Written by Arianna Lovell, Blue Zones Project - Hawai‘i Ambassador

A year and a half ago, my papa was overweight and had little-to-no energy to get him through the day. Then one day, he decided his body deserved better and that he was going to do something about it. He told my nana about his plan and she got on board. They started to take control of their well-being and started to make healthier choices. In the span of a year and a half, my papa has lost 55 pounds and my nana has lost 25 pounds.

For their eating habits, they cut back on bread, pasta, and processed foods. While they still went out to eat about twice a week, all of their other meals were homemade. For breakfast, they ate oatmeal and eggs. For lunch, they ate soup. For dinner, they ate a protein and salad. For their mid-morning and afternoon snack, they ate nuts and apples. They did not eat after 6:00 pm, and they kept a routine sleeping schedule. They also stayed active by working in their garden.

My grandparents focused on a few of the Power 9^® elements from the Blue Zones Project. They primarily worked on the 80% rule, which encouraged them to not overeat. They also were conscious about eating more plant-based foods and less meat. And they also started to become more involved with activities that promoted moving naturally. All of these elements from the Power 9 helped my grandparents to focus on their goal and transform their lives.

My grandparents are in their 80s and are feeling and looking as strong and healthy as ever. They are still choosing to make healthy choices and are determined to continue caring for their well-being for the rest of their lives. They encourage me to make healthy choices so that I may also live my healthiest life. I believe that making healthy choices are important because it can improve one’s well-being and give them a longer and more fulfilling life.

“You have to decide you want to do it and then you have to have discipline to continue.” – Papa