HMSA project promotes habits of long-lived people

Since discovering Blue Zones Hawaii a year ago, 82-year-old Theresa Zendejas has become an enthusiastic advocate for the health initiative, which encourages the nine habits of the longest-living people in the world.

The project, sponsored by HMSA and launched last year in Hawaii, is part of a global movement inspired by Dan Buettner’s New York Times best-seller, “The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest.”

Zendejas, who lives in Pahoa on Hawaii island, went to a lecture by Buettner. She had just been diagnosed as borderline diabetic; the chronic disease had claimed her twin sister.

“From that day on, I started changing,” she said. “I made up my mind: I am going to change my life around and I am going to get healthy.”

The nine habits include a plant-based diet; finding ways to move more; investing more time with family; pushing the meal plate away when you feel 80 percent full; finding ways to relieve stress; waking up with purpose; enjoying a daily glass of wine; being around people who support positive behaviors; and belonging to a faith-based community.

Zendejas replaced carb-heavy plate lunches with home-cooked meals and cut out sweets like malasadas and lilikoi pie, substituting her cravings with dried dates instead.

“I did it cold turkey,” she said. “The first 10 days are the hardest.”

She began growing vegetables in her garden and started a walking “moai” (a Japanese word for “meeting for a common purpose,” or social support group) that is attended by five to eight people on Wednesday mornings.

After a year, Zendejas lost 45 pounds and no longer needs the aid of a walker to get around, she said.

Twelve years ago, Buettner, a National Geographic fellow, sought out “blue zones,” places where people live measurably longer. He identified five: Ikaria, Greece; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica; Okinawa, Japan; and Loma Linda, Calif.

Older Okinawans are active walkers and eat a plant-based diet, Buettner found, while Sardinians drink wine and nap regularly. Ikarians routinely walk to their neighbor’s house or work in their yards, and the lives of Nicoyans are filled with physical chores. Loma Lindans, who compose a community of Adventists, eat meat sparingly, snack on nuts and observe a 24-hour sabbath to celebrate their faith and family.

Buettner was so inspired he founded Blue Zones LLC, which teamed up with Healthways Inc. in 2009 to start an initiative encouraging Americans to adopt the habits of the longest-living people.

After putting forth an open call for Hawaii participants, a panel of representatives from Blue Zones, Healthways and HMSA selected three areas: Windward Oahu, East Hawaii (encompassing Hilo) and North Hawaii on the Hawaii island. As a sponsor, HMSA offers a team of national and local experts to help the communities implement the Blue Zones practices. Volunteers, meanwhile, host events and activities.

On Oahu’s Windward side, Blue Zones launched a walking group. In East Hawaii, volunteers have gotten together to create a community garden at Ho‘ola Farms. In North Hawaii, volunteers offer healthful cooking demonstrations.

Hawaii businesses, schools and organizations may apply to become a Blue Zones Project-approved entity by adopting the nine principles. Once criteria are met, they can display the official Blue Zones logo on their premises.

Big City Diner at Windward Mall, for instance, offers brown rice and vegetables in line with dietary recommendations, as well as red wine. Owner Lane Muraoka said that when he learned about Blue Zones, he wanted to become a part of it.

“This is the perfect match for us to help people get more educated about it,” he said. “It’s about what can we do to make small changes to live a longer, better, healthier and happier life.”

Other Blue Zones partners include Whole Foods Market in Kailua, Chiefess Kapiolani Elementary School in Hilo and KTA Super Store in Waimea on Hawaii island.

To learn more, visit hawaii.bluezonesproject.com or fb.com/BlueZonesProjectHawaii.