Top 5 Ways to Make Your Family a Priority

Blue Zones^® researchers discovered that the healthiest, happiest centenarians in the world tend to build their lives around their families. Taking care of family is their main purpose in life, and this lifelong devotion pays off. In Sardinia and other Blue Zones areas, younger generations return the love and care they received from their parents and grandparents. No matter how you choose to do it, investing time with family can help add up to 6 years to your life.

Invest time and energy in your children, your spouse, and your parents. Here are some easy ways to help you build stronger bonds with your family:

1. Set aside time for each other every day. Play with your children, spend quality time with your spouse, and honor your parents. Eating family dinners together is a great chance to turn off the TV and chat about everyone’s day over a healthy meal.

2. Get moving together. After dinner, take a walk or go on a bike ride. If you have younger children, visit your local park or playground. Or play a game of tag, Frisbee, or hide-and-seek in your own backyard.

3. Share your family history. Children love stories about when their parents were young, like the time Mommy got stuck in the apple tree, or when Daddy woke up at 3:00 a.m. because he couldn’t wait for Christmas morning. Display pictures of family members on a wall in your home so the kids are familiar with extended family members, too.

4. Involve grandparents in your lives. Grandparents can offer love, support, wisdom, and motivation to help their younger family members succeed. This adds up to healthier, better-adjusted families who live longer.

5. Create family traditions and memories. Holidays offer a great opportunity to create memorable family traditions that bring your family closer together. When it’s not possible to be together during the holidays, connect by phone.

We continue to be inspired by the culinary arts students in Fort Worth. Last month's Fit Foods Face-Off: Healthy Tailgate Competition was a huge success, and this November, the incredibly talented culinary arts students from Polytechnic High School hosted a Blue Zones^® inspired Thanksgiving dinner. Each dish was creative, delicious, and met the Blue Zones healthy dish guidelines. Here are a couple of our favorites from the meal. We hope you enjoy these recipes and share them with your families this holiday season. 

Meet one of our volunteer chefs, Chef Juan Rodriguez of Magdalena's Cocina Mexicana Local. 

At Blue Zones Project^® and our parent company, Healthways, we'd like to think of our office as a “living lab,” meaning we try our best to practice what we preach by making healthy choices whenever possible through implementing the Blue Zones^® Power 9 principles into our lives. Each week, we'll introduce you to a different colleague of our Right Tribe, and share his or her favorite Power 9.

Here’s a round-up of highlights for November 2015:

Have an Attitude of Gratitude Every Day

At Blue Zones Project^® and our parent company, Healthways, we'd like to think of our office as a “living lab,” meaning we try our best to practice what we preach by making healthy choices whenever possible through implementing the Blue Zones^® Power 9 principles into our lives. Each week, we'll introduce you to a different colleague of our Right Tribe, and share his or her favorite Power 9.

On Friday night, October 23, before South Hills High School’s football team prepares to take on Arlington Heights, and Green B. Trimble Technical High School plays Western Hills, two of the Fort Worth Independent School District’s leading culinary programs will have their own heated competition. South Hills’ Culinary Arts Academy students and Trimble Tech’s Culinary Arts students will participate in the first ever Fit Foods Face-off Healthy Tailgate Competition. The teams will be out to prove that you can score big before the game with tasty tailgate fare that is also good for you.

At Blue Zones Project^® and our parent company, Healthways, we'd like to think of our office as a “living lab,” meaning we try our best to practice what we preach by making healthy choices whenever possible through implementing the Blue Zones^® Power 9 principles into our lives. Each week, we'll introduce you to a different colleague of our Right Tribe, and share his or her favorite Power 9.

At Blue Zones Project^® and our parent company, Healthways, we'd like to think of our office as a “living lab,” meaning we try our best to practice what we preach by making healthy choices whenever possible through implementing the Blue Zones^® Power 9 principles into our lives. Each week, we'll introduce you to a different colleague of our Right Tribe, and share his or her favorite Power 9.