Hard work, focused effort and years of partnership between Blue Zones Project and city leaders has once again put Fort Worth on a list of the highest performing cities in America when it comes to improving the day-to-day quality of life, well-being and health of its citizens.
Ride or walk to a participating restaurant or coffee shop June 4-6 and get FREE summer stuff from Blue Zones Project and Fort Worth Bike Sharing. Better yet, ride a BCycle for free on June 4!
Imagine a friend or colleague is experiencing a panic attack, reacting to a traumatic event, or dealing with a substance use disorder. What should you say? How can you help?
Fresh fruits and vegetables can seem out of reach for local families trying to lower their grocery bills in difficult times. But it’s getting easier to put healthy produce on the table, as Blue Zones Project expands its Double Up Food Bucks efforts for anyone eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
Fort Worth-area student groups were put to the test as they vied to earn four $5,000 Blue Zones Project Wellness Innovation Grant awards and make their campus a healthier place of learning. Six schools pitched their ideas via video presentation to a panel of judges for a variety of creative projects designed to help classmates reduce stress, enhance activity, and eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.
From roller skating in their living room to testing new plant-based recipes together, the Schuman family of Fort Worth invents fun and creative ways to practice the Blue Zones Power 9 principle of Family First. In the world’s original Blue Zones, making family time a top priority has been shown to lead to a longer, healthier life. That includes keeping aging parents and grandparents nearby or in the home, committing to a life partner, and investing time and love into raising children.
No doubt about it, we live in challenging times, which can impact our overall well-being. Stress leads to chronic inflammation, associated with every major age-related disease. But in the world’s original Blue Zones, the longest-lived people have routines to help downshift and shake off life’s tensions. Okinawans take a few moments each day to remember their ancestors, Adventists pray, Ikarians nap, and Sardinians celebrate happy hour.
In the world’s Blue Zones, the longest-lived people have strategies to avoid overeating. For example, Okinawans repeat a 2,500-year-old mantra "Hara hachi bu” before meals, which reminds them to eat mindfully and stop eating when their stomachs are 80% full. That’s called the 80% Rule, which can help reduce calories, prevent weight gain, and avoid chronic diseases. For Andy Wang, an information technology professional, practicing this Power 9 principle is how he has amped up his well-being and improved his eating habits.
The people around us can play an important role in our overall well-being and quality of life. In the world’s original Blue Zones, researchers found that the right social networks—or the Blue Zones Power 9Ò principle of “Right Tribe”—can help us live longer, healthier lives. Sometimes we must seek out those relationships--and sometimes they are given to us.
Plant-based foods are the mainstays of meals in the world’s original Blue Zones, where people live notably longer and healthier lives. That means a diet with very little meat, instead favoring beans like fava, black, soy and lentils. For Alma Rangel, this Blue Zones Power 9 principle of eating with a “Plant Slant” is key to both her lifestyle and livelihood.