Meet Blue Zones Project Champion, DAVID NINOMIYA

Meet Blue Zones Project^® Champion David Ninomiya, active volunteer in the Mānoa-Makiki-McCully-Mō‘ili‘ili community.

"I first heard about the Blue Zones Project when a friend posted about it on Facebook. I read the book a few years prior and was intrigued that there was a group dedicated to promoting its ideas, so I went to one of their events."

The Blue Zones Project Influence
"The biggest influence was on my diet because I had a reasonably healthy diet before, but after reading the book I started to eat more nuts, sweet potatoes, salmon, olive oil and other foods that it specifically mentioned. I also cut back on red meat and sugary foods, but still eat the occasional hamburger or donut because I'm not perfect. I would also try to walk more, like parking at the edge of parking lots and walking further, which also saves a little gas in the process. Or if I'm waiting for friends at the mall, I would just walk around instead of sitting and playing with my phone."

Favorite Power 9
"I really like the 80% rule, where you eat till you're about 80% full because you can always eat a little more if you're hungry, but if you eat too much, there's not much you can do about that. Something related to this is the old saying that one should "eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper." Basically you should eat more in the morning when your metabolism is strong and you're actively moving around, rather than at night when your metabolism (and you) are slowing down. It's hard to follow this principle when you're out at social events, but at home, eating a small dinner and not snacking before bed can really improve your health."

Community Events
"I've volunteered at the 4M Kickoff Event, Lei of Parks, and a couple of Makiki Trail cleanups. I volunteered for the first two because I support the mission of the Blue Zones Project and wanted to help promote its ideas. I went to the Makiki Trail cleanups because I like doing environmental cleanup projects. Hiking off-trail and removing invasive species may not sound appealing to some, but I enjoy those types of events."

Life Insights
"I would say don't be intimidated into thinking that it's a choice between being a super healthy person and doing nothing, because even small changes are better than no changes. Having desserts a little less often, using the stairs instead of the elevator, taking the initiative to set up an outing with friends or family that you haven't seen in a while. Start small, and if you have the time and resources to make bigger changes in the future, that's great, but the journey of 10,000 miles begins with a single step."

"I really like the Blue Zones approach to healthy living and longevity because it's quite holistic and based on understanding people's habits for their whole lives. The centenarians in the study show us a lot of best practices to healthy living that we can all learn from. And while our life circumstances may not allow us to live exactly the way they do, I think if we emulate them as best we can, we'll maximize our chances of being centenarians ourselves."

Join the Well-Being Movement!

Email our team to learn more about partnering with us to make healthy choices easier at your worksite, school, grocery store, restaurant, or faith-based organization.
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Learn more at hawaii.bluezonesproject.com