JUNE Go Blue! For the month of June, we will focus on The Blue Zones. The following pages contain verbiage, tips, a printable poster and other articles and resources that you can reference and share with your co-workers and employees.

WHAT AND WHY: Over the last few years, many of you have heard the term "Blue Zones." But what does it mean? Since the 1990s, Author and National Geographic Fellow Dan Buettner has been traveling with teams of researchers to areas around the world where people live the longest. They observed how lifestyles and environment came into play and discovered these common habits and values of people who live long: Move Naturally, Know your purpose, Kick back, Eat less, Eat less meat, Drink in moderation, Have faith, Power of love, Stay social. [INSERT INFORMATION ABOUT THIS MONTH’S ACTIVITY, WHERE TO SIGN UP AND HOW TO START.] MORE: Most of us have more control over how long we live than we think. In fact, experts say that if we adopted the right lifestyle, we could add at least 10 good years and suffer a fraction of the diseases that kill us prematurely. Only 20 percent of how long a person lives is determined by genetics.

IDEAS FOR ACTIVITIES: Have your team members select and work through one of the Blue Zones checklists and share their thoughts at the end of the month: The Blue Zones® Kitchen Checklist will help you see where you can make small, simple, evidence- based changes to facilitate healthy and conscious eating: Optimize your bedroom, making it a sanctuary for sleep, based on the actions recommended in the Blue Zones® Bedroom Checklist. Set up your home to optimize the health and well-being of your children and family using actions recommended in the Blue Zones® Family Checklist. Use the Blue Zones® Tribe Check Up to learn how my closest friends are affecting my health and well-being. Host a lunch and learn using Dan Buettner’s TED talk: How to live to be 100:

ARTICLES: ‘Blue Zones’ author: 9 secrets to live a long life: happiness/ / happiness/ / Scientific American; What if we all just stopped trying to lose weight? lose-weight-video/ lose-weight-video/ OTHER RESOURCES: Blue Zones Project Iowa– Actions Summary (info on checklists, how to implement Power 9)

THE MORE YOU KNOW! 25 TIPS, TIDBITS OF TRIVIA AND TWEETS ABOUT STRESS. SHARE ONE VIA EACH DAY OR POST THEM NEXT TO THE WATER COOLER. At Work: 1. Create a lunch time walking group (move naturally while connecting with your colleagues!) 2. Order healthier meal and snack options for meetings. 3. Use smaller plates (10”) in your break room. 4. Become a smoke-free workplace. 5. Celebrate birthdays and other events involving food once a month only. 6. Improve indirect office lighting to reduce glare. 7. Provide sound masking in open work environments. 8. Place live plants at worksite or have an on-site garden. 9. Support small, short breaks or stretching every hour.

MORE TIPS: At Work: 10. Host your next internal meeting while walking. 11. Bring your own lunch. 12. Fill half your plate with fresh vegetables and fruits. 13. Drink tea – they contain phytochemicals that help protect against cancers. 14. Eat 2 ounces of nuts 4 times a week. 15. Ride a bike instead of driving. 16. Plan on being 15 minutes early to everything.

MORE TIPS: At Home: 17. Write a note to an old friend. 18. Take time to read the nutrition labels on the foods you buy. 19. Volunteer for an organization that you care about. 20. Designate a space in your home for quiet time. 21. Stock your home with ten inch plates and tall, narrow glasses. 22. Establish “Family Dinner Nights” three times a week. 23. Limit time spent with the television, computer, radio, etc. 24. Surround yourself with people who are likeable & positive.

MORE TIPS: At Home: 25. Sleep 7-8 hours a night. 26. Cut the amount of salt used on food. 27. Take a 30 minutes brisk walk three days per week. 28. Attend a faith based service or event four times per month. 29. Take up a new challenge – learn a new instrument, etc. 30. Create a place for family pictures and souvenirs.

APPENDIX: We can’t take all of the credit. In compiling this information, we referenced the following organizations and websites: