PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS

Let's Celebrate!

Achieving Blue Zones Project^® Approval takes everyone’s support. Congratulations to the following organizations for becoming Blue Zones Project recognized! 

      Worksites

NCH Healthcare System

NCH Healthcare System today became the first Certified Blue Zones^® Worksite in Florida and the first healthcare system in the nation to earn certification from the nationwide community well-being initiative. Since implementing Blue Zones Project^®, NCH has seen a 2.8-point improvement in its Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being 5™ employee survey from 2015 to 2016. The survey measures the five interrelated elements shown to have the greatest impact on an individual’s well-being: purpose, social, financial, community, and physical.

“At NCH, we are very proud to be the first Certified Blue Zones Worksite in Florida,” said Allen S. Weiss, M.D., MBA, FACP, FACR, president and CEO, NCH Healthcare System. “Well-being is our mission and our promise, for those we serve and for our employees. That’s why we’re making substantive changes on our campuses – improving the foods we serve in our cafeterias, eliminating sugar-based beverages, and working with local producers to have onsite farmers markets. Each of these actions reinforces the idea that healthy doesn’t have to be hard. We are creating success for patients, employees, and the community at large.”

Organizations

 Kingdom Mobilization

Kingdom Mobilization, a local non-profit, helps people discover and fulfill their lifepurpose and live lives of significance and impact. They realized early on how closely their mission aligns with the Blue Zones Project Power 9^® principles, specifically; purpose, belong, right tribe and family first, and knew they had to get involved.To earn Blue Zones Project recognition, Kingdom Mobilization became a tobacco-free worksite, offered healthy food options at staff meetings and removed sugary beverages from their breakroom and vending machines, and promoted volunteer opportunities for employees.

greenmonkey yoga

To become a Blue Zones Project recognized organization greenmonkey y

ogautilizedan onsite bike rack, became a tobacco-free site, and hosted educational classes and events to further the Power 9^® of purpose for their members.

“We wanted to become a part of Blue Zones Project because yoga naturally provides many of the Power 9^®  elements of well-being, it’s about moving and coming together in community,” stated Tiffany Smith, owner of greenmonkey. “Our programs have already touched so many people’s lives and we look forward to reaching even more.”

True Food Kitchen 

To become a Blue Zones Project Approved™ Restaurant, True Food Kitchen now offers four dishes that meet the Blue Zones Project Healthy Dish Guidelines; the almond butter and banana sandwich, ancient grains, teriyaki quinoa and TLT. True Food Kitchen grows their own herbs onsite, sources locally grown produce whenever possible, and doesn’t offer soft drinks. In addition, True Food Kitchen is entirely non-smoking and allows patrons to dine with their pets in the outside dining area.

Mel's Diner

To become a Blue Zones Project Approved™ Restaurant, Mel’s Diner created a new Blue Zones Project Inspired Menu with three kids and four adult dishes that are all plant-based. They now offer whole wheat, whole grain and quinoa alternatives to refined grains and source produce from local suppliers including Seed to Table and the farmers market in Immokalee. Mel’s Diner also installed a bike rack outside of the restaurant to encourage natural movement.

“We were happy to participate with Blue Zones Project because it’s all about making healthy choices easier. Blue Zones Project encourages choice, and we want our customers to have plenty to choose from. There are a lot of restaurants in Naples, and by offering more to choose from we know that we can serve even more customers,” stated Kostika Terezi, owner of Mel’s Diner in Naples.

Legacy Church

Legacy Church became the first Blue Zones Project Approved™ Faith-Based Organization in Estero by hosting Walking Moais^® for their fellowship, having morethan 25 percent of their fellowship participate in volunteer leadership positions in the community, becoming a tobacco-free site, and removing all sugary beverages from their vending machines and staff refridgerators.