% of independently or locally owned restaurants become a Blue Zones Restaurantâ„¢. At least 25% of public schools become a Blue Zones Schoolâ„¢. At least 25% of grocery stores become a Blue Zones Grocery Storeâ„¢ According to Wampler, it is all about taking small steps towards achieving the major goals.  Infrastructure changes are essential to the Blue Zones.  By making walking or biking to work possible, people do it.  By making changes in grocery stores so that water rather than sugary beverages are available at the checkout line, people drink fewer sugary beverages.   It’s not that we are not responsible for our personal choices, we are, but it is truly amazing what a difference community support and an infrastructure that supports healthy choices can make. For a community to become certified, cities are required to enact policies within the built environment, food policies, and tobacco policies. Worksites, restaurants, grocery stores, and schools can all be designated as Blue Zones if they meet certain requirements.  It could be that a restaurant only serves bread or chips upon request, that a workplace sponsors training that encourages employees to connect with their own personal purpose, that a school requires 150 minutes per week (elementary schools) and 225 minutes per week (middle and high schools) of physical activity for all students, or that a grocery store has an in store dietitian available.  There is much, much more involved. These are just a few examples. Tony Buettner talks about how Blue Zones customizes their approach with different communities through working closely with the community to target what will work best in that environment.  They are interested in citywide or community wide policies and programs that have strong support so that they are well set up for success.     This program has been great for Iowa (and for Wellmark).  According to Tony Buettner, not only are Iowans in Blue Zones communities on their way to being healthier, but there have been more than 700 articles written about it (701 with this article) and 135 TV spots .  Awareness of the program within target communities has been as high as 80-90%. When asked about the success of the program, Wampler offers a great analogy.  The way things are today is a little like the frog who is put into a pot of water that is slowly brought to a boil.  The frog dies because he doesn’t realize the water is getting hotter.    Similarly, we live in an environment that may well be killing us slowly, but it has been created over so many years that we may not even realize how much it has changed.    I walked to elementary school (yes, uphill both ways in the snow!), but now many children don’t. The Blue Zones project is making the kind of infrastructure changes that will make us healthier over the long term so that in 25 years we will realize that we are, each day, experiencing many of the benefits.  That is not to say that we won’t also experience the benefits now, through feeling better, being healthier, having more energy, but we will also live longer, be happier and have healthier children in the long term.   While it would be completely awesome to see North Carolina take on a Blue Zones project, you do not have to wait for that to take action.  What can you we do?   Rearrange your kitchen to make it easier to prepare healthy food.  Better yet, don’t buy unhealthy food. Walk instead of driving whenever you can. Take the steps instead of the elevator. Park as far away as possible rather than as close as possible. If you smoke, quit, if you don’t smoke, don’t start! Spend time with loved ones. Think about what makes your heart sing and do it. Find a community that works for you. End the day with a glass of wine with friends or loved ones. Let's start the conversation! Both Wampler and Tony Buettner agree that local leadership is the key factor for success.  They work closely with volunteer committees in the community to achieve Blue Zone Status.  Can North Carolina become a Blue Zone state or have Blue Zone Communities? Can your state or community become a Blue Zone? What do we need to do? how can we make it happen?  Do you have ideas? I would love to talk to you about it!   Resources Contact Me! Blue Zones Blue Zones Project in Iowa Because I know you are curious.  Here are the nine commonalities among Blue Zones. Move Naturally This describes an environment where walking is the primary way to get around; where yard work is done personally and manually rather than being outsourced or using a power mower; and where staircases are not hidden in back corners while elevators and escalators take up prime real estate. Know your Purpose This means exactly what it says. People who know their sense of purpose, the things they like to do and incorporate them into their lives, live longer. Down Shift This means taking time each day to engage in a stress relieving strategy. Even if only for a few moments. 80% rule This refers to eating only until you are 80% full, using smaller plates. Removing distractions when eating can help with this. Plant Slant This means eating a rich array of fruits and vegetables and looking at meat as a condiment, not the focus of the meal – and eating plenty of nuts! Wine at Five One glass a day for women, two for men, with a meal with friends. Right Tribe Find social circles that share common interests and support healthy behaviors. Community Belonging to a group, this is often a faith based community. Loved Ones First Put family and friends first. Copyright © 2014 Break Through Consulting, All rights reserved. unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences